The Manager’s Role with Andrew Patton

After nearly 8 years of operation, Patton House Entertainment continues on its swift rise, having expanded into a full service company specializing in personal management, marketing and promotions, consultation and publishing services. At the head of it all is President and CEO Andrew Patton, also Co-Founder of Burst Entertainment Group and General Manager/Vice President of A&R for Inpop Records. With plenty of industry experience, Andrew has seen success with a roster of artists throughout his career, including the Newsboys, Rush Of Fools, Chase Callahan, and Rhett Walker Band. Andrew has tailored Patton House’s management style to fit the needs of the changing industry, focusing on artist development and other outlets to better serve artists.

A manager’s role “should be that of an architect,” Andrew reflects, “meaning you [the artist] hire him [the manager] to build a house, you tell him exactly what you want in the house, and he comes back to you with changes to your plan that will make it more effective. I build the dreams of my clients. I don’t create the dreams or cast vision.”

How are artists to know when they need a manager? Andrew advises: “You reach that point when you are completely overwhelmed with the amount of work you have to do every day. You can’t handle the offers and opportunities that are coming your way. There’s a myth that when you sign with a manager your world changes, and it’s [typically] not that way. If a manager does his job right, you will grow and experience things that you wouldn’t have otherwise done on your own.”

Andrew also advises how to know if a manager is right for you. “Spend time talking with them and their team. Talk to their clients directly. What are the pros and cons of your manager? Management is a lot like a marriage. You have to have trust from day one. When you go into that relationship, the manager has to know everything about you – the good, bad, and ugly. Part of a manager’s job is to protect and defend, so the relationship has to be intimate.”

As an artist, you also have to make sure you keep your guard up when considering a manager. “Pay attention to red flags,” Andrew says. “Look at their roster and look at what they’ve done, not what they say they’re going to do.”

Watch out for Patton House Entertainment’s Indie Insider Experience music weekends, designed to answer the questions new artists have about getting into the business. For more information and to stay up to date, visit www.pattonhouseentertainment.com.

Bios and info credited to Patton House Entertainment.