Luke is a Talent Booker and a Artist manager from the Isle of Wight but, is currently based in West London. He books artists such as, Ministry of Sound Classical, Sara Cox, Marvin Humes and Trevor Nelson with Coalition Agency. As well as this, he also produces events, and manages bands such as Deco and Skylights through his company Sucker.
What made you choose this type of career and did you plan any steps to get into the career you wanted?
I guess I enjoy bringing people together and making memories – that’s what life is all about. It was all quite unplanned really, I don’t tend to plan things too far ahead career-wise and just take and create good opportunities in the moment.
Did you attend university?
I didn’t go to University! Straight out of sixth form I went into a marketing apprenticeship, but quickly started doing my own thing and set up my own music/events business.
What does a typical day look like?
have a call every morning at 9.30am with my Coalition team. Then the first couple of hours of the day are spent calling around people or emailing to chase outstanding enquiries etc. The afternoon is usually spent planning next moves, making sure the social media accounts are up-to-date and seeking out new opportunities for my artists. But everyday is different really depending on what projects are on, what shows are going on sale, what records are coming out etc.
When was sucker created? what inspired you to start sucker?
Sucker was formed midway through 2019. I’m quite a proactive person and enjoy being in control of what I’m doing and managing myself. Setting up my own company always seemed like the right thing to do to make a name for myself in the music industry and means I don’t have to rely on other people with what I’m doing.
As an artist manager, what have you been doing to help your bands to grow during covid-19?
We’ve continued to release records and announce gigs (regardless of whether they could happen or not). With Deco it’s all been about their online content and trying to create viral videos. When there’s no gigs to go to, there’s nothing more important than a strong online presence that gets people excited about what you’re doing.
Have you organised any events during covid? How did you find it compared to a pre-covid event?
I’ve been the Assistant Project Manager on Car Park Party with Coalition Agency. Although it’s not music-related, it’s been great to learn new skills through this and also provide quality experiences for families who have missed out on so many things in the last year.
What motivates you to do your job?
I think it’s the responsibility of other people putting their trust in you. A lot of people rely on me to do a good job for them, so I guess that motivates me to do things as best as I can. Hopefully I’m living up to that, but I can’t be the judge!
The music industry is always changing, how have you developed in the last year to adapt to the industry?
I think the pandemic has made people look beyond the live circuit for means of growth and being able to develop in the music industry. Personally, my work with Car Park Party and what we’ve achieved with Deco and Skylights means Sucker and Coalition are in a stronger position than ever.
Do you have any events coming up?
Many! Summer will (hopefully) be jam-packed with my own gigs, festivals with my management bands, and big shows I’ve booked with Coalition Agency. Deco and Skylights have both recently announced tours, and we have something very huge to announce with Ministry of Sound very soon, the biggest show I’ve ever worked on no less.
What are your top 5 fav bands at the moment?
Aside from my management bands (I can’t be biased!) I’d say: Wrest, Bears In Trees, The Covasettes, The Rills and Empire of the Sun.
What challenges have you faced in your career?
Finances were probably quite difficult to manage early on in my career, they don’t really prepare you for that in school. Going into the music industry at a young age when no one has ever heard of you is tough, so you’ve just got to keep grafting and pushing the boundaries. People will often not take you seriously to start with, so your challenge is to prove the doubters wrong.
What skills are needed for the job you do?
I think you need to be able to multitask and manage lots of different projects at once, so being organised is crucial. You need to be a good people-person, networking is very important to growth in this industry. And I think confidence is important too, believe in yourself and others will too.
Do you have any future plans?
Always! Promoting artist growth never stops. We’re always developing exciting new shows and concepts at Coalition, so hopefully you’ll see some of them soon. And hopefully I’ll be getting very drunk at festival fields this summer but that remains to be seen – that’s the most important plan of all, right?
LUKE’S INSTAGRAM:https://www.instagram.com/lukejoynes/
SUCKER’S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/suckerofficial_/
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