As part of our Horizon Future Leaders series of interviews, we are connecting with the music industry’s next generation of leaders to gather candid advice and insights into their career journeys.
This week we spoke with Elliot Willcocks, PR Assistant at Stay Golden PR.
Stay Golden PR is proudly celebrating its tenth anniversary this month. Founded by Jodie Banaszkiewicz, the music PR agency was built on a passion for breaking new acts, elevating established artists, and crafting bespoke campaigns for music, festivals and events.
Today, Stay Golden PR represents an eclectic roster of globally renowned and cult artists including Mac DeMarco, Phoebe Bridgers, Stereolab, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Los Bitchos, Mykki Blanco, SOPHIE, Vashti Bunyan, Public Service Broadcasting, Witch Fever, Devendra Banhart, Dirty Projectors, Billy Nomates, Gurriers, as well as events such as Pitchfork Music Festival London and Mutations Festival.
With a carefully curated line-up the team truly believes in, Stay Golden PR takes pride in building close, long-term relationships with both artists and the media. In 2023, Elliot Willcocks joined the company as PR Assistant, helping to continue its tradition of thoughtful, impactful campaigns.
Elliot first studied music journalism at BIMM, where writing, pitching and communication skills laid the foundation for his transition into PR. Since then, he’s built his career by saying yes to new challenges, developing digital expertise alongside traditional PR and learning directly from experience.
Now at one of the UK’s leading boutique PR agencies, Elliot highlights the importance of building genuine relationships, embracing digital shifts and remembering that mistakes are part of the process.
His advice for newcomers still studying? Make use of all the resources that your university has to offer. Writing and pitching articles for blogs, zines and online publications also really helps develop the communication skills you’ll use in PR.
👇 Keep reading for Elliot’s reflections on the journalism to PR pipeline, the value of hands-on learning and why balancing traditional PR with digital strategy is essential today.
What’s your current role in the music industry?
I’m the PR Assistant for Stay Golden PR, a music PR agency based in Brighton run by the amazing Jodie Banaszkiewicz.
What does your general day to day look like?
Every day is different, but it generally involves lots of writing and emails! There’s drafting press releases, pitching, updating reports, researching contacts as well as some social media bits. Some days I’ll be off to a press day or photoshoot too.
What steps did you take early in your career to gain experience and build skills to get you where you are now?
Saying yes to opportunities, whether it be my first time taking the lead on an artist’s campaign, attending my first press day or even just taking the lead in a meeting. Trying new things was nerve-wracking for me at first, but it’s the most important and fastest way to build the necessary skills and I don’t regret it.
What opportunities did you explore early on that were particularly valuable?
Since I originally studied music journalism, my first bout of work experience as a press assistant really shifted my trajectory towards PR instead.
A lot of people make the leap from journalism to PR and vice-versa for good reason as the skills developed are so similar.
I had already spent lots of time writing about music, but was now getting hands-on experience learning the inner workings of how running a campaign works and haven't looked back from then on.
Has the opportunity landscape changed since then?
Opportunities in music PR have always been competitive and even more so now. A lot of agencies tend to run on small teams, so landing a role or an internship can be tough, however once you do you tend to learn quickly and build experience straight away.
Are there any specific internships, projects, or initiatives that you would recommend to newcomers looking to pursue a similar role?
I studied at BIMM and, while I enjoyed the course, the most important thing it gave me was some initial connections in the industry, which led to both my first job as well as my current one.
If you’re studying, really use all the resources that your university has to offer. Writing and pitching articles for blogs, zines and online publications also really helps develop the communication skills you’ll use in PR.
What advice do you have for building and leveraging a professional network in the music industry?
Build genuine relationships with other PRs and journalists and keep in touch with people after working together. Don’t be afraid to show initiative, but always be respectful of other people’s time and help.
How has the evolving digital landscape impacted your role, and where do you focus to stay ahead?
Digital media has obviously expanded the scope of PR massively. Artists and labels are becoming more inclined to want coverage on social media now on top of online and print publications.
It’s becoming increasingly important to build contacts with and pitch to relevant YouTube channels or TikTok and Instagram accounts to reach new audiences as we're seeing some closures across other media platforms which makes competing for coverage harder than ever.
What trends or changes do you see on the horizon for the music industry, and how can early career professionals prepare for them?
I think we’ll see an even greater emphasis on video content, especially as existing media outlets continue to evolve and expand their outreach in online spaces.
For newcomers I’d recommend learning both traditional PR skills and digital strategy so you can produce really well-rounded campaigns with a variety of coverage.
What’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes along the way. Ask questions, seek feedback and remember you’re still learning.