The New Bosses 2024: Emilia Backhaus, Karsten Jahnke

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.

Passionate about the performing arts, Emilia Backhaus majored in theatre and media studies before interning at Reeperbahn Festival. Inspired by her mother’s stories of legendary promoter Karsten Jahnke, she landed an apprenticeship at Karsten’s company, and two years later, began working alongside CEO Ben Mitha on international acts such as Blackpink, Childish Gambino, Ludovico Einaudi, and Diana Krall, while this summer, she has been focusing on Taylor Swift’s stadium shows.

Having a background in theatre, you probably approach the music side of things from a different perspective than most of your peers. How would you encourage more people with a similar background to explore careers in live music?
I was always a little conscious about not having a background in music but I think it sometimes helps as you can see the bigger picture of a performance, experiencing the music as a fan would rather than focusing too much on minor technicalities like a drum missing a beat or a guitar being slightly off. You don’t have to have booked your first gig at 13 in your local youth club or know every Rolling Stones song. You can major in theatre and still end up being involved in Taylor Swift shows. The live music industry offers a wide variety of jobs, so in the beginning, I tried to experience as many aspects of it as I could: working in a venue, as a local promoter, at a record label, and eventually settling in the tour department. Take your time, find your niche, and don’t be intimidated by men in the industry who have played guitar since they were two years old.

You work with a lot of drag acts. How have you seen that scene develop during your time in it?
I have been really interested in the US drag scene for a while now and I was really happy to see more and more people in Germany recognising the amazing performances that drag acts offer. The bigger acts are still coming from the US, but I do see a lot more local artists getting a platform, which is amazing and what we should be working towards. I think the German drag market is still in its early stages, but there is a lot more to come. It’s important for me to get more people to see the extravagant, funny, and highly political sides of drag. And who wouldn’t be amazed by Sasha Velour starting her show singing dressed up as a chair?

“I think the German drag market is still in its early stages, but there is a lot more to come”

Diversity is very important to you. In your opinion, what could the rest of the German industry – and indeed the entertainment business globally – be doing to improve the situation?
Realising that diversity is a chance and that it will take us further, rather than setting us back. We need the people who are currently making the decisions to make space for others. Decision-makers should mentor the next generation, hand over responsibility, and step back when necessary. For instance, one approach that stuck with me: no highly important meetings after 3 PM, to allow people who work part-time due to care work to still participate. So to everyone currently making decisions: open the door, grab a chair, and invite new people to the table! And everyone: talk openly about your salaries. Transparency is an important step toward equality.

You’ve been working on the biggest tour in history. Without giving away any trade secrets, what are some of the things you’ve learned about working with Taylor’s team on these historic shows?
The importance of an NDA… But talking about our team, it takes a lot of people to make something like this happen. With such a strong team and a broad variety of competencies on site, there is always a solution. Not having a decade or more of industry experience, there were situations where I lost my cool, but I was always reminded that everybody knows somebody who knows someone that can fix the problem. It was incredible to see the whole team working together on these shows.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Being involved in the Taylor Swift shows in Hamburg was definitely a highlight. Working on it for over a year, practically moving into the stadium before the shows, and then watching her pop out of the stage. Seeing everything come together after all the hours we put in and watching a sold-out stadium cheering for the artist, knowing I had been a part of something this big was very moving. There might have been a tear, but that might have also been due to the lack of sleep.

“Being involved in the Taylor Swift shows in Hamburg was definitely a highlight”

And what about any low points?
Working from my kitchen table during the pandemic in my one-room apartment was tough. First postponing the shows I was really excited about for the third time and then eventually canceling them. It took a lot during that time to remember why we are doing this. But as soon as I got away from that kitchen table and back into the venues, it came back to me.

What’s the best advice you have been given?
There are two: Be kind. Even if you have slept for two hours and the artist’s name is nowhere to be found on the hotel’s list. Be kind and look for solutions. A phone call goes a long way. In most cases, it is better to just call than to write three emails.

What would you like to be doing in five years’ time? 
Hopefully being on your 35 Under 35 list! And keep being involved in new approaches to promoting live entertainment and maybe bringing Taylor Swift back to Germany with another era or two.

What do you do outside of work to relax?
I am annoyingly passionate about films and cinema. That is where I spend a lot of my time. I enjoy completely falling into the plot of a film or a play. That is probably why I enjoy extravagant show productions so much. I always have. I also play squash, so hitting a ball against a wall for 45 minutes and the cinema is a pretty good mix to keep me balanced throughout this sometimes hectic day-to-day.

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