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Independent booking agency FMLY has ceased trading, with the company behind it set to enter liquidation.
A statement released on behalf of We Are FMLY’s employees says that staff were informed of the closure via email at the end of last week, with no further details given.
“All staff members and agents were unexpectedly informed via email of the imminent closure of We Are FMLY Limited on the afternoon of Friday the 24th January and were notified of their immediate redundancy,” it reads. “No prior warning or insight was provided by the directors of the agency.”
Acts on the London-based electronic music specialist’s roster included UTO, Lady Wray, EMA, Thee Marloes and Real Lies.
“The respective agents are navigating the complexities of the situation with clients and promoters and doing all they can to support those affected”
“The respective agents are navigating the complexities of the situation with clients and promoters and doing all they can to support those affected,” continues the statement. “This is a developing situation, and it’s very difficult for team members to comment publicly before a full investigation has been carried out by the liquidators.”
We Are FMLY director Amber Brzeski tells IQ she is unable to comment on the matter at this time and directed enquiries to liquidator FRP Advisory.
Prior to launching We Are FMLY in 2023, Brzeski founded Brighton, UK-headquartered FMLY Agency with Darren James-Thomas in 2015 as a booking agency for electronic artists and DJs.
FMLY Agency later expanded to include talent buying, management and festival programming consultation, but went into liquidation last year, according to documents lodged with Companies House.
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Jon Ollier’s One Fiinix Live has appointed booking agent Rob McGee.
McGee brings with him acts including Food House, freekind., Honeyblood, ĠENN, Ladyhawke, Shelf Lives, Sløtface, THUMPER and more.
He joins One Fiinix from FMLY Agency – a global talent agency, festival programme consultancy and artist management company based in Brighton – where he spent almost three years as an agent.
Prior to that, he spent just over two years as a booking agent at Bristol-based global talent agency, The Empire Agency.
“Rob joining One Fiinix Live is a coup, he oozes passion and drive”
“Rob joining One Fiinix Live is a coup, he oozes passion and drive and added to his commitment and energy, he deserves to go all the way,” Ollier tells IQ. “Exactly the kind of person we are keen to come on this journey with us. It goes without saying we are very excited to welcome him to the company.”
The One Fiinix team is completed by agents Sean Goulding, Jess Kinn and Emma Davis, as well as Sean Denny, Phil Wimble, Gaby Domanski and Joe Shacklady.
“Joining Jon, Emma, Jess, Sean and the team at One Fiinix is a dream come true,” says McGee. “I’m honoured to be joining a family of passionate and dedicated people who are committed to helping artists achieve their dreams. I have never been more excited to be working in the live industry and look forward to starting on my new path here, with the legends of One Fiinix Live.”
One Fiinix Live was launched by Ollier in November 2020, following his departure from CAA.
The UK-based global booking agency represents acts including Ed Sheeran, Years & Years, 2Cellos, Calum Scott and Tessa Violet.
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IQ Magazine’s second annual Pride edition sees the return of the Loud & Proud playlist and feature, for which our agency partners profile some of the most exciting queer acts on their rosters.
13 Artists, ATC Live, CAA, FMLY, Hometown Talent, Progressive Artists, Wasserman Music, and X-ray Touring are among the contributing agencies.
Read about the agencies’ standout queer acts and listen to their key tracks below. Scroll down for the full Loud and Proud playlist.
Eliza Legzdina
Agent: Darren James-Thomas | FMLY Agency
Eliza Legzdina was picked by NME as one of the highlights at Eurosonic Festival 2022. A queer, London-based, Latvian, R&B “star in the making” (Crack Mag), she performed with Rudimental at Brixton Academy in June and features on one of their forthcoming singles.
Legzdina featured on lau.ra’s track, Blow, which was selected by BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders as tune of the week; while her collaboration with the same artist on Wicked also saw her placed on the 6 Music B-List. She has also worked with Idris Elba on the track Fudge.
Other recent shows include supporting Princess Nokia at EartH in London, while festival appearances have seen her take to the stages at Europavox, The Great Escape, and Pride Porto. Later this summer, she is confirmed to perform at Brighton Pride, Manchester Pride, and Latitude Festival.
Jemima Coulter
Agent: Jake Nevens | 13 Artists
Raised on classical music in Hampshire without context for what was popular, 24-year-old Jemima Coulter has developed a sound meticulously their own. Previously having cut their teeth as one-half of the Hailaker project, which has seen co-signs from the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Novo Amor, and many others, Jemima’s debut album Grace After A Party releases in July via Hand In Hive, boasting an enviable cast of guest appearances from the world of indie music.
Paige Kennedy
Agent: Rob Gibbs | Progressive Artists
Paige Kennedy is an artist and producer from Kent, UK, with an energetic alt-pop sound, drawing on a mix of funk, electronic, and indie. Their recent EP, 4 Degrees, has gained recognition from 6 Music, BBC Introducing, BBC Radio Kent, and Spotify’s Fresh Finds and young & free editorial playlists.
They’ve been gigging regularly in London and Manchester, supporting Peaness and BC Camplight, and have some exciting slots lined up for 2022. Paige also made the top five out of over 3,000 applicants for the Green Man Rising competition 2021, performing at the live-streamed finals. Paige is currently working on new material that will be released later this year.
Jodie Harsh
Agent: Chris Ibbs | CAA
UK cultural icon Jodie Harsh returned with her new single Shock, released 1 July on Warner Records. An irresistible club jam, the track combines rousing vocals and anthemic hooks with a deep, infectious bassline. It follows on from Good Time, an acclaimed release that was crowned BBC Radio 1 Hottest Record in the World by Charlie Hedges.
Kicking off the year with remixes for Kylie Minogue, Years & Years, Sonny Fodera, and most recently Charli XCX & Rina Sawayama, 2022 has been huge for nightlife icon Jodie Harsh. Fresh from supporting Jessie Ware on tour, she is currently in the middle of a hectic festival run with appearances at Creamfields North & South, Elrow, Mighty Hoopla, and Radio 1 Big Weekend, as well as starting residencies alongside Becky Hill at Ibiza Rocks and Danny Howard at Amnesia in Ibiza.
A legendary face of the London club scene, she is currently curating new queer club night Feel It at Omeara alongside Little Gay Brother. Adding another string to her huge bow, Jodie also hosts her own podcast, Life of The Party, with guests on the latest series so far including Joel Corry, Tom Grennan, Fat Tony, The Blessed Madonna, and Jessie Ware.
Lambrini Girls
Agents: Roxane Dumoulin & Suzy Noel | ATC Live
Brighton three-piece Lambrini Girls are: Phoebe (vocals/guitar), Lilly (bass), and Catt (drums). Influenced by Le Tigre and Bikini Kill but served with a tongue-in-cheek style all their own, Lambrini Girls are here to take over the scene, one bottle at a time.
Kerrang! describes them as, “A cornerstone of Brighton’’ queer music scene,” while Gigwise opts for “Raucously untamed, feral punk; a frenetic and fiery blast of thrashy mayhem that takes no shit.”
As for the band themselves, they prefer: “The best band in the world. Imagine your nan is in the boot of your car with a croissant in her mouth and hears Bikini Kill for the first time. That could be you. It will never be us, as we are not Bikini Kill, and we are not your nan. We are Lambrini Girls. Bon appétit.”
Uninvited
Agent: Shaun Faulkner | X-ray Touring
Uninvited formed after vocalist and bassist Taylor-Ray Dillon (she/her) and vocalist and guitarist Gillian Dhlakama (they/them), previously based in Dundee, met as solo acoustic artists. With a little help from Instagram, the pair later became connected with guitarist Bex Young (they/them) and drummer Fiorenza Cocozza (she/her). They officially became Uninvited in August 2020 and joined 7 West Music Management (The Dunts, Spyres, As December Falls, The Roly Mo).
Their latest offering, Behind The Black Door, is yet another defiant single that Uninvited are becoming known for. Their debut single, Tomboy, was an important landmark for the band, who became aware that they themselves could be the change they wanted to see, writing music that pushes the LGBTQ+ conversation into the male-dominated indie atmosphere – a multidimensional reclamation of their early queer experiences in a shimmering indie-pop package.
Although their live career has been affected by Covid and subsequent restrictions, Uninvited made their debut live performance in the summer of 2021, supporting Dead Pony at a sold-out King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow. Their streak of supporting the hottest bands from the Glasgow scene continued as they opened for Baby Strange at SWG3 and Spyres at Stereo.
The band had the honour of playing the Tiny Changes fund-raiser, appearing alongside The Twilight Sad and Carla J. Easton. And, in early 2022, they supported BBC Introducing Scottish Act of the Year winner Bemz and London-based Dream Wife.
Cat Burns
Agent: Alex Hardee | Wasserman Music
Cat Burns is a 21-year-old singer and songwriter from Streatham in London. The former BRIT School student went from busking on the Southbank to mastering TikTok in lockdown, singing a mix of her favourite covers and original music. As a result, she rapidly amassed around half a million followers in just three months and now sits on over 1 million followers on the platform.
Cat is not only an astounding vocal talent but also an incredibly talented songwriter offering acute observations on life and love with a fresh perspective. She draws upon gospel influences, pop inspirations, and a love of guitar-led and indie music, too. She proudly cites Ed Sheeran, India.Arie, and Tori Kelly as a few of her biggest inspirations.
Her highly anticipated EP, Emotionally Unavailable, was released in May, and performance-wise she has supported Mae Muller and Years & Years on tour, while in August she will appear at Boardmasters Festival.
Luna Luna
Agent: Joren Heuvels | Hometown Talent
As one-quarter of Luna Luna, Kaylin Martinez is a 26-year- old artist/musician who lives in Austin, Texas. Since discovering her love for the drums at the age of 11, Kaylin has seen her drum career change many times. She was in a marching band throughout high school, played in worship bands, and even went on to earn a Minor in Music.
After years of playing unfulfilling gigs, Kaylin finally found her perfect fit with Luna Luna. She has played all over the United States and eventually will play around the world. While playing with Luna Luna, Kaylin has been able to establish herself as a professional musician, allowing her to express herself through her first love: music.
Listen to the full Loud and Proud playlist below:
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The Pride takeover edition of the IQ New Music playlist, featuring a selection of tracks curated by major international booking agencies, is now live.
Launched last year, the playlist complements IQ Magazine’s popular New Signings page, which keeps the live industry updated about which new, emerging and re-emerging artists are being signed by agents. Click here to read the inaugural Pride edition of IQ now.
The Loud and Proud (July) playlist features contributions from CAA, ICM, ITB, Paradigm Talent Agency, UTA, ATC, WME, Mother Artists, Primary Talent International, FMLY and Hometown Talent, each of which have picked several tracks apiece, showcasing some of their best queer touring artists.
Listen to the latest selection using the Spotify playlist below, or click here to catch up on the June playlist first.
Separated by agency, the full track list for the Loud and Proud (July) playlist is:
Agency | Artist | Song |
---|---|---|
CAA | Todrick Hall | Queen |
CAA | Jodie Harsh | No Sleep |
CAA | MAY-A | Apricots |
CAA | MUNA | Number One Fan |
ICM | Tayla Parx | Dance Alone |
ICM | Amorphous, Kehlani | Back Together |
ICM | drumaq | Insecurities |
ICM | Tygapaw | Facety |
ICM | Marzz | Countless Times |
ITB | Annabel Allum | ordinary life |
ITB | Brandi Carlile | The Joke |
ITB | Cherym | Listening to My Head |
ITB | Dream Nails | Kiss My Fist |
ITB | Hot Milk | I Just Wanna Know What Happens When I'm Dead |
Paradigm | Pabllo Vittar | Modo Turbo |
Paradigm | Lynks | This Is the Hit |
Paradigm | Ezra Furman | I Can Change |
Paradigm | Perfume Genius | On the Floor |
Paradigm | girl in red | Serotonin |
UTA | Bitch Falcon | Gaslight |
UTA | Jake Wesley Rogers | Momentary |
UTA | Madeline The Person | As a Child |
UTA | Princess Nokia | It's Not My Fault |
UTA | Sam Lee | The Tan Yard Side |
ATC | Joe & The Shitboys | Drugs R'4 Kidz |
ATC | Beverly Glenn-Copeland | Ever New |
ATC | Alice Low | Ladydaddy |
ATC | ALMA | Chasing Highs |
ATC | Anjimile | Maker |
WME | Maya Jane Coles | Run to You |
WME | Jazmin Bean | Hello Kitty |
WME | Carla Prata | Certified Freak |
WME | serpentwithfeet | Fellowship |
WME | Kim Petras | Heart to Break |
Mother Artists | Joy Oladokun | sorry isn't good enough |
Primary | Rina Sawayama | Chosen Family |
Primary | Rufus Wainwright | Going To A Town |
Primary | Moore Kismet | Flourish |
Primary | Joesef | Loverboy |
Primary | Marika Hackman | Claude's Girl |
FMLY | Eliza Legzdina | Eat Your Greenz |
FMLY | Ralph TV | 4 U |
FMLY | Du Blonde | All The Way |
FMLY | Lazy Day | Real Feel |
FMLY | Rome Fortune | Lovezone |
Hometown Talent | Jerry Paper | Cholla |
Hometown Talent | Angel Haze | Battle Cry |
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FMLY Agency has recruited booking agent Rob McGee, who brings with him a roster of artists including Baby Strange, Beach Riot, Chloe Foy and more.
McGee joins the UK-based global talent agency from The Empire Agency, where he spent just over two years as a booking agent. Prior to that, McGee ran his own Bristol-based international agency, Electric Harmony, booking tours for acts including Idles, Demob Happy, Childcare and The Stone Foxes.
FMLY Agency was founded in 2015 by Darren James-Thomas and Amber Brzeski as a booking agency for electronic artists and DJs; existing clients include Jay Electronica, Bondax, Roots Manuva, Phil Taggart and Foals (DJ).
The company – which has bases in Brighton, London, Bali and Bristol – has since expanded to include talent buying, management and festival programming consultation. Previous clients include Festival No.6 (UK), Electric Elephant (Croatia), EXIT (Serbia), Clockenflap (Hong Kong) and Oasis Festival (Morocco).
“Rob has an unfaltering dedication to his artists – a rare commodity as an agent –and will complement our existing team”
“We are over the moon to start 2021 by welcoming Rob to the FMLY. 2020 was a tough year for our industry, especially the agencies,” says FMLY director Amber Brzeski. “Rob has an unfaltering dedication to his artists – a rare commodity as an agent –and will complement our existing team. Working closely alongside founder Darren on the live side of the agency, we look forward to seeing what 2021 brings, and we are very excited to see our FMLY grow.”
McGee says: “This is a really exciting opportunity for not only me, but my artists as well. As we look forward to a more positive year with new opportunities and the return of live music, I hope to bring much to the table at my new home, as well as learn from some of the best.
“Darren and the team at FMLY are fantastic and their ethics are very much in line with my own. I have always respected them and I’m now proud to be working alongside them. It’s been a challenging time for us all, but we’ve made it this far and I know we’ll all be back stronger than ever. We’re ready for live to return, in whatever shape or form – you can count on that!”
McGee will also bring Janet Devlin, Lazy Day, RDGLDGRN, Shawn James, Tebi Rex, Thumper and Tusks among many others to FMLY Agency’s roster.
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