Hot on the heels of reviewing the excellent “Digital Prime” single, composed, mixed and mastered by Elliott Aldermann-Broom of Enso Music Management, Elliott took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions about “Digital Prime”, Enso Music Management and himself. For bands looking for a management company to represent their band and get experience on how to reach the next level, then you cannot go far wrong with Elliott and the crew at Enso Music Management. Once again, listen to the single below and donate what you can for Cayla’s cause. Thank you, Elliott, for this opportunity.
Can you tell our readers at Moshville Times a bit about yourself and how you came to work for Enso Music Management?
Yeah of course! Everything kind of started from forming my first band in school. Being too young to phone around pubs asking for shows, my mum Rachael started representing us as best she could and as the band grew more and more people started asking her to manage their bands. Many years later and with a huge amount of experience gained we decided to start Enso Music Management and start representing other bands. At this point I was still gigging full time with my band Cambion so my work with Enso was primarily in the background working to assist release campaigns, design and manage our pages etc. After I decided to put Cambion into hiatus I started work full time as an artist manager and I’m now the co-owner alongside my mum Rachael.
For bands that are unaware of what Enso Music Management can do for them, what services could you provide up and coming bands as well as seasoned bands?
Enso Music Management is first and foremost an artist management company but we offer certain booking and PR services alongside that. We work with bands to form a release campaign schedule for the year and can handle tours and PR to support the release. Communication is key no matter what size the band or client is and we work with every client, big or small, in the same way to try and streamline a strategy that works for that situation.
Catering for different genres of music, does this bring its own headaches when it comes to promoting and marketing the gigs?
Not especially no. We do cater to a variety of styles but they all still fit under the rock and metal genres. As we create a plan with each band we work with, the approach is very much tailored to the needs and wants of that client at that time.
How much of your personal life is taken up with Enso?
Enso is so much a part of our lives that it’s really one and the same. If we are not in the office we are generally still working from our phones but working for ourselves does have the advantage of working remotely and being somewhat flexible. Often we work long and/or odd hours and it can be difficult working with clients overseas in different time zones.
If you were to give advice for someone expressing an interest in becoming involved in band management, what would it be?
I would say that if it’s something you’re passionate about then chase it but do all the necessary research to really understand the role and what it means to manage a band. There’s a lot of management companies popping up and the real thing that gets clients knocking is commitment, experience and being easy going and respectful.
What would you say is the proudest moment of your management career so far?
I’m constantly proud of what we do and in the past few years I’ve gotten to work with some really great companies such as our endorsers and record labels and build some really great relationships with people in the industry. My proudest moments are sitting in the office when something great comes through and sounding our ‘horn of success’ (yes, we really do have a horn!).
You are busy on the music front yourself with being guitarist for Kinasis, Codex Alimentarius as well as constantly writing riffs for yourself. When recording music, how do you know which riffs will be for which band?
I would say its an initial feeling or vibe. I tend to associate bands with a vibe and if something I write fits a certain feel, that’s where it goes. That being said I don’t often just write to write and I like to have an ‘end goal’ picture in mind so I tend to write specifically for a part, song or band.
You record material in your own studio. What equipment do you have within your studio? Do other bands use these facilities or is this space for private use?
The studio has kind of evolved from a bedroom set up to now a fully kitted studio that is hired out to bands for rehearsals and recordings. We have a large analogue Allen and Heath desk in the control room with a small collection of outboard gear running into Cubase. It’s a really great place to hang out and make music and is very much the ‘headquarters’ for Kinasis.
Are there any new material coming in the near future from the aforementioned bands?
There’s fortunately a tonne of really great material in the works. We have a full debut album nearing completion with Codex Alimentarius and a new 5-track release being demoed at the studio for Kinasis. I’m also hoping to put out a few more tracks of my own material over the next year as I have some tracks I recorded a couple years ago that I’d love to get out!
You have recently released a single called “Digital Prime”. How much of a burden was this for you to finally get it out there for the masses to hear?
Releasing “Digital Prime” was actually a huge relief for me. I have lots of old riffs and songs on hard drives but a few of them really stand out and mean something to me including “Digital Prime”. I never really had the confidence to release a song without the backing of a band but it felt like to right time to put it out and let it go.
It was heartbreaking news about your family friend’s daughter which was the reason for releasing “Digital Prime”. Can you tell us a bit about the fundraising page you are donating towards?
Cayla’s parents set up a fundraiser called Cayla’s Fight and have been raising money for Cayla’s treatment with the support of the Bradley Lowery Foundation. I really wanted to be able to raise any amount of money for them and the idea to release the track as a way of doing that just felt right so I set up a go fund me page that goes directly to the family and just did it!
How hard has it been to juggle the touring side of things with the everyday jobs?
To be honest it’s never really been much of an issue. The bands I’m in are very committed and communication is always easy so we can generally work around any issues pretty fast. I’m lucky to be self employed and to have the support of my wife and family that allows me so much freedom to pursue music and I’m forever grateful for that.
How hard is it for the bands you are involved in to survive in the current climate where bands have to tour non-stop and sell merchandise in order to bring money back into the band?
In my experience, touring has never been especially profitable or a source of income for my bands. In this day and age, despite the low rates, streaming has become a huge source of income for bands. Merch will always be a great source of income too but it costs a lot to make whereas streaming and digital sales are more or less free and consumed in higher quantities. This can vary massively of course and some bands make more on merch, some make more on streams but it comes down to knowing your fan base and what works for you.
Before the internet, magazines and fanzines were the places to find out about new bands and trends. Now publications are replaced with thousands of websites catering for all genres. Do you think that some of the passion has been lost or do you think that the internet has been a good thing for music?
It’s a double edged sword and I do think that sometimes the passion is a little lost through shear over-saturation but there are also so many obvious benefits with having so many options and outlets to get the word out on your band or project. The more digital things become, the smaller the world gets and while that’s a truly great thing for marketing, building relationships or connecting with your fanbase, it does mean that often interactions can become colder and works of art can be somewhat devalued in an oversaturated market place.
A fun question to end this interview. If you were a DJ and were allowed to bring 5 CDs to the party, what would they be?
1. Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra
2. Mastadon – Crack The Sky
3. Gojira – The Way Of All Flesh
4. Fear Factory – Mechanize
5. Whitechapel – Our Endless War
Any last message for our readers here at Moshville Times?
“Thank you” to everyone who checked out my track “Digital Prime” and has supported my musical endeavours over the years! There’s always been so much support and a real community vibe in the metal scene that’s had a huge impact on my life so thank you you all and thank you Moshville Times for the support!
Donation link for Cayla: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/digitalprime
Photos courtesy of Sally Edwards and Janson Bulpin
Digitial Prime: official | facebook
