///Music Industry Speed Dating///

Following a fully subscribed night in May, it’s our great pleasure to open the rolodex for our October music industry speed meetings and networking event with selected friends and experts, followed by a three artist showcase at the Phoenix Artist Club, Soho. It goes without saying that we’re incredibly grateful, as ever, to all the experts for generously giving their time for everyone. Featuring sets tonight from Hafdis Huld, Samantha Whates and Miriam Jones. The point of these nights is to encourage collaboration amongst the independent music industry – a place for artists to meet and get advice from those that can help them with their current record, tour, promo etc; an opportunity for those hoping to further a career on the business side of the industry to get some advice and contacts; and a place for established pros to catch up and put some work each other’s ways (or just have a drink and swap war stories).

The experts kindly joining us are are:

Paul Barton – Head of A&R, PledgeMusic
Jamie Wade- Agent, X Ray Touring
Kerry Harvey-Piper – MD, Red Grape Music
Emmy Buckingham – Membership Manager, AIM
Scott Jones – MD, Scott Jones Studio
Stuart Ongley – MD, SGO Music
William Headlam-Wells – A&R Manager, Believe Digital
Mark Stein – Client Services Manager, Recognition London/MD Full Stein
Tim Foxon – Talent Program Manager, Help Musicians UK

Click here to view the invite PDF with more info on all the experts.

The event is free, on a first come first served basis, for all our friends – new and old. Please email networking@karouselmusic.com with Speed Meetings in the header and let us know which experts you’d like to see – we’ll do our best to get you in to see as many of the guys as possible. Chris, Gabrielle or Roger will get back to you with a confirmation. We’re very passionate about encouraging collaboration amongst independent music pros; and about letting artists know that there’s plenty of people on their side in the indie world. Please do spread the word to any friends or colleagues that may want to attend.

Facebook Link to the show

/ THE ARTISTS /

/// HAFDIS HULD ///

Rejkjavik’s Hafdis has been busy: Two world tours with Icelandic electro-collective Gus Gus; iconic collaborations with FC Kahuna; a debut solo record Dirty Paper Cup winning Best Pop Album at the 2007 Iceland Music Awards, featuring songs written with Peter Gabriel, Boo Hewardine,
Chris Corner (Sneaker Pimps) and Jim Abbiss (Arctic Monkeys); a second solo record produced by French Grammy winner Callum MacColl and Alisdair Wright (reaching number two in Iceland) Three number one singles; Radio 2, 6Music, Radio 4, and a ton of European and US airplay; Glasto; Secret Garden Party; Big Chill, Iceland Airwaves, Hiltsfred, SPOT… you get the idea. Supports with Paolo Nutini and Mika; two more world tours; TV ad syncs galore; theme tunes for films, including The Borrowers, starring Stephen Fry; a featured vocalist on Tricky’s ‘Knowle West Boy’; a new record… and a 2 year old littleun! Her reputation for being a totally original and delightfully different artist is perfectly captured in her videos on YouTube that continue to attract high viewing figures. We’ve been fans for ages – delighted that she’s including London on her tour, and that she’s chosen us for the show. As the Sunday Times said: ‘musically original and deliciously bonkers.’

/// SAMANTHA WHATES ///

Samantha Whates is one of those rare artists that ignites little bonfires beneath your ribcage and sings you something about yourself while the fire burns. A voice so warm and pure you’d be forgiven for thinking you were out in the wind wrapped up in merino wool and drowning in chocolate. For fans of acts like First Aid Kit, Nina Nastasia, Laura Viers and Susanna And The Magical Orchestra, Samantha is a lost piece of the jigsaw. The much lauded Dark Nights Make For Brighter Days album, which she recorded live in a couple of days up in her native Scotland, is a sparkling, atmospheric, and emotionally brave record that drew nothing but praise from exactly the kind of people she’d want it from – Bob Harris opining on BBC Radio 2 that it was “…really, the most beautiful album…” and Tom Robinson echoing the sentiment describing it as “… just gorgeous…” Crucially, Samantha is one of those artists that also enjoys the endorsement of her peers. Mercury nominated Kathryn Williams, with whom Samantha has collaborated for her next full album, said “her Scottish lilt melts into the words and melody of her songs like an ice cube in a single malt…” while comparing her to Vashti and Joni. James Yorkston (another Mercury nominee) described her as “a lovely surprise… a rare treat…” Live, she has that knack of tying a squadron of helium balloons to the more serious songs by being so irrepressible and likeable in the moments between them. You won’t be the first to leave the show feeling like you just met your new best friend. We’re incredibly proud to work with her on her publishing, you’re going to love her.

/// MIRIAM JONES ///

Canadian born, Oxford based Miriam is another artist with a fantastic track record for getting her music into film. She has just finished a storming record with our great friend, producer and bass player Simon Edwards (Talk Talk, David Gray, Fairground Attraction, Michael Jackson); with a band stuffed full of legendary players: keys maestro Mike Rowe, guitarist Calum MacColl and drummer Martin Barker completing the all star lineup for the recording. With that kind of endorsement from fellow musicians, you know you’re onto a winner. Intelligent lyrics, wonderfully tight arrangements and a powerful performer, we’re all hoping this record is the one that kicks even more doors open for Miriam. It’s great to hear an artist with such a talent for pacing the feel of her record too. As Q Radio remarked ‘If this isn’t gonna be huge, there’s something seriously wrong with the world’. Very much looking forward to hearing her live for the first time.