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Former Paradigm agents launch new agency TBA
By Chris Cooke | Published on Wednesday 2 September 2020
With the live music business very much still in flux, five former Paradigm agents have launched a new booking agency to be known – quite aptly given all the fluxing – as TBA. Initial clients include Chvrches, The War On Drugs, Courtney Barnett, Jose Gonzales, Guided By Voices, Jay Som and Yaeji.
All the talent and booking agencies have faced unprecedented challenges this year thanks to the COVID-19 shutdown, with many furloughing staff and downsizing their teams in a bid to weather the storm. The extent and nature of the layoffs has varied from agency to agency, and also from country to country depending on what government support was available. Though it’s probably fair to say that the Paradigm cutbacks in the US grabbed the most headlines.
The five founders of TBA – Avery McTaggart, Amy Davidman, Devin Landau, Marshall Betts and Ryan Craven – came to Paradigm via The Windish Agency, which allied with Paradigm in 2015 and then started operating under that brand two years later. They were part of the significant round of early layoffs at Paradigm as COVID first struck.
Commenting on the new agency, which launches with offices in New York and LA, McTaggart told Variety: “TBA is only able to exist because of the incredible artists we work with, and it has been with them in mind that we have built every part of this company. For me that has been and will remain what I am most passionate about: Seeing our artists grow and succeed, knowing we are working tirelessly to support them in new and better ways”.
Noting that the impact of COVID on the live industry is likely to be felt long after shutdown, he added: “The agency business is changing and we see TBA as part of the shift towards a better culture within the music business. We are focused solely on the future and how to ensure that integrity, accountability and transparency are standards at our company and others”.
