Jeremy Skaller — Podcast — Making It with Chris G.

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During a time with venues being shut down and tours being put on hold, this is a good time for us to look inward and turn up the volume on empathy. The music industry is broken. Millions of people have lost their jobs, and are looking for new ways to reinvent themselves and pay their bills. We don’t know when the music industry will open back up. Also, what will the music industry look like on the other side of COVID-19? This is a time to turn inward, and look for new creative ways to make a living as musicians. It’s a time to be mindful of those around us, and lead with empathy.

Jeremy Skaller is someone who leads with empathy. It’s one of the most important elements to artist management, and the number one quality artists should look for in an artist manager. “A good manager is a manager that leads with his heart.” Jeremy Skaller is the co-founder of Artist Management and music production company, The Heavy Group. Jeremy has also Produced, Written, Published songs for or otherwise worked closely as Manager with artists such as Bazzi, Kiana Ledé, Jay Sean, Nicki Minaj, Ariana Grande, Rihanna, Normani, Khalid, and many more. In this conversation we discuss Jeremy’s journey in the music business, artist management, what makes a good artist manager, how COVID and Black Live Matter has impacted his company and the music business, meditation and breathing, and much more.

To learn more about Jeremy Skaller visit https://www.theheavy.group/.

Quotes from Jeremy Skaller
“People need to take the time to breathe.”
“Mindfulness helps you define why.”
“Nothing has changed. Most independent artists aren’t touring anyway.”
“Touring is important. You gotta break your music to people.”
“We all know that concerts are magic. You can’t replace the magic.”
“Information informs action.”
“You have to love the artist you work for.”
“An artist's job is to see the truth, and tell the truth.”
“A good manager is a manager that leads with his heart.”
“Authenticity is everything, and everything in music.”
“Kids are smart these days, they can smell inauthentic music.”
“You have to know when the dollar doesn’t matter, and the joy matters most.”
“Don’t be precious. Put your music out.”
“If I can tell who you are by looking at your social media, listening to your music...you’ll have a much higher success rate.”

Highlights from this Episode
[01:15] About The Heavy Group
[3:20] The Heavy Group Team
[06:35] The importance of Mindfulness for the Music Industry
[13:10] Practicing Meditation
[14:53] The effect of COVID-19
[22:48] Artists Pivoting during COVID-19
[24:38] Touring less in the New Music Business
[34:06] Discrimination in the Music Industry
[43:30] Mindfulness and Black Lives Matter
[47:38] Record Deals
[53:46] What Makes a Good Artist Manager
[57:40] Recognizing When Your Artist is Going Down a Dark Path
[59:00] Getting an Artist Managers Attention
[01:04:30] Building Assets as Artist Managers
[01:06:24] Starting Out in the Music Industry

Links to people, places, and things mentioned
The Heavy Group
Bazzi
Jay Sean
Kiana Lede
Republic Records
Jared Cotter
American Idol
Cash Money Records
Anthony Kronfle
Jasmine Collier
Childish Gambino
Melanie Fiona
Russell Simmons
Birdman
Lil Wayne
Amy Winehouse