The New Bosses 2024: Nikoline Skaarup, Down The Drain Concerts

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.

Nikoline started her career in music with an internship at Danish online music media Bands of Tomorrow, where she quickly rose to become editor-in-chief. Having found a part-time position as marketing assistant at Down The Drain Concerts (DTD) in 2019, when Covid hit she split her time between working with youth activism at Danish non-profit organisation Rapolitics and with gender equality as music editor at global impact agency Girls Are Awesome. When DTD asked her to return in 2021, she didn’t hesitate and has since become a booker and promoter in her own right.

You have a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Communications. Is there anything from your university studies that helps you in your day-to-day life as a promoter?
I think in general it’s given me a natural habit of always viewing things from different angles and questioning a lot of things that may just be routine for others – which is probably also a bit annoying sometimes haha! One very concrete thing I’ve brought with me from my studies is what my professor in Ethics called “The Bullshit Detector” which was basically just tools to analyze arguments. I guess it’s always good to be able to detect a bad argument when you meet it.

You have been a champion for upcoming female artists. Who do you think people in the international music business should be keeping their eye on for the year ahead?
Oh my, where to start! There’s a new Danish artist I keep recommending to everyone. Her name is ILMA and she’s one of the coolest new artists I’ve heard in a long time. It’s her stage presence, songs, and her whole artistic universe that I’m super impressed with. Elyanna, METTE, Zsela and Karin Ann are some artists I’m also really excited about at the moment.

You have an impressive background in music journalism. Does working on that side of things help you develop any narratives when it comes to promoting talent?
I don’t really do any sort of music journalist anymore but I’m definitely still using what I’ve learned from back then when it comes to describing music and having opinions about music. I wrote so many music recommendations and I still use it today when I think about booking an act. I instantly start asking myself the same questions as I would then: Why is this artist interesting? What makes this artist stand out? Why should you prioritise seeing this act? If I can’t answer these questions, I probably wouldn’t recommend the artist back then, and I probably shouldn’t be booking that artist today.

What one thing would you like artists, fans, and other music industry professionals to learn about your country to persuade them to visit, or listen to some Danish bands and artists?
I would definitely highlight the audience culture here. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve heard a lot of artists saying that it’s special to play shows in Denmark because the crowd is so supportive. And I often have the same feeling when I’m at shows here.

“There’s definitely a movement of people wanting this industry to become more sustainable in the long run for its employees”

What is your favourite venue?
Ugh that’s a very hard question! But I think I’ll have to say VEGA in Copenhagen. It’s where I went to my first proper concert and it’s just such a beautiful house…

What has been the highlight of your career, so far?
Last year I booked a really incredible artist called Yemi Alade for NorthSide. It was her first show in Denmark, and I was in the crowd with some of my friends. There were these two girls just dancing and really enjoying themselves next to us, and after the show, my friend (who’s pretty outgoing) told them that I was the one who’d booked her. I got a bit embarrassed haha, but then one of the girls asked if she could give me a hug because she’d been waiting so long to see Yemi Alade who was also the reason why she’d bought her ticket. She was almost crying because the show had been everything she’d hoped for. That was a quite special moment to me because I felt so grateful that I could actually do something, that made another girl so happy!

What events, tours or festivals are you most looking forward to in the year ahead?
Soon, I’ll be going to a small festival in Tromsø, Norway, called Buktafestivalen. I’ve never been there before but it looks so, so beautiful! The War On Drugs are playing and I can’t imagine a better place to see them than surrounded by the amazing Norwegian nature. In November I’m promoting a show in Copenhagen with Saint Levant, an artist I really admire. I saw him at G Festival in The Faroe Islands last summer and just instantly fell in love with his music. So I’m very excited for that tour to kick off!

You’re obviously enjoying learning about the business as your career progresses. How would you encourage the next generation to choose the live music sector for their chosen career path?
I was very nervous about the whole business when I first started out. I’ve never been a super extroverted person so the whole networking part of the industry was quite a mouthful to me. Also, I’d heard all the stories about this being a super tough industry and about people being super nasty to each other. I’m not a thick-skinned person at all, and words can definitely get to me, so I was quite nervous about whether I was “right” for this type of industry or not. But it turned out – for me at least – that it wasn’t as scary in reality. Most people I’ve met have been super, super nice and kind people who share the same passion as me. I think there’s definitely a movement going on of people wanting this industry to become more sustainable in the long run for its employees. And I have so much faith in the next generation being even better at this.

“It’s easier said than done to ask stupid questions but it can be really crucial to do sometimes”

Do you have a mentor, or anyone you rely on to bounce ideas off?
I’m very lucky to be working closely with our head promoter Mads Sørensen who’s been in this business for decades. I had to learn everything from scratch as I had absolutely 0 experience from the promoting side of things when I initially started out as a promoter assistant. He’s always saying that there are no stupid questions and I think that is the most important thing someone can say to you when you’re new to something. It’s easier said than done to ask stupid questions but it can be really crucial to do sometimes.

As a New Boss, what one thing would you change to make the live entertainment industry a better place?
If I was an actual boss, I think the most important thing to me would be to hire a diverse group of people for my team and create a healthy work environment for them. I feel like diversity in the live industry is often measured through posters and festival lineups. But having a diverse group of people working behind what the audience sees is just as important and probably the best way to secure diversity on stage as well.

What would you like to see yourself doing in five years time?
It’s pretty crazy to be saying because it’s such a privilege, but I hope to see myself doing what I already do: booking festivals.

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