Irish artist managers David De Valera and Marcus O'Sullivan have announced the launch of a new management company and music consultancy called Spike, which will work right alongside the Dublin-based digital marketing agency the duo already run called Circulate.
The link between Spike and Circulate is key as De Valera and O'Sullivan say their new management business will embrace the ever-evolving and expanding role of the artist manager, in particular when it comes to things like digital strategy, digital marketing and content creation.
Those things are now services managers might need to offer as artists seek more control over their recordings - changing the artist/label relationship - and with the increasing need to create engaging marketing content on a constant basis, rather than just around album releases.
De Valera says: "The game has changed and artists now want - and deserve - much closer control of their music and how it's released. With Spike we're giving our artists the tools to maintain that control and to flourish. The time from music creation to music release is minimal, because we provide everything the artist needs in house".
"We see this as a unique approach to artist development", he adds. "From digital strategy to web development and content creation, we're removing the barriers so our artists can move faster".
The new company will have bases in Dublin, London and Amsterdam.