FEATURE:
Saluting the Queens
Natasha Gregory
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FOR this outing of Saluting the Queens…
I wanted to talk about the amazing Natasha Gregory. She is the co-founder of Mother Artists (you can follow them on Instagram). Without doubt, one of the most important figures in the music industry. I am going to drop in a playlist at the end from artists who are signed to the Mother Artists. There is a good reason for this feature. In addition to being a hugely inspiring woman in music, Natasha Gregory was a winner at the Women In Music Awards 2023 for Live Music. I am going to drop in a couple of interviews where she has spoken about Mother Artists and the ethos and ambition behind the live agency and artist management. In 2021, IQ Live Music Management spoke with Natasha Gregory and her brother Mark Bent (boss of Mother Management) about the then-new venture:
“The company – which is the latest in a legion of new UK agencies including Marshall Live Agency, One Fiinix Live and Route One Booking – brings together the pair’s combined four decades of experience under one roof, with Natasha spearheading the company’s live division and Mark heading up management.
Having taken their artists with them (Natasha’s live roster includes the likes of Cate Le Bon and The Magic Gang, while Mark manages Idles and Heavy Lungs among others), the pair have hit the ground running and have already expanded the team with Natasha’s former assistant James Tones.
Now, the pair tell IQ why they’re employing a no-bullshit policy, what kind of company they’re determined to build and how the pandemic created the perfect storm in which to launch.
IN THIS PHOTO: IDLES
How did Mother Artists come to fruition? Was joining forces inevitable?
Mark: “We’ve always talked about working together as a kind of dream thing to do, but there was never any plan about when or how. And with everything that’s happening now and our situations, the timing felt serendipitous.”
Natasha: “Timing-wise, I feel like we’ve both got to the same level in business so that neither of us is carrying the other. We’re both strong in our own positions and in our own knowledge and skills…we’re on an even playing field. Mark and I are extremely similar in ethos and mind and ideas and we trust in each other.”
Given the current climate of the industry, why is now the right time to set up shop?
Natasha: “Obviously it’s a really, really tough time for the live industry – for artists, managers, agencies, agents, crews…it’s catastrophic. But we’re glass half full people.
“For 18 years, I didn’t ever have the time to think about anything but the job at hand because the live industry is so fast-paced so there was just never any time to make Mother Artists happen.
“The advantage of the pandemic is that neither of us is travelling so we have the space and mindset to get our heads together and make sure that Mother Artists is really the best to our ability.”
Mark: “Mother Artists is something that never would have happened without this pandemic.”
IN THIS PHOTO: CMAT
Why did you decide to stick with the name Mother? Is there a philosophy behind it?
Mark: “When I was a tour manager, I saw some artists being pushed to the limits for the sake of people’s goals and we’ve never wanted to have that approach. I had a full-blown breakdown halfway through a tour and everyone was telling me it was gonna happen but I didn’t listen but my artists stuck by me through that when they could’ve so easily moved on.
“That’s why the name, Mother Artists, is so important because we want the company to be like a family and, within a family, you can have those moments where you all have a difference of opinion or you drive each other crazy but that trust and that belief is always there in the background which is so important.”
Now you’re both running the show, what kind of company do you want Mother Artists to be?
Natasha: “We’re ripping up the old school contracts and the old school way of working, and really trying to be diverse in not only who we work with, but who comes on board in our team. It’s not only about clients but it’s about us and creating a company that – in my mind, wherever I’ve gone – always thought should exist. A place where ourselves, our families and those who decide to join in the future are really well looked after.”
What will you change about the status quo of the agency/management business?
Natasha: “This has always been quite a magical industry and that you know there’s this smoke and mirrors approach to what you do. When I started as an agent and there weren’t very many women, the only way that I’ve built this roster over 18 years is through hard work, kindness, respect and being honest with myself about who I am and what my capabilities are.
“Enough bullying. Enough shouting to get what you want – that doesn’t work so much anymore and actually that you should be proud of your differences and your vulnerability. Everyone is going to have bad days. Mistakes happen. Our number one rule is you put your hand up straight away so we can talk about it and deal with it. No ‘Oh my god I got that wrong, I’m going to be sacked’. We all pull in, sort it out, and it’s fine because we’re human.”
Mark: “You can achieve amazing things by being human. Besides, everyone’s winging it. If you’re not learning if you’re sitting there thinking you know everything, then it’s game over really.”
IN THIS PHOTO: Lily Moore
You’ve been vocal about Mother Artists having a ‘no-bullshit policy’. What does this mean to you
Natasha: “What we mean by no bullshit, is that there aren’t any shortcuts to being good at what you do. For example, when you pitch for a band. I can’t promise my bands that they’re going to get on another band’s support because I grow my artists to be in a position to pick their own supports. There’s no shortcut to building a great band – we deal with career artists.”
Mark: “Honesty is such a massive thing, especially on my side. Every artist I’ve worked with knows that they will get an honest answer out of me every time. Whenever we work with anyone, it’s never about the quick buck. The no-bullshit approach is the best way to achieve a long term career with anyone. Because if you don’t have the trust with the artists you’re representing, if you don’t have the trust of the team you’re working with, you’re not going to have those long term relationships with it which is exactly what you need for long term careers.”
How do the artists on your rosters reflect the ethos and business model of Mother Artists?
Mark: “[The business model] can’t be led by us, it needs to be led by our artists. So we’ll just have to see where their careers go and how they want them to go and then we’ll make sure all the pieces fall together when they need to. We want to make sure that we’re representing our artists in both of our fields, as well as they were before, but ideally better than they were before.”
Natasha: “The rosters that we both represent have very strong-minded artists in their own right. They’ve got something to say and they stand for beliefs that we have to be a reflection of that and do it ourselves”.
When thinking about the queens of the music industry and those who are affecting change and doing amazing work, Natasha Gregory should be part of the conversation. One of the winners at November’s Women In Music Awards 2023, I will come to an interview that she gave to Music Week in reaction to being awarded Live Music Inspiration. Someone whose Mother Artists homes a roster of incredible and acclaimed names. That stable will broaden and strengthen next year I am sure:
“How do you feel about winning the Live Music Inspiration Award?
“It’s actually the most important award I’ve ever received, because it’s about the human side of this business. We so often focus on the biggest gig that’s been booked or who is the best agent… I like work and working hard is a given if you want to do well in business. But to be called an inspiration is special. I can sometimes feel alone in how I do things and what I stand for, so to be given an award like this, to actually have someone say, ‘We see you, we hear you,’ is something of a relief, to know that you can have the right positive impact on the right people.”
You set up a live business in December 2020. Did that feel like a risk?
“I remember lots of people saying, ‘Oh, you’re so brave,’ and being fiercely independent, I remember thinking, ‘Are you saying this to the guys who are setting up businesses?’. But in hindsight, I was brave. The whole industry was in turmoil. The whole world was in turmoil. But also, what I was doing was also about self-protection and self-preservation. We all had time to consider what was important to us during that period. I thought the best thing to do was focus on my family, my kids, as a priority and to protect myself by making everything smaller around me. I had a small roster of artists I love, who loved me back and I could give them all the attention needed without burning myself out in the process. I was in business with my brother who is also my best friend and biggest cheerleader.”
You have said that you will only contribute to panels that create positive change in the music industry. Does that still stand, do you see change?
“There has been a big awakening to mental health, to the more human side of the industry. The pandemic has catapulted that up as a priority, and there are a lot of artists who are choosing their health first, which didn’t used to happen as much. But in terms of panels, we’re still in the small rooms. In the main room people will be talking about festivals and the business side. So we’re still in the small room, but we do have the panel there.”
IN THIS PHOTO: Alex Amor
What state do you think the live industry is in post-Covid?
“It isn’t like it was before. There’s still an immense collective trauma. There’s exhaustion from an incredible pressure to deliver in a time of immense stress. I mean, the list is endless. Nobody has any money, at all levels. Top acts will always do well, but for smaller bands breaking, they can’t afford to tour. The costs have gone up astronomically. Brexit has added visa costs. There are crew wages, production wages, trucking costs. But people can’t raise the ticket prices too much because the ticket buyers have no money. It’s really tricky. And that’s another reason I’m glad we’ve kept the roster small, so that we as a team can deliver on the clients we work with. There's a lot more pressure on people. “
Live is often seen as a sector where women are underrepresented. Do you agree with that?
“There aren’t a lot of female promoters. The women promoters I do know are fucking awesome. I absolutely love women, and I love men as well. I think having women at the table, as well as men, brings greater depth in conversation and opinions that you can't have when it's just men, or it's just women. That's what representation means”.
In addition to the mighty IDLES being signed to Mother Artists, there are other artists on the roster that I am familiar with such as Violet Skies and Alex Amor, in addition to names I am new to, such as Benjamin Booker and Durry. There are these terrific artists that I am now compelled to follow and spotlight. Such an impressive range of talent under this roof. With Natasha Gregory – alongside Mark Bent – supporting these amazing artists and also paving the way for other women who want to become involved in live management, I was really keen to salute this industry queen. Prior to Mother Artists, Gregory held positions as a booking agent at The Agency Group, UTA and Paradigm. Not only is she actively involved with expansion of Mother Artists' team; she also joined the newly-formed board at Independent Venue Week to help steer the event into 2024 and beyond. I have so much respect and admiration for…
IN THIS PHOTO: Maruja
A hugely admired and important figure.