Ever since he tuned into Pete Tong aged 14 Nick Blinkhorn has always been a fan of electronic music and even though he knew his future didn’t lie as an artist or producer, he decided to pursue the business side of the industry. Here’s what Nick’s been up to since leaving ACM.
What have you been up to since leaving ACM?
Once I graduated from ACM I took up an internship as a product manager advertised in ACM’s BDC (Business and Artist Development Centre) for a couple of electronic music projects. It was during this internship that a member of one of the bands I was working with played me some new material at his studio in Chelsea for his new dance/hip hop act called “LA LA LAND”.
After listening to the whole album I thought there might be some hit records and that these guys could be huge especially with the rising popularity of electronic music. I knew it was a great project to get involved with and fortunately I was asked to manage them, which I snapped up!
Tell us about the debut project?
Our debut single featuring Timbaland & Timati came together at the right time. We wanted to have a feature artist for the first couple of singles so we struck a deal with the Timati’s Russian management team to fund the video and Timbaland’s appearance (about 400k in total). In return we would break Timati into western Europe as he is unknown. It also helps position the band within the market by associating ourselves with feature artists.
What has been your proudest moment so far?
Getting signed to one of the biggest dance labels in the world, oh and hitting a million views across various channels on YouTube!
So what’s on the horizon for the rest of 2012?
The plan is to release a follow up single with another feature artist. We are currently in talks with Sony Europe and a big American male solo artist who would smash the track. We just need to continue to release well produced and catchy tracks to build up our fan base. Music is seen as disposable these days, especially pop music. So as soon as we stop releasing music people will forget about us. I’m also aiming to sign a deal with a major management firm this year; I have my eyes on a couple of firms who i think would benefit LA LA LAND.
Do you have an advice or tips for current ACM students?
Network! Whichever side of the industry you want to get yourself into be it publishing or marketing. Find out who’s who and what companies are the market leaders and get in contact. Don’t be afraid to ask, most people i have come across have been helpful, ACM has a great reputation within the industry
ACM would like to thank Nick for getting back in touch and filling us in on what he’s been up to since graduating from ACM – keep up the good work!
