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10.08.12 Music Week 03
LABEL MD REVEALS UK PLANS MUTE’S ANGIE SOMERSIDE HEADS UP NEW LONDON OFFICE
Red Bull spreads its wings in UK R
LABELS BY TOM PAKINKIS
ed Bull is ready to make a “statement of intent” about its place in the music
world. With Red Bull Records having opened a UK office this summer, the label is looking to add artists from every genre to its roster. And it claims it has the thorough approach to artist development of an indie along with marketing clout that can compete with the majors. “We don’t have a lot of artists,
Red Bull Records MD Greg Hammer told Music Week, describing the label’s current set up and the philosophy behind its approach. “We currently have three artists - hopefully four in the near future - and oddly enough two thirds of the roster are UK based. “That’s because we had a
presence in the UK but we didn’t have boots on the ground until June,” he said, pointing to the appointment of former Mute Group MD Angie Somerside as RBR’s general manager in the UK. Scottish alternative rock band
Twin Atlantic are seeing “some success” with Red Bull, but Hammer said there’s much more to come. “We take a long term approach with our artists,” he explained. “It’s not about the next record or the next song, it’s about where they’re going to be five or ten years down the line. “We see Twin Atlantic as a
band that ultimately plays arenas,” he added. “We see them as being the Foo Fighters of this generation. Just a big old rock band with a great live show and an amazing frontman. That’s why we were excited about them.”
Also on the Red Bull roster is
American outfit AWOLNATION, which Hammer said is particularly hard to pin down to a genre. “AWOLNATION is the best
example of what we’re trying accomplish as a label with an artist,” he said. “To take multiple genres and put them on a record, sometimes in the same song, makes a pretty amazing album. ”But the diversity is also part
of the challenge because most artists evolve over a number of albums not over a number of songs,” he added. “We haven’t had the same
success with AWOL that we have with Twin at TV and radio, but we’ve still sold 40,000 singles just through word of mouth,” said Hammer. “We sell 700-1000 singles per week, it’s now just about letting people know so they will give AWOL a chance.” Despite the massive
company behind the label, a slow but steady progression for a band is something Hammer is keen to nurture rather than kick into a higher gear, suggesting that a policy of patience is engrained into the wider Red Bull company.
“The brand has taken 20 years
to get to where it is today,” he said. Red Bull created the energy drink market. They know what it takes and they know you have to be patient. Mr. Mateschitz realises that better than anyone. “We have the approach and
Hammer was keen to stress,
however, that the label has to be cautious about when it comes to introducing acts to the wider Red Bull family. “We pick and choose where
we interface with the brand very carefully because we don’t want to
“Now we have the UK office and Angie we’re really excited. We’ve had a good amount of success in the UK, we need to show our statement of intent. Other brands have gotten into music and gone within months. We’re here for the long haul.”
the attitude of an independent company with the resources of a company that has more than an independent,” Hammer added. “For us I would even say more
[resources], in some respects than many majors because it’s not just about money it’s about marketing power and the ability to get music out there and Red Bull has way more marketing. “Remember that Red Bull is a
brand and employs many thousands of marketing people whose job it is to know what’s going on in their local countries,” he pointed out.
be in the situation where it seems like we’re positioning or branding our artists,” he said. “We don’t want people to have
preconceived notions just because of an association with Red Bull. We want the artist to be judged on their work not because they’re on our label. “Having said that, there are a
lot of opportunities that the Red Bull brand can offer that any artist would love to be a part of,” he added. “Thankfully we top the list in terms of opportunities.” While a considered clutch of artists and a devotion to careful
artist development lies at the heart of Red Bull Records, the label isn’t shy about its intentions to expand. “We are growing and we do
fully expect to have more artists on the roster, hopefully quite a few more in the near future,” said Hammer. “If anything we try to be as
diverse as possible when it comes to genre. The goal for us is to not stick to indie bands, metal bands, punk or hip-hop. Our goal is to have every different type. “We will be in the urban
world and we ultimately want to be in the pop world and the electronic world. We’ll be in all those areas but we have to do that with artists that are doing something different. “Now that we have the UK
office, and Angie is on board, we’re really excited about it,” he added. “For us, while we’ve had a good amount of success in the UK, we need to show our statement of intent. “Other brands have gotten
into music and gone within months. We’re here for the long haul and that means showing that we’re not going away.”
Twin Atlantic
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