I’m the Managing Director of Chugg Entertainment, we became part of the Mushroom Group in a JV Partnership with Frontier Touring last April. While my official title is MD of Chugg Entertainment, I also collaborate with the broader Frontier Touring team and with other parts of the Mushroom business.

I have worked with Michael Chugg for around 17 years, the JV with Frontier Touring was something that I encouraged and was genuinely excited to see happen. Frontier Touring and Mushroom Group are powerhouse businesses that I’d always admired and the people there are some of the best in the international music industry.

The first half of last year was an incredible run of great female acts including Florence and the Machine, Kacey Musgraves, Maggie Rogers, Mahalia, G Flip, Christine and the Queens and Billie Eilish. That was a particularly special six months. Some other favourite artists from over the years include Radiohead, Coldplay, Damien Rice, Tame Impala, City and Colour, Dolly Parton, Hozier, Lianne La Havas, Alanis Morrissette…. Too many to name!

While my role at Mushroom is still relatively new, working on The Sound on ABC is not only my proudest achievement since being at Mushroom, but it’s up there as one of the proudest achievements of my career. Working with the team at Mushroom to deliver a brand new live music TV series with 9 days lead time seemed impossible, but it happened.

Working on a number of TV projects including The Sound, Music From The Home Front and State Of Music, during these (pardon the overused term) ‘unprecedented times’ has been an opportunity to do something good for the local industry and a chance to work closely with Michael Gudinski and see what an absolute force of nature he is and how much he cares about Australian music and Australian artists.

The short-term future is so uncertain for those of us in the live business but we’re optimistic about getting back to some version of ‘normal’ soon.

Until then, I’d like to be part of the process of reimagining ways that we can fill the void of touring and festivals while it’s not possible to stage mass gatherings. Elevating the content offering for live performance, both pre-recorded and live streams, is a part of that and should be something that continues to have a place beyond the pandemic.

A conscious effort from senior management to support and encourage women.

Sometimes the positions need to be fought for but sometimes we can just get in our own way. I went through it myself, I was offered senior positions that I didn’t apply for and I didn’t think I was ready for. I was strongly supported and encouraged to ‘step up’. I have tried to do the same for the women that I’ve managed over the years, who didn’t think they were ready or qualified to take the next steps in their career.

Sure, there are systemic issues that need to change and we have real work to do there, but we can start by helping clear the path. If you have become empowered, it’s your responsibility to help empower others.

There are too many to name (both men and women from within Chugg Entertainment and Mushroom and outside) and I would hate to leave anyone out but I admire and respect almost all of the women I work with in senior positions, because I recognise how hard they worked to get there.

I have also learned as much from the people I have managed as I have from the people I reported to. Surround yourself with smart people, you can learn something from anyone!

I do have to credit Michael Chugg as my greatest champion, I have worked with him my entire adult life, he gave me his unwavering trust while working in his business which allowed me to forge my own path. Michael Gudinski has already been an incredible supporter in a such a short time, I’m sure that will continue. I’m grateful to have been mentored by two of the greats, I might have to write a book one day and call it ‘A Tale Of Two Michael’s’.

Right now, it’s the immediate health threat of Coronavirus and the ability to gather and travel domestically and internationally. Longer term it will be how we re-shape the live industry post-COVID, once we see the longer term impact on the economy and people’s behaviours around going out into crowds.

The fans will always want music and they’ll always want a way to connect with the artist in a meaningful way and share that experience with their friends. Our job is to work out how to do that in a safe and effective way, once we know what the future landscape looks like.

We are all understandably focused on the pandemic at the moment, but we also need to bring attention back to climate change and what we can do as an industry to make more of an impact.

I generally avoid karaoke but if I have to attend and be more than a spectator, I’ll try and find an 80’s rap song to avoid having to actually sing. It’s usually amusing enough for my friends to see me trying to rap, to forgive the cop-out.

I’m Head of Sync for the Mushroom Group, working across publishing and all labels. I began my music industry career in 1992 at Virgin Records UK where I was PA to the MD. After a few years I drew on my previous advertising experience and proposed a new area for the label where I would ‘plug and pitch’ our repertoire to ad agencies. This idea was green lit and I unwittingly set up Virgin’s first Sync Department (although it wasn’t called Sync back then). It was all about cold calling, making meetings and playing new releases (on cassette) to see if the song would spark inspiration. My first success was a Levi’s ad featuring Shaggy’s Mr Boombastic. The song went to number one in many territories around the world on the back of the ad. That was 1995 and I’ve been working in Sync ever since.

The 90s were an exciting decade at Virgin where we worked with amazing artists such as the Spice Girls, George Michael, Janet Jackson, Rolling Stones and David Bowie. Once I embarked on a sync path I worked on deals between Lenny Kravitz and Peugeot; Massive Attack and Adidas for the World Cup; Chemical Brothers and Pirelli. Back then a well placed sync was especially effective in boosting an unknown artist’s profile or reigniting an existing career. Nowadays it’s a valued revenue stream and part of a well formed marketing campaign.

Following a stint at Warners and the birth of my first child, the pull of home was strong. I returned to Melbourne 12 years ago and have been working with Mushroom’s brilliant stable of artists ever since. I’m fortunate enough to work with a vast repertoire of international artists via our overseas partners, and a huge roster of home grown talent that Mushroom have nurtured along the years. It’s been so rewarding to witness the success of acts such as Temper Trap, DMA’s, Vance Joy and the Teskey Brothers. The thrill of representing iconic bands I have worshipped growing up in Australia never leaves – bands such as Hunters & Collectors, Crowded House and The Triffids.

Coming from London where I’d spent 15 years building up a strong network of contacts, it felt daunting to have to ‘start again’ but I quickly realised that my experience was a valued asset.

Succeeding in sync is all about teamwork, networking, listening, explaining, communicating, managing expectations, navigating the landscape and seeking opportunities. I’ve managed to develop and nurture relationships with artists, managers, colleagues, networks, music supervisors and company directors and this is something I’m so proud of.

With age comes the confidence to work with people across all levels of industry. The team we have built along the way is a huge source of pride. And the ability to know a good sync song when I hear one.

Sync is such an important part of the industry now, it’s been incredible to watch it evolve. That little ‘gap in the market’ a few of us saw decades ago is now such a huge worldwide behemoth and a valuable revenue stream for all stakeholders. With that monetary focus comes the risk that we can lose sight of the creativity and that is something that we place huge emphasis on at Mushroom.

We understand that we can’t just rely on the traditional forms of sync  – Film, TV and Advertising – we need to uncover new platforms. It’s ever changing, and we want to keep Mushroom ahead of the competition. We are an indie company but we punch way above our weight. What we already achieve for our artists is a great source of pride but we are constantly brainstorming creative ways to represent our artists and uncover fresh ways to sync their music. We hustle hard and truly care about the business and our artists’ careers.

I find that within the music industry women hold senior positions in publishing and the live sector, but less so on the label side. I’m not quite sure of the reasons there, but it’s an interesting observation. I’ve seen many brilliant women come from internships within the business. There’s nothing like learning on the job, it’s not enough to have a university degree and be passionate about the music (although of course that helps). Many of the most successful women I’ve met went straight from high school to a full time job. I think that it’s about quick and sharp thinking, multitasking and being capable. And who better than a woman when it comes to those skills!

The Mushroom Sync team is made up of brilliant women working under the leadership of MMP MD Linda Bosidis. Linda and I have worked together since 2008 and she never ceases to amaze me. We are two mums navigating this industry and she is a shining mentor. Abby Page is another, so wise. There is no better negotiator than Abs, she is a demon to have on the team and a great friend. Nicole, Lisa, Sarah, Tahlia, Sahara, Anita, Eloise….all terrific, inspirational women. It’s a cliché but Mushroom really is a big family. We have each other’s backs. Michael is such a great champion of women within Mushroom, we are fortunate to be working for a pioneer in music and have his support filter down through the company.

Obviously Covid, without a doubt. It is devastating the effect it’s having across the industry. But I have to add with my sync hat on that it is shameful how artists are not respectfully remunerated when it comes to the use of their work. This is not limited to music; unfortunately it is common across the entire arts industry – writers, comedians, filmmakers, artists. When it comes to creating commercial projects, it is music that can take the idea to another level, adding the desired emotion. So often I hear that ‘this will be great exposure for your artist’ and offer a minimal (or no) fee. This is not acceptable. The overall budget needs to be distributed fairly. Nobody should be asked to work for free or for extra profile. Mushroom Sync will fight to ensure the distribution is fair.

My husband will roll his eyes and tell you that I always trot out Neil Diamond’s Hot August Night when it comes to a solo performance at the end of an evening. Sadly it’s true.

I spend most of my time at Mushroom as a Campaign Manager for our creative agency, Mushroom Creative House (MCH). As a team we deliver all kinds of work from digital campaigns to events and activations, our scope ranging from strategy, creative, content and marketing to complete event concepting and mobilisation. Outside of the talents at MCH (which has now grown to more than 20 employees), we also utilise the wider Group’s expertise, which means that the sky-is-the-limit as to what we can deliver. Agency world is pretty new to me having only spent a couple of years in this particular role but I’ve been at Mushroom for over 10 years, primarily in the Finance Team where I’ve worked across most of the companies in the group at some point in time!

Projects I’ve worked on over the last 18 months have featured some amazing female talent – amongst others, Lily Allen, Vera Blue, Julia Michaels, BENEE, Anne-Marie, Tove Lo.

At the risk of sounding cheesy and sentimental, I’m most proud of the friends and relationships I have made over the years at Mushroom. Many of them I consider family and they are a big part of the reason I get excited about going to work every day. I’m also just incredibly proud of the quality of work that continually comes from my immediate team and I also love to stand back and appreciate the work that comes from my peers and their teams across all of the other Mushroom divisions.

If lockdown has done one thing for me, it’s solidified that I’m exactly where I want to be in terms of this industry and being surrounded by music… I am BUSTING to get back amongst it!

MCH is still a young business in comparison to others in the Group, it’s only been running in its current form for about 4 years. It has so much more to unlock, so I want  to grow and evolve with it. I want to keep learning in this role and focus on giving artists opportunities that increase their profile and support their recording, touring and any other creative output by tapping into additional revenue sources. I’d love to work on music based campaigns with more tech and fashion brands in the future, I also look forward to continued work with the likes of lululemon, Spotify and Mercedes to name a few.

Ongoing goal – always strive for diversity within the talent we work with and long-term, look at how we waste less, re-use more!

Plant the seed early – primary and high school programs that highlight and profile jobs in music, using female role models – smash the stereotypes! It would also be great to see a lot more formal mentor programs for women. And I’d also like to see more activity supporting and keeping mothers in music jobs. This isn’t specific to our industry but there’s no getting around the fact that many careers are penalised by taking time out for parenthood. I don’t have all the answers, it’s complex but we can start by acknowledging and discussing it more openly, providing flexibility and making sure the culture at our workplaces are supportive.

Lots of supporters and people I look up to, here are a few…

Bethany Jones, I first met as a lawyer at Mushroom and who went on to head up Mushroom Pictures biz affairs AND produce our TV and film projects including the Molly miniseries, and feature film Boys in the Trees. Besides being one of my best knowledge resources, I love her because she’s one of those people who motivate and excite you without even intending to. She is also very close friend and source of emotional support if I need it.

From the finance team – Steve Moore, Ben Melvin-Smith, Katrina Merican and David Fernandez are a very talented bunch and have been so great to work with over the years. Excited to have Steve back, now as our CFO after working alongside him many years ago.

More recently Brett Louis, Campaign Director at MCH has been an incredible source of support and tutelage for me – he puts the time into people and has willingness to share his knowledge, which isn’t always common but so important! Even when he should be frazzled, he remains level-headed and does his best to give you what you need.

Special mention to some of the newer female recruits from the MCH crew that breathe new life, drive and creativity into the business – Carmen Walker, Daina Coxall, Lauren Rutter, and Tina Rodi. Last but by no means least, Alice Mouritz who has also clocked up many years at Mushroom and is a bloody pro!

The aftermath of COVID – effects on the economy and how that will in-turn effect consumer spending habits and potential govt funding to artists and the industry. International travel restrictions continuing to effect the live sector and local artist’s ability to connect with their global audience. On the bright side, I do think and hold the hope that this will see the local scene really thrive. It would be amazing to see music fans focus on our local talent, hear more of their music in the context of TV/film/advertising synch, on the radio and playing at festivals. The team have been working on a side project where the premise is getting brands to pledge to exclusively use Australian music for a period of time – which is such a great idea and one of the many ways we can try to mitigate the post pandemic effects.

From an agency lens, we’ll probably see many brands reduce their marketing and event budgets so we’ll have to work more efficiently and convince them more than ever that music is what can connect us all!

My voice is beyond offensive and Karaoke is not my go-to for fun, but I am by no means a party pooper so ‘Get Outta My Way’ (or any Kylie song for that matter) and I did a Marilyn Manson, ‘Beautiful People’ duet once which wasn’t bad LOL. Probably sums up the spectrum of my music taste right there tbh!

I work within Matt Gudinski’s group of businesses, as the Label Manager across all record labels that fall under that silo. In addition to our key labels I Oh You, Soothsayer, and 100s + 1000s, I also oversee label duties for our in house collaborative management artists like Bliss n Eso.

My role is essentially project management. Once a release (Single, EP or Album) is delivered, I (along with the help of my incredible Label Coordinator Brigid Neill, who I would be lost without) am responsible for ensuring the cohesive roll out of the release. Acting as the central communications hub to ensure all internal and external teams know what they need to be doing and when. It can be a very intense role, but incredibly rewarding playing such a key part in helping our amazing artists and A&Rs realise their visions.

I’ve been in the position for just over 6 years, starting in July of 2014. When I began the role, we had a roster of 6 acts, fast forward 6 years and we’ve grown to 3+ labels looking after 25 artist projects along with an ever-expanding team of excellent humans.

Working across a range of labels gives me the unique opportunity to work with such a wide variety of artists, from forward-thinking producers like Dro Carey and KUČKA to crowd favourites DMA’S, Violent Soho and Jack River, and the iconic Bliss n Eso.  

Picking one is hard. I feel like a total stage parent, and feel so much pride watching my artists hit milestones; their first radio play, their debut album, their first award, fills me with a pride I find difficult to put into words. 

A few highlights would be watching Jack River play her debut Splendour In The Grass set to a packed GW McLennan tent, and DMA’S first gold record which was also my first gold record, and something I’d dreamed about as a child. Also, hearing fan stories of how our artists’ music has impacted their life. Knowing I’ve played a very small part in helping that music reach that person, is an amazing feeling. 

Professionally, to continue working towards a cohesive artist first mentality, and industry accountability around ensuring artists are involved in and educated on their business.

On a personal level, finding and maintaining a work-life balance. When I was younger, it was all work, I was so hungry to prove myself, I lost sight of my self-care. Burnout is such a huge thing in our industry, with constant pressure to always be on. Self-care, and knowing when to say no is vital to ensuring you can be the best for others. I’ve learnt that through some hard lessons, but am slowly getting better at introspective care, to ensure I can continue supporting artists in every way I can. 

Continued funding so that there can be more initiatives like AIR’s Woman In Music Mentor Program, VMDO’s Fair Play Program with Diversity Arts Australia, and the ARIA Observation Program to assist in supporting and encouraging women and non male identifying people to expand their knowledge and confidence, and believe there is a seat for them at the table.

I am fortunate to be surrounded by so many incredibly strong, amazing people.

Linda Bosidis, who’s door is always open. Along with being someone I admire professionally, she’s become someone I admire personally. Her time, patience, and kindness in approaching each conversation brought to her, is something I strive to emulate in my dealings with others. 

Sophie Kirov, who I’ve been friends with for a long time. I’ve watched her work so hard to establish herself in what has been a predominantly male-dominated area of the industry, and become one of the best Tour Managers in the country. She’s supported me since day dot and constantly inspires me with her positive attitude and resilience. 

Gerry Bull, who despite having one of the most demanding roles in our industry, is so fair in all respects, and makes everyone feel seen. Her openness and kindness is something we need more of in the world. 

Maree Hamblion is someone I’ve always looked up to professionally. She took the time when I was young, vulnerable, and filled with self-doubt to encourage me to take a pretty big step in my career that led me to where I am now. I’m very thankful for that push.

And my incredible peers. There are way too many to list, but I’m surrounded by strong, intelligent, kind people in this industry, who continue to push me to grow and learn.

The blindingly obvious one right now is COVID-19, as a major unprecedented crisis in the industry. As an industry that is incredibly time-poor, I hope this unexpected space will allow time to examine the fragility of our income streams, and will (hopefully) be the catalyst for some pretty drastic changes in not just funding for the arts, but how we operate financially as an industry. The system we are used to no longer works, but we are a resilient and creative force, so in a way, I’m also excited to see what new tech, processes, and norms we create and adapt to moving forward. 

No Doubt ‘Don’t Speak’ is always my first choice, but if the vibe needs a boost, Bohemian Rhapsody. Always. No question.

My role is Label Manager for both Ivy League Records and Liberator Music (the group’s international label arm). I’ve been with the Mushroom Group for almost 5 and a half years, working for labels for around 4 and a half years.

Once a single, EP or album is complete and the masters are delivered, I’m essentially responsible for what comes next – including music & asset delivery and working with key teams to design and implement the best rollout strategy for that project. I work closely with incredibly talented people daily including A&R, artist mgmt., international labels, promo, marketing, production & more to bring the vision to life, and essentially be their main point of contact for operations throughout the campaign. So, in short, an absolute dream gig!

Active artists across the Ivy League roster include The Rubens, The Teskey Brothers, Hatchie, Rolling Blackouts C.F., Shannen James, A. Swayze & The Ghosts, Kyle Lionhart, Tiny Little Houses, Bakers Eddy, Lewis Coleman & more. On the Liberator Music front, the roster is split between myself and the excellent Catherine Burton (also Label Manager for Liberator), with the exception of projects we both work across, like Childish Gambino. Lib campaigns I work on include IDLES, Fontaines D.C, Wolf Alice, Mr. Bungle, Eli Moon & more. I’ve also been incredibly lucky in the past to work on campaigns for Phoenix, I Know Leopard, Pixies, Crystal Fighters, Tinariwen, Soulwax & more.

I still pinch myself daily looking at this list.

There have been some truly wonderful moments, charts & artist accolades over the years but above all, I feel such a sense of achievement whenever we release an album. That moment of seeing the finished product – holding the vinyl, CD & seeing it live on DSPs – through to the buzz of being at a show or festival and seeing fans sing along, is the ultimate high.

I want to keep growing by learning from & collaborating with as many diverse voices in the industry as I can, and to keep up with the ever-changing times by finding innovative ways to promote our artists.

There are so many trailblazing and wildly talented female artists, managers, industry reps, production specialists…the list goes on! Continuing to amplify their voices across the media & industry events, and ensuring strong representation across festival lineups, so they are at the forefront for bigger audiences and opportunities.

Every woman I know in the industry has been guided throughout the years by other women, generously giving their advice, guidance and time. I think we all have a responsibility to continue this cycle.

It’s hard not to write a novella here…I’ve learnt an incredible amount from so many people along the way, but if I were to name a few:

Marihuzka Cornelius –  A&R Manager for Ivy League and the absolute heart and soul of the label. I’ve learnt so much from MC, she’s a real-life superwoman who inspires me daily.

Brett Schewitz, Head of Marketing at Mushroom. Brett is a walking talking music encyclopaedia and a legend of a guy who taught me how to label manage. Brett was and still is incredibly generous with his time.

Nick Dunshea, Founder/Managing Director of Liberator, who gave me my dream job almost 5 years ago and ever since has been a brilliant mentor (not to mention, has signed some of my favourite international artists).

I’m forever learning so much from Mushroom’s COO Chris Maund and to be embraced and encouraged by the Ivy League label founders/directors Andy Cassell, Andy Kelly and the late, great Pete Lusty over the years has been an incredible honour. Their collective experience (and humour) is wild.

+ so many others, such as Megan Tudor (who taught me so much during my first role at Mushroom working on the Telstra Road to Discovery program), the brilliant Loz Grice, Lisa Businovski, Dan Baker, Julia Hill, Samantha Clode, Katie Stewart, every artist manager I work with & more.

Plus, my champions behind the scenes – my parents, brothers & close friends, the ultimate VIPs.

The loss of touring is devastating. Whilst I can’t control that, what I can control is doing everything I can do promote our artists and their music, ready for fans to sing along to when shows can happen again. I can’t wait for that day.

This Must Be The Place (Naïve Melody) by Talking Heads…the most JOYOUS song in the world!