Music in 2020 Interview Series: Talking New Music Playlists, Music Trends, the Australian Music Scene and More with Good Intent
TODAY WE FEATURE GOOD INTENT AS PART OF OUR ‘MUSIC IN 2020 INTERVIEW SERIES.’ THE MUSIC PR & LABEL AGENCY BASED OUT OF AUSTRALIA, OFFERS A UNIQUE SET OF SERVICES AND WORKS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF TALENT. WE GET A CHANCE TO TALK TO THE HEAD OF PR NICK MORAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GOOD INTENT’S ROSTER, THEIR GOOD FRIDAY PLAYLIST, THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE AND MORE.
TAKE US THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF GOOD INTENT. HOW WAS THE COMPANY ESTABLISHED, AND WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BASIS FOR THE GOOD INTENT BRAND? DID THE COMPANY HAVE ANY PARTICULAR GOALS EARLY ON FOR WHAT YOU HOPED GOOD INTENT WOULD BE?
Good Intent was started by my business partner Rob Carroll in 2018, and I started with him almost immediately. Rob previously ran Rare Finds, a Chugg Music (Lime Cordiale) subsidiary. The basis of our brand has been in music publicity, working with artists such as Bag Raiders, The Faim, American Hi-Fi (USA), RedHook, and Citizen Kay. More recently we’ve moved into management, taking on acts Bootleg Rascal and Down For Tomorrow.
GOOD INTENT OFFERS A LOT OF SERVICES, FROM MANAGEMENT TO PR TO MARKETING. TALK ABOUT THE GROWTH OF THE COMPANY AND HOW IT HAS EVOLVED WITH THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE.
We began the business focusing on PR services, allowing us to build and develop the company while maintaining quality. Through the relationships we built in PR, we naturally moved into management with a couple of our favourite artists. Since starting Good Intent, marketing, and especially direct marketing, has been a service we wanted to offer. COVID has only made the importance of these services more apparent. Everything we’ve done so far has felt like a gradual and natural progression, helping us to avoid any problems arising from expanding too fast and paired with our focus on providing a quality service.
GOOD INTENT
WHEN YOU LOOK AT ARTISTS TO WORK WITH, IS THERE A CERTAIN TYPE OF ARTIST THAT FITS THE GOOD INTENT MOULD? IN TURN, WHEN YOU’VE FOUND THAT ARTIST YOU REALLY WANT TO WORK WITH, WHAT SETS GOOD INTENT APART THAT MAKES WORKING WITH YOUR COMPANY THE ARTIST’S BEST OPTION?
Artists who are extremely driven and hardworking always stand out from the pack. In such a competitive industry, these factors help you get in front of the competition. Believing in an artist’s music and vision is essential. As a manager, you want to work with a hardworking team and push each other. We offer an artist-friendly environment and aim to provide strategy and a roadmap for our artists. With years of experience, both as artists and managers, we have great insights to offer and relationships in the industry.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE COMPANY’S FAVOURITE SUCCESS STORIES TO DATE? ANY THAT YOU’RE MOST PROUD OF?
As an agency, we pride ourselves in helping to build artists from the ground up. We’ve had a real focus on artists just starting, so working with artists like RedHook and A.GIRL have been big highlights, they’re going to be something extraordinary. I’m super proud of my first management client Down For Tomorrow who are kicking massive goals with their latest single ‘Trouble Prone’. Things are starting to move fast, and they’re currently seeing strong support from Spotify, Apple Music and our national broadcaster triple j Unearthed. It is a massive reward after seeing all the hard work the band put in behind the scenes.
THE PANDEMIC HAS US IN UNPRECEDENTED TERRITORY WHERE COMPANIES ARE HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME PROJECTING THE FUTURE. WITH MUSIC THAT ISSUE CERTAINLY PERTAINS TO TOURING AND EVEN STREAMING TO AN EXTENT. TALK ABOUT HOW THE COMPANY HAS NAVIGATED THE PANDEMIC AND WHAT ARE SOME CREATIVE APPROACHES YOUR ARTISTS HAVE TAKEN TO FIND SUCCESS DURING THIS TIME?
We’ve been fortunate that we’ve been able to rely on the PR side of our business during this pandemic. Unfortunately, like most of the industry, our management clients have been walloped by the lack of shows and touring. We’ve focused around live streaming, consistent video content, and plenty of writing, but times like this call for you to think outside the box. We’re continually discussing different ideas, but as I’ve mentioned a few times, I believe there is a lot of opportunity in direct marketing.
GETTING DEEPER INTO THE GOOD INTENT ROSTER, AS WE LOOK AT THE NEXT 6-12 MONTHS, WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU REALLY AMPED UP FOR?
I’m incredibly excited about our two management clients. Still, in terms of our PR clients, RedHook’s upcoming releases are outstanding, I see them continuing to cement their mark on the international industry this year.
IN OUR YEARS OF COVERING MUSIC, JUST ABOUT EVERY WEEK AN AUSTRALIAN-BASED ARTIST POPS UP ON OUR RADAR. IT’S MIND-BLOWING HOW GREAT THE MUSIC IS FROM YOUR COUNTRY. WHAT MAKES THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE SO GREAT IN YOUR OPINION? FROM A MUSIC COMPANY PERSPECTIVE TALK ABOUT THE SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES IT BRINGS TO YOUR CLIENTS.
As an Australian, it is sometimes easy to underestimate the amount of great music coming from our country. I don’t have a broader answer, it’s a harsh country to tour sometimes, but competition breeds excellence. Websites like triple j are brilliant resources that we are incredibly lucky to have. I don’t think anywhere else in the world has an easily accessible encyclopedia-like website which all unsigned artists in the country upload their tracks too.
BREAKING AWAY FROM YOUR ROSTER, WHO ARE SOME AUSTRALIAN ARTISTS THAT MUSIC FANS FROM THE U.S. SHOULD REALLY KNOW ABOUT? BETWEEN YOURSELF AND ROB, WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU LOVE THE MOST AND LISTEN TO IN THE OFFICE?
I’m personally a big fan of Donny Benét, The Flowers and Genesis Owusu. We listen to all kinds of music in the office. We love and work with a bunch of punk artists, but we were listening to the latest Glass Animals record yesterday. We enjoy and work with artists from most musical genres.
YOU ALSO HAVE A BLOG AND PLAYLIST COMPONENT TO YOUR BRAND. GIVE US THE LOWDOWN ON GOOD INTENT’S GOOD FRIDAY PLAYLIST AND WHY WE, ALONG WITH OTHER MUSIC FANS, SHOULD FOLLOW IT.
We felt the blog and playlist were a necessary part of us giving back to the community. As a PR company, we wanted to add to the blog landscape, not just take. Charlie, our editor, is incredible and is the lifeblood behind both components. Our GOOD FRIDAY playlist focuses on up and coming Australian artists, so if you want to find tunes you won’t hear anywhere else, hit that follow button and dive in 😉
TELL ME THE ARTIST(S) AND SONG SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SPECIFIED MOOD/SITUATION:
If I want to relax after a long day of work, what artists should I turn to?
If I’m ready to get the party started, what artists will help ignite the dance floor?
Friendless “Intoxicating” featuring Jade Alice
If I’m feeling a little emo, what artists will keep me in my feelings?
Down For Tomorrow “What Could Have Been”
If I’m feeling high off of a relationship and love has taken over, which artists should turn to?
5 SONGS FROM THE GOOD INTENT ROSTER THAT WOULD WORK GREAT AS A SYNC PLACEMENT AND WHAT WOULD THAT ULTIMATE PLACEMENT BE?
FANGZ “Drifter” – Car chase in a Fast and Furious movie.
Bootleg Rascal “Drop The Gun” – Sunset at the end of the movie, thinking over all the good memories of a lost friend.
Timi Temple “Tomorrow Is Yesterday” – Could definitely see this in a hitchhiking scene, full of an
assortment of weird characters.
Philadelphia Grand Jury “Nervous Breakdown” – Accompanying a shoplifting scene, similar to the
one in Trainspotting.
Jack Berry “PSYCHO” – A movie montage of a ridiculous night full of drinking.
LOOKING AHEAD, WHETHER IT’S THE STYLE OF MUSIC AND/OR THE BUSINESS ITSELF, ARE YOU SEEING AND NEW TRENDS STARTING TO DEVELOP? AS FOR THE FUTURE OF GOOD INTENT, WHAT DO YOU ENVISION YOUR MODEL LOOKING LIKE IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS? DO YOU SEE THE COMPANY EXPANDING IN SERVICES AND TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS?
I’m not sure what new trends may pop up, but I envisage direct marketing becoming an even more critical part of an artists’ strategy. With the foreseeable future being dominated by COVID, being able to reach fans online will be more important than ever. In the future, we will be looking to start a label. Being able to combine our services will be exciting!
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THE ‘NEXT IN MUSIC’ PLAYLIST
Discover a wide range of new music we love from artists located all across the world. Follow the ‘NEXT in Music’ playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud.
MUSIC IN 2020 INTERVIEW SERIES
WE INTERVIEWED MUSIC PROS AND TASTEMAKERS TO GET THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON WHERE MUSIC IS HEADED AND TO DISCOVER WHAT NEW MUSIC THEY’RE LISTENING TO.