The New Bosses 2024: Eli Gelernter, Wasserman Music

The 17th edition of IQ Magazine’s New Bosses, in association with Futures Forum, was revealed in IQ 129, recognising 20 of the most promising 30-and-unders in the international live music business. 

To get to know this year’s class a little better, IQ conducted interviews with each one of 2024’s New Bosses, discovering their greatest inspirations and pinpointing the reasons for their success.

Eli Gelernter’s roster includes some of the most-celebrated young stars in the world, including RAYE, Tyla, Kehlani, Wet Leg, FLO, and Ryan Beatty. Based in Los Angeles, Eli has had a special focus on expanding Wasserman’s business at Pride events across North America, which helped establish RAYE’s career on her debut US tour in 2021; Pride events also helped build a touring base for Australian singer G Flip, who went on to sell out their North American tour this year.

 You started out as an intern and climbed the ladder. What would be the best advice you could give to your younger self, now, looking back on when you first started?
Remember that it takes ten years to become an overnight success.

Do you have a mentor or someone you can rely on to bounce ideas off?
My mentor in the business is my boss, Wasserman Music EVP Marty Diamond. We have been working with each other for almost a decade, and while he thinks of us as partners now, he is the best-sounding board for me as I grow and learn as a young agent. We support and believe in each other, through and through.

Your roster for a young agent is super impressive. How did you manage to secure such exciting talent early in their careers?
Trusting my gut, signing compelling and provocative talent, and believe wholeheartedly in every artist that I work with. I try to always sign artists that aren’t just a variation of something else that is currently popular. I never have been, or ever will be, one to follow a trend of “this is the next blank.” Why be next when you can be first?

And are there any particular platforms, venues, or events that you favour to discover new talent?
I find the majority of my clients through personal and professional relationships, and there are a couple of people in particular whose taste I value most, and who I can bounce ideas/music off of for feedback when I am scouring the internet. More so now than ever, agents are signing clients prior to them even doing their first live show.

The festival circuit in Europe is a great way to build artist fanbases. Is the same thing true in North America; can social media speed up breakthroughs; or does the age-old rule of putting the miles in on the road still deliver the best results for emerging acts?
It’s a fusion of the two. I don’t think you can expect a festival performance to go viral or get attention online if it’s not an excellent show. I very much believe in quality over quantity when it comes to festivals and touring, because it can be detrimental to someone’s career if they have a half-baked performance. But if a festival performance is personal, thoughtful, and inspiring – like Chapell Roan has been doing this season – it can change an artist’s career and life.

“Remember that it takes ten years to become an overnight success”

You’re from Pittsburgh, and you’re now in Los Angeles. But where is your favourite venue, and why?
Before living in LA, I was in NYC and have a special place in my heart for the Bowery Ballroom. While I was in college, I sold merch there for extra cash while interning, and it is very full circle now that I book clients there as an agent.

You’ve leveraged a number of Pride events to help grow the fan bases for some of your artists. Is that a route you would recommend to others, or have these been very specific campaigns where the events and talent made sense?
I think every artist’s path is different, but for those where it does make sense, I find Prides to be a very effective method of discovery that goes beyond just LGBTQ+ audiences.

What’s been the highlight of your career to date?
It’s incredibly difficult to pick one, but our client RAYE went on her first North American tour in October 2023 and did a handful of meet-and-greets per show. I was at the first chunk of dates, and watching RAYE’s personal interaction with her fans is absolutely heartwarming, and unlike anything I have seen throughout my career thus far. It reminded me how music can be such a uniquely deep and personal connection between creator and listener.

What tours, shows, or events are you most looking forward to in the year ahead?
I am excited for the world to see our client Tyla live, she is about to shut down the world with her show! Also, Kehlani and FLO are going on tour with each other this autumn in North America, which will be the show of the year for R&B lovers like myself.

As a New Boss, what one thing would you like to change to make the live music industry better?
More kindness in the industry, treating others the way you want to be treated. It’s a pretty elementary concept but you’d be surprised how some fail to grasp it.

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