AMIN announces 15 label owners for Release program

The Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN) has selected 15 independent label owners to participate in its Release program.

Set to run for six months, the program was set up to provide indie label owners with practical business guidance to grow their business.

Five participants are from NSW: Deanne Hardwick (Underfoot), Jaclyn Hurst (HUB Artist Services), Joel Rapaport (Big Village), Michael Solo (Birds Robe) and Belinda Webster (Tall Poppies). Three are from New Zealand: Ian Henderson (Fishrider), Benjii Jackson (MUZAI) and Jeremy Toy (From The Crate), alongside Guy Blackman (Chapter), Blake Byron Smith (Two Bright Lakes), Luke Dalton (Future Music), Simon Homer of Brisbane’s Plus One, Mark Grose from Darwin-based Skinnyfish, Dave Brewer from Adelaide’s Pilot and Matt Johnson of Perth’s Walking Horse.

Release is based on AMIN’s career guiding program for artist managers, Control, which it has been running since 2008. Predicts AMIN’s Brisbane-based chair, Denise Foley: “If that experience is anything to go by, then a good number of these label owners are going to find that Release will be a turning point for them, and not just in the way they do business, but in how they live their lives.”

New Zealand Arts and Culture Minister Christopher Finlayson QC adds, “There is an abundance of musical talent in Australasia. This program is one of the ways in which we continue to foster a growing creative sector which can provide careers, development and exposure for our artists.”

Release taps music industry advisers and business specialists. Mentors include leading Australian and New Zealand label owners Sebastian Chase (MGM), Colin Daniels (Inertia, Nicole Duckworth (manager of NZ’s Fat Freddy’s Drop) and David Vodicka (Rubber, Media Arts Lawyers).

It incorporates two residential workshops. The first will be held in Terrigal near Sydney in late November, the second at the end of the program in 2014. Music industry advocate and lawyer David Vodicka will moderate the Terrigal workshop, which marks the start of the five stage program.

The program is supported by Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) and Independent Music New Zealand (IMNZ). Funding has been provided by the Australian Government and the NZ Music Commission.

“We’re very excited to launch this new trans-Tasman program,” said Cath Andersen, CEO of the Music Commission, “Release will provide a wonderful opportunity for labels from both countries to collaborate and develop new business models.”