Monday
A year ago, I moved to a little village in Yorkshire, so Monday morning involves an early start to make my way to London. The 30-minute drive to York station is lovely in the spring morning light. I grab a coffee from Pret A Manger and board the train for my journey into London, which takes just under two hours. Conveniently, once I’m in King’s Cross, it’s just a five-minute walk to the Universal Music Group offices. Once at my desk, I catch up with my team and start to tackle the inbox. Mondays are busy with meetings, so once the urgent emails are dealt with it’s straight into our weekly label meeting followed by some smaller catch-ups.
One of the things I enjoy about working at a record label is the constant jumping between skillsets, from the most creative to the most administrative. In one meeting we might be discussing the long-term artistic vision for an artist like Sheku Kanneh-Mason or Lise Davidsen, and the next we’re focussing on the more technical side. Our Monday meeting is very much on that side of the job, where we discuss where the projects are up to in terms of production and manufacturing deadlines. The journey from recording audio to releasing it in multiple forms has many stages and requires everyone to have a good understanding of the intricate processes.
As I’m staying in London overnight, I spend the evening catching up with my colleagues, decompressing over a glass of wine.
Tuesday
When I’m in London, I try to squeeze in as many in-person meetings as possible, so the morning consists of a meeting with a brand-new artist that we have signed. This is always an exciting and nerve-wracking part of the process, as we get to know the artist, develop our plans and build the relationship. We want to understand the artist’s vision, creative identity, hopes and concerns. Marketing only works when the artist is being authentic, and their audience can recognise the person they became a fan of, so this is a crucial step for us to support them.
I then head off to lunch with our streaming team and one of our contacts at Spotify. In the afternoon I prioritise meeting with my line reports to see how they’re getting on – several of them are quite new to the label, and we want them to feel confident in all aspects of the role and at home in the team.
Come 6pm, it’s time to make the journey back to Yorkshire for a home-cooked meal by my husband.
Wednesday
Today is a typical work from home day. I have a seven-month-old puppy – anyone with an adolescent dog will know what a handful they can be! Thankfully she has the teenage trait of enjoying a lie in, so it’s a leisurely start to the morning. I’m religious about my inbox always being fully read, so that’s the first task of the day, then it’s pretty much back-to-back Zoom meetings. First up is with the development and marketing teams at the Philharmonia Orchestra. We’re making a concerted effort to improve our connections with other organisations in the industry. We’re all experiencing the same challenges and trying to reach the same audience, so we’re keen to tackle it together. And it’s just nice to build relationships with others working in the arts.
The rest of the day includes a catch up with the A&R and metadata teams to chat through some technicalities on new tracks, a call with Presto to talk through plans for upcoming releases, another with my colleagues in the US about maximising audience building around a Carnegie Hall concert from Yunchan Lim, and one with a designer who is working on the artwork for a new Jess Gillam campaign. I manage to escape at lunch to give the dog a walk and sit in the garden to enjoy a rare bit of sunshine.
Thursday
Thursday goes similarly, with just as wide a range of tasks – in the morning I’m on a call with our team in Japan, to present some releases coming up in the second half of the year. The breadth of our roster requires a tailored approach to every campaign, as this presentation includes music from legendary pianist Mitsuko Uchida, beloved gaming composer Nobuo Uematsu, and recent signing, 14-year-old violinist Himari.
I spend some time building a mood board to kick start creative conversations with composer Ola Gjeilo and have my weekly call with our press team to discuss our strategy for a new album with tenor Freddie De Tommaso. Then it’s time for some of the more mundane, but just as important, day-to-day tasks, approving invoices and updating our schedules.
The evening involves one of my favourite ways to switch off – cooking a delicious meal and listening to music in our kitchen.
Friday
I’m off to Paris for a concert with which we’re recording and a photo shoot, so the day starts by driving to Newcastle Airport to catch my flight. Once I’ve checked into my hotel, I meet up with the artist’s manager, who is also in town for the concert, for a catch up over a coffee. We head to the Philharmonie de Paris, where rehearsals are underway in collaboration with the recording team to ensure everyone is prepared for the live concert recording that evening and subsequent patch session. I speak to the photographer and videographer team to discuss what we need to capture of the process for the album campaign down the line. Thankfully the concert is a great success, and the artists are feeling positive, so the patch session goes smoothly. After we’ve caught up with the artists backstage, my colleague from the A&R team and I head for a late dinner.
Saturday
It’s an early taxi to a photo studio on the outskirts of Paris, for the first shoot with a new, young artist ahead of their debut release with Decca Classics. I find creative shoots one of the most rewarding but most stressful parts of the job. In advance, despite the best laid plans, it can be difficult to predict the exact results you’re going to achieve. Shoots are high stakes – the visual representation of an artist and their project is crucial, and there are many things to consider. You can hire the best, trusted team, and have extensive conversations about the creative goals, but until it comes together on the day you’re never quite sure how it’ll go, not unlike recordings. This shoot is with a photographer I haven’t worked with before and an artist who has minimal experience in front of the camera, so my role for the morning is building trust with the creative team and putting the artist at ease. Thankfully everyone soon settles into a rhythm, and the excitement of a plan coming together carries the energy for the day. By the time I’m at the airport, there is a feeling of relief and satisfaction.
Sunday
After a busy week I’m ready for a day to switch off, so my husband and I head into the Yorkshire Dales with the dog for a long walk and a pub lunch. I find it’s the best way to recuperate so I’m ready for the week ahead.
