Looked upon as one, the Nordics are the world’s 6th largest market for recorded music and with a rapidly growing industry, the talent coming out of the region seems to be endless. Even several years after the first major international success, artists, writers, and producers from the Nordic countries are continuing to dominate charts worldwide.
In Morning Coffee with the Nordics we go behind the scenes of some of these recent successes as well as speaking to innovating music companies expanding in the region and discuss intra-Nordic collaborations with artists and labels.
girl in red is 21-year-old Marie Ulven from Norway who has become a global bedroom-pop phenomenon with a massive international fanbase. In her very short career, she has amassed over 6.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, 1million subscribers on Youtube and her songs have more than 565 million global streams across the catalogue. The term, ‘do you listen to girl in red?’ has also become an international code within the queer community for identifying other queer people, with its own explanation on Urban Dictionary and now also the core of a recent successful global marketing campaign. All of this while still being totally independent and before she’s even released her debut album.
In this panel, you’ll get to meet her team, hear the strategies around her success, how Covid-19 has opened new doors, and what the plans are for ‘world in red’ world domination.
Introduction by Music Norway Director, Kathrine Synnes Finnskog
Panel:
Ben Blackburn / Twentyten Management
Tom Prideaux / Project Manager AWAL
Anna Mason / International Product Manager AWAL
Carly James / Booking Agent, Paradigm
Viagra Boys is an unapologetically raw sextet comprised of classically trained jazz musicians, karaoke loving tattoo artists, and seasoned hardcore scene veterans, churning out spastic, pulsating sounds from the sub-levels of contemporary rock music. The band started in 2016 and has since made their way from the Stockholm underground scene, to being the only Swedish act booked for the American giant festival Coachella in 2020. With over 180 live shows in support of their latest release ‘Street Worms’ (2018), and with several Grammy nominations and an Impala Award in the bag, Viagra Boys are currently working on new music while their songs keep shaking the world, not the least through the latest Tony Hawks Pro Skater video game soundtrack.
By Viagra Boys’ side stands independent label YEAR0001 – A hybrid music company acting as a creative platform for recording artists, offering an independent, artist-friendly and transparent mindset. YEAR0001’s roster currently includes; Yung Lean, Nadia Tehran, and Bladee, plus producers GUD and Whitearmor.
Introduction by Music Export Sweden Director, Jesper Thorsson
Panel:
Moderator: Jan Gradvall / Music Journalist
Oskar Ekman / CEO and Co-Founder at YEAR0001
With multiple number 1 radio hits, two won MTV Music Awards for Best Finnish Act, and undeniable talent, Isac Elliot is one of Finland’s most successful, rising, and thriving international pop superstars. During his career, he has gained popularity and toured all over the world, including Europe, the USA, and China.
It’s clear that it didn’t happen by a mystical wave of a magic wand. In reality, building a pop star means putting in a lot of sweat, working hard to make connections, promote the artist, and take the music & steps to the next level.
An experienced panel consisting of Isac Elliot’s team members will reveal the turn of events behind Isac Elliot’s career, giving the audience an insight into how they overcame the competition and got the right attention for international success.
Introduction by Music Finland, Kaisa Rönkkö
Panel:
Dolapo Alafe-Aluko / Manager, First Access Entertainment
Fredi Lunden / A&R, Warner Music Finland
TBC
The Icelandic breakout act, Of Monsters and Men, started making waves after the Iceland Airwaves festival in 2011 and went on to form a partnership with Heather Kolker first as their agent and then as their manager. Through her work, the band signed a worldwide deal with Universal in the US in 2012, and has since been active on the international scene.
Heather will be interviewed by Anna Hildur Hildibrandsdóttir, former head of NOMEX, and they will be touching on the strategies and structures that have molded the band’s international career over the period of 8 years they’ve worked with Heather.
Heather started her career in 1994 in Portland Oregon working for Monqui Presents – concert promoters, doing shows throughout Oregon and Washington state, before starting as the day-to-day manager for The Dandy Warhols.
In 2002, she started working at Little Big Man Booking Agency (which ultimately became Paradigm Talent Agency) in New York where she worked as an agent until 2015 for bands such as; Tame Impala, MGMT, Edward Sharpe, Francis, and the Lights, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Drums and others.
She now works as a manager at Mick Management where she manages OMAM and MUNA.
Introduction by Iceland Music, Sigtryggur Baldursson
Panel:
Moderator: Anna Hildur
Heather Kolker – Mick management
Join on Zoom here.
Join on Zoom at 10.00 here.
Danish company “The Bank” is structured in a Nordic fashion with offices in both Sweden and Finland. Focusing on a wide range of music business initiatives, The Bank encompasses both Publishing, Label, Management, and even run their own recording studios. They work closely with both domestic & international acts, with a roster of over 30 artists including; Saveus, Alphabeat, Malou Prytz, Andreas Mattson, Elsa Levahn & more.
In this panel, we speak to CEO Jakob Sørensen who will guide us through the company office & we will take a deep dive into how they are planning to build their artists and their company in 2021.
Introduction by Music Export Denmark Director, Thomas Rohde
Panel:
Jakob Sørensen / CEO of The Bank
You must be logged in to post a comment.