Slim Moon, Portia Sabin and Ingrid RenanA manager can be vital in helping a band fulfill its potential. But what should an artist know before choosing one? On this episode of The Future of What, Portia Sabin talks with managers Slim Moon, Ingrid Renan and Louie Bandak to not only flesh out what a manager’s role is, but also to discuss how musicians can invest in their future and make the most of having a manager.
“You need a manager when you can no longer do it yourself.” That’s Bandak’s advice to young musicians. Bandak has been a longtime player in the music industry in both A&R and band management. He’s worked with numerous bands at major labels (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV On The Radio, Major Lazer, Interpol) and started his own company, Happy Hour Music & Management, in 2013.
Echoing Bandak’s sentiment, Renan counsels artists to wait to “approach [a manager] until you feel like you’ve done as much as you can on your own, and you have something to put on the table for them to really grasp.” Both Renan and Moon have a history with Kill Rock Stars, and have even co-managed some bands. Moon, of course, founded the label in 1991 and worked with Sabin at her management company, Shotclock. Renan has also had a long relationship with the label working as a manager.
Recording The Future of What at Beta Petrol: Slim Moon, Ingrid Renan and Portia Sabin: Photo by Will WattsToday, Moon spends his time doing pastoral work while Renan runs her own music business. The two have left their mark on the Northwest music scene, having worked with bands like Thao & The Get Down Stay Down as well as PDX favorites like Y La Bamba, Typhoon, Starfucker and Blitzen Trapper. One of the major takeaways from Moon and Renan’s joint interview: the importance of committing to your manager as a part of your team. Moon suggests that groups choose someone they “like and believe in just as much as... every member” of the band.
This episode features music by:
Dear Boy: “Local Roses”
Summer Cannibals: “Go Home”
Witchypoo: “Bad Circulation”
