Today’s guest is Dean James, who’s had an incredible journey in music. He was one of the co-founders of the MAMA Group, which at its peak operated some of the UK’s most iconic venues and festivals including the Hammersmith Apollo before eventually selling the business to HMV. 

We spoke to Dean about how and why he got into live music, how he went on to build the MAMA Group, and what eventually happened to it. I don’t want to spoil too much of this one & there’s so much to learn from this one so let’s get straight into it. 

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Today's guest is Dante Bonutto who is currently the head of A&R at Spinefarm a subsidiary of Universal Music! Dantes responsible for signing Sleep Token and working on “Take me back to Eden” where he watched the band break in real time! 

We chat with Dante about how he got his start in music over 40 years ago - starting out as a journalist and actually becoming editor at Kerrang! super early on (from issue #8!). From there, he travelled the world with bands, writing pieces about them, before creating his own magazine, RAW, which he eventually sold. He then made the jump into the label world and hasn’t looked back, working with bands like Rammstein early in their careers, and of course, eventually signing Sleep Token which became a wild and unforgettable time for the label. 

This one's a rollercoaster so get ready! 

Let’s get into it. 

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Follow us to see Behind The Scenes:  

Jack - https://www.instagram.com/jack_uprawr/  

Joe - https://www.instagram.com/joe_davis77/ 

Today's guest is Steve O'G, the creator behind a thriving YouTube channel dedicated to alternative music and reaction-style content. His channel continues to grow, and we wanted to know the secrets behind his success 

We dive into how Steve monetizes music reaction content, what the industry thinks about it, and the real value of his reactions. Steve also shares his journey into music, spending most of his 20s touring the world with various bands and even playing drums in front of 1,000,000 people at the London Olympics! 

This episode is perfect for anyone looking to start on YouTube, or for those in the music industry who want to understand the impact of reaction channels. Let’s get into it  

Today’s guest is Luke Morton, the editor of Kerrang! one of the biggest rock magazines in the world! 

We talked to Luke about how he got his start in the industry, from his early jobs at places like Front Magazine, where he first experienced the chaos of creative work environments, to writing his debut book - Standing Like Statues, the official Enter Shikari biography. 

We also discussed how he landed the role at Kerrang! and what goes into choosing a cover artist for the magazine. 

Luke’s journey into the industry is anything but linear, a great reminder that sometimes you’ve got to take whatever opportunities come your way. Let’s get into it! 

Today’s guest is Mark Orr, the head of LAB Records, which he’s been running since 2005. In recent years, LAB has found major success with artists like The K’s, South Arcade, and many more. 

We spoke with Mark about how he discovered and signed South Arcade, what it felt like to achieve LAB’s very first number one album with The K’s, and what the future holds for the label. From the sounds of it, this is just the beginning & Mark has some incredibly exciting years ahead. 

There’s a lot to take away in this episode, from how DIY labels compare to majors, to what it really takes to succeed in that world. 

Let’s get into it. 

Just search UPARWR podcast anywhere you listen to them!  

Follow us to see Behind The Scenes:  

Jack - https://www.instagram.com/jack_uprawr/  

Joe - https://www.instagram.com/joe_davis77/ 

Welcome back to the Uprawr Podcast! 
Today’s guest is Mat Welsh, guitarist for one of the UK’s biggest rock bands, While She Sleeps. Alongside playing guitar, Mat also manages the band and takes care of the business side of things. 

We spoke to Mat about how While She Sleeps first started, the tipping point that turned it into a full-time career, and why staying DIY has been so important to their success. He also opens up about the struggles of stepping back and letting someone else take over management, as well as the reasons behind the band’s decision to move away from working with record labels. We also speak on how the Collab with Oli Sykes came about and how while she sleeps butted heads with Bring Me The Horizon back in the day 

If you’re in a band and want to know what it really takes to go full-time, you NEED to hear this one.  

Today’s guest is Tim Bailey, currently Head of Label for International Affairs at Frontiers Music Group. Tim has had a long and varied career in the music industry, starting out as a promoter for over 15 years before eventually moving to the label side by joining Earache Records. We spoke with Tim about how he first became a promoter, why he dedicated 15 years to it, and the many challenges that come with the role. He also shared what led him to leave promoting behind, his transition into the label world, and what it was like working on records with artists such as Those Damn Crows (who scored a Number One album during his time at Earache) We also explored Tim’s journey with sobriety, and how alcohol once dictated his life before he turned things around. Follow us to see Behind The Scenes:Jack - https://www.instagram.com/jack_uprawr/Joe - https://www.instagram.com/joe_davis77/

Today’s guest is Nelly Liger-Edinger, a driving force behind rock and metal’s presence on national radio. Nelly works at The Noise Cartel, one of the biggest PR companies in heavy music and she's the reason you’ve heard bands like Architects, Parkway Drive, Ghost and many more on BBC Radio 1. We talk to Nelly about how she got her start in music from teaching at a university in France to writing for publications like Rock Sound, Metal Hammer, and Terrorizer. That path eventually led her into the world of PR and radio plugging, where she’s worked full rosters for major labels like Epitaph Records & finding her first bit of success on radio 1 with falling in reverse! She also speaks about working with Architects for over a decade and how that band helped to shape her career Nelly is one of the most passionate people we’ve ever spoke too and its infectious so let's get into it

Today’s guest is Dan Shepard, Studio Manager on the graphic design team at Live Nation and the Creative Lead for Download Festival. Yep, most of those iconic Download posters? He designed them. Ever wondered what it takes to be a professional graphic designer in the music industry? Or how the politics of festival posters work, like why some band logos are huge and others tiny?  

We talk about: How he got started in the industry, Landing his job at Live Nation, Designing artwork for Download Festival aswell as Black Sabbath’s final show (yep, that was him!) And even a near-death experience on the way to play Download himself! 

If you’re into music, design, or just interesting stories then this one’s for you. 

Welcome back to the Uprawr podcast! Today’s guest is Lais martins Waring who currently works for LD Communcations one of the biggest PR companies in the world! We spoke to Lais about how she got started in music, how she ended up working at LD communications and what the job entails. We talk about what it’s like working on Download Festival & how you go about getting creators like TPD TV involved as well as some of the trickier parts of the job. Lais has some incredible stories and if you’ve ever wanted to be the person that knows everyone then this might just be the job for you! Follow us to see Behind The Scenes:Jack - https://www.instagram.com/jack_uprawr/Joe - https://www.instagram.com/joe_davis77/