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 to Philippa Arrowsmith, music publicist and content strategist at Morena Comms.
With a background in music journalism, she brings a highly valuable dual perspective to her work - understanding both what makes a good story and how to get it heard.
A recent move from Australia to London meant starting again in many ways, but it was a chance conversation at The Great Escape that led to her role at Morena. Her story is full of sharp takeaways - from building a network in a new city, to navigating the PR landscape with purpose.
👇 Read on for Philippa’s reflections on staying curious, being intentional with your time, and the power of reaching out — even when it’s uncomfortable.
What’s your current role in the music industry?
I'm a music publicist and content strategist at Morena Comms. We’re a boutique music and entertainment PR agency founded by Rosanna Connolly. We’re based in London and work with independent, breaking and global artists, as well as music tech companies and events. My role spans campaign strategy, media relations, content planning and working directly with artists to shape how they tell their story.
What does your day-to-day look like?
No two days are the same, which is part of what I love about this job! We are a remote company, so depending on what’s on, you’ll find me working from a favourite café or co-working spot around London - it’s been a great way to explore the city - I have reccs!
My days can consist of anything from pitching artists to journalists, inviting media to events, planning press rollouts, hosting consultations with indie artists, submitting spokespeople for industry panels, researching media outlets to managing socials and brainstorming angles.
I also attend gigs and industry events, and support artists through interviews and press opportunities both online or in person. There’s a lot of variety, and time management is an important part of the job. If we’re working towards an artist release, meeting press deadlines is a priority!
What steps did you take early in your career to gain experience and build skills?
I studied PR and Communications at university in Australia and interned at a few agencies, but I quickly realised that music and events PR was where I thrived. I was always drawn to the creative parts of PR - storytelling, writing and strategy - but once I started working on music-related campaigns, something clicked.
When COVID-19 hit and I had some soul-searching time, I knew I wanted to break into the music industry. I started writing for music publications, reviewing gigs - even the weird socially distanced ones - and saying yes to any opportunity I could find.
I made a list of music PR agencies in Australia and reached out offering help, whether that meant interning or supporting one-off projects. I ended up doing everything from managing social media for Sofar Sounds Gold Coast to writing press releases and artist bios, and even assisting the Bluey! music team once or twice. It was a time of trying things out and seeing what stuck.
Eventually, I applied for a PR assistant role at an agency I’d admired for years. Shortly after I applied, the lead publicist moved on and I accepted a full-time publicist position, leading campaigns for artists like The Kooks, You Me At Six, Kaiser Chiefs, Spacey Jane and emerging Australian acts.
Then I moved to London to throw myself into the industry here, following a similar path of putting myself out there, learning the media landscape and building connections.
What opportunities did you explore early on that were particularly valuable?
Music journalism was a big one. It gave me insight into what editors and writers are looking for, how the media landscape works, and what makes a good story. It felt strange being on the other side of things at first, but I loved interviewing artists and refining my writing. Pitching my own stories gave me a clear sense of how journalists think, which has helped massively with writing press pitches.
Reaching out to people, whether I had a connection to them or not, also led to unexpected opportunities. I’d take people out for coffee to pick their brain or ask them questions via DMs - always respectful of their time of course! That time taught me the value of persistence, putting yourself out there and not being (as) afraid of rejection.
Moving to London was a reset in some ways. I had to break into the music industry all over again, so I was back to saying yes and putting myself out there.
After attending a lot of events that weren’t quite right, I eventually went to The Great Escape and found myself surrounded by the right people in an encouraging environment. It was a turning point – I met Rosanna after one of her panels, we chatted afterwards, and that eventually led to working at Morena Comms.
Has the opportunity landscape changed since then?
My move to London was pretty recent, so I’ve been navigating the opportunity landscape in real time. One thing I’ve learned: you need to be “in the know” to find the right networking events and sometimes that means going to the wrong ones first.
There are a lot of opportunities out there, but they can feel hard to access when you’re new, especially in an overwhelming city like London. The best thing you can do is start going to events, meeting people and asking questions. Which other events do these people attend? Soon, you’ll start to build a network of people who keep you in the loop.
Are there any specific internships, projects, or initiatives you’d recommend to newcomers?
I don’t have any specific internships to name, but from my experience, it’s all about being proactive, doing your research and reaching out.
Music journalism is a great place to start. Apply for internships, submit your writing, pitch to smaller outlets, or even just review the next gig you go to and start building a portfolio.
Volunteering is another valuable way in, whether it’s at your local venue, or even a festival, getting involved helps you build experience and meet people.
Keep an eye out for networking and industry events too. Communities like shesaid.so, The Name Game - which I heard about through a publicist at a recent event - and Making Moves - hosted by journalist Mary Mandefield - are great spaces to learn and connect.
I came across Making Moves through Mary’s newsletter, so it’s worth subscribing to different individuals as well as organisations.
What advice do you have for building and leveraging a professional network in the music industry?
Shoot your shot! It’s something Rosanna said to me when we first met and they’re words to live by. Say yes. Try it out. Follow up. Know your value. Keep learning. Show up for yourself.
Having a mentor is a game-changer, even if it’s informal. Reach out to someone a few steps ahead of you and ask to pick their brain. Be respectful of their time, but people do respond to genuine curiosity and initiative. All it takes is one person to say yes.
And surround yourself with people who hype you up, share job leads, introduce you to others and keep you motivated - and do the same for them. That support system is everything.
How has the evolving digital landscape impacted your role, and where do you focus to stay ahead?
The digital landscape moves quickly and social media is only becoming more prevalent. But I try to focus on what actually matters for artists. It’s less about chasing every trend and more about understanding how to build lasting connections with audiences.
I stay across trusted sources that track shifts in media and artist platforms, but I always bring it back to what supports the artist’s long-term goals. Ultimately, we want to tell an artist’s story in a way that connects with fans and the industry. Social media and digital tools can support that, but only when they work hand-in-hand with a bigger-picture strategy, like PR.
What trends or changes do you see on the horizon for the music industry, and how can early career professionals prepare?
Social media will continue to shape how we find and experience music, but I think there’s also a growing hunger for real-life experiences and meaningful curation, whether that’s live gigs, trusted playlists or credible journalists you follow, rather than just outlets.
I also think accessibility will be a big focus, the cost of participating in the industry - as an artist or a fan - is a real issue.
AI and music tech aren’t going anywhere, so learning how to work alongside them, in a way that supports your creativity and ethics, will be key.
One thing I try to do is keep tabs on publications and how they’re evolving – are they launching TikTok series? Are they shifting away from written media? And which artists are they covering? That gives a good sense of how to pitch and what matters to their audience.
What’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?
Don’t work with people who don’t appreciate your value. That goes for any stage of your career… You always bring something to the table. If you’re just starting out, that might be a fresh perspective, curiosity, or creative energy. And if someone doesn’t see that? Keep it moving.