Agent Nikita Lavrinenko joins Pitch and Smith
International booking agency Pitch and Smith has welcomed Nikita Lavrinenko as a new agent, as the agency he co-founded, Paper and Iron Booking, becomes part of the Pitch and Smith family.
Lavrinenko joins Pitch and Smith from the agency he co-founded in 2005. His roster includes artists Angel Olsen, Weyes Blood, Jenny Hval, Rodrigo Amarante, Matmos, Ryley Walker and Torres. The Paper and Iron brand will be retired with Lavrinenko’s transition.
Founded in Stockholm in 2007 by Kalle Lundgren Smith and Stefan Juhlin, Pitch and Smith later opened a London office, which serves as its headquarters. One of the agency partners of the 2019 International Festival Forum (IFF), Pitch and Smith has a roster that includes Caribou, José Gonzalez, Viagra Boys and Toro Y Moi.
“I’m excited about teaming up with Pitch and Smith and this new chapter,” comments Lavrinenko, who will continue to be based in Berlin.
“All of us here at Pitch and Smith are great admirers of Nikita’s work as an agent, as well as being big fans of his roster”
“In addition to being a natural fit in terms of my artist roster, I think we share a lot of similarities in our creative and strategic approach, plus the desire for building meaningful lasting relationships with artists and partners. I’m confident that our combined experience, resources and entrepreneurial spirit will be valuable for all parties.”
“All of us here at Pitch and Smith are great admirers of Nikita’s work as an agent, as well as being big fans of his roster,” says co-founder Lundgren Smith.
“Over the last couple of years we’ve got to know each other better and have discovered we have a lot of things in common, not only in terms of our core values but also why we got into this business in the first place. Needless to say, we are very excited to have such an experienced agent joining our team.”
IFF, the International Live Music Conference’s (ILMC) invitation-only event for festivals and bookers, took place from 24 to 26 September 2019.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.