Daniel Sant Launches Cult Artists Agency With Secret Sounds, Live Nation

Australia’s music community has a new cult.

Announced Wednesday (July 6), the Cult Artists talent agency is created by live veteran Daniel Sant, with Jess Wust and Kim Ramos on board as agents.

The new venture is based in Sydney, in partnership with Secret Sounds and its parent Live Nation, and, at launch, boasts a roster of 65-plus artists on both sides of the Tasman and Asia.

Pitching itself as an agency for established and emerging artists, Cult Artists represents Genesis Owusu, Parcels, Sticky Fingers, SAFIA, Mia Rodriguez, Furnace and the Fundamentals & Boo Seeka, and works with such emerging acts as Sydney Yungins, Royel Otis, SUMNER, Dante Knows, WILSN, Gold Fang, Elsy Wameyo, Sophiya, and Rum Jungle.

Cult is “the culmination of my career as an agent so far,” comments Sant in a statement, “I have never been more determined or obsessed with developing our artists’ long-term careers, and I am so excited to show what we can do, not only for our artist family, but also what we can do as leaders to progress our industry.”

Its focus is on creative and forward-thinking approaches to touring and live career development, with a “family-minded” attitude in terms of relationship with artists, teams, and staff, a statement explains.

The new booking agency opens for business after a “pretty tough past two years,” notes Sant. “There is no safety net or certainty anymore, and it also means that there has never been a more crucial time for the people responsible for building artists’ careers to think progressively, creatively, but also collaboratively,” he adds.

Sant enjoyed an eight-year stint with The Harbour Agency, before joining Niche Productions in 2017, where he led the rebooted Niche Talent Agency.

At Niche, he worked with such artists as Thundamentals, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Hiatus Kaiyote, M-Phazes, Winston Surfshirt, REMI, Slum Sociable, Sampa The Great and more.

Secret Sounds is the home of Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco’s creative endeavors, from the flagship live events Splendour and the Falls Music and Arts Festival; plus touring, sponsorship, PR, artist management and domestic agency businesses.

Live Nation acquired a 51% stake in Secret Sounds back in 2016 for an undisclosed sum.

Secret Sounds “has always been about building careers and in this instance we get to not only play a role in developing some great artists, we also get to help Dan realise his vision to create his own agency,” say Ducrou and Piticco in a statement.

“We have watched Dan closely over the last decade and his great ears and tenacity have been long admired and have made him one of the best agents in the country today.”