What is The Watch List?
SIMON: The Watch List is a monthly single series featuring some of the best artists in the ReverbNation CONNECT program.
What brought about the idea for The Watch List?
SIMON: Honestly, it was driven by our wanting to share some of the great artists we’ve been working with since we launched ReverbNation CONNECT. It got to the point where we all felt we needed to get some of this music out into the world. We hope our passion for this music will be shared by everyone that hears it.
What is the main goal for The Watch List?
SIMON: To do just that. To showcase to fans and the Industry the incredible quality of the artists we’ve discovered through our Curation-at-scale capability. It’s a powerful way of exposing these bands to a wider audience. Of course, we also want to draw attention to what we’re doing, but we believe the best way of doing that is by sharing our passion for these artists, and the sheer brilliance of their music.
Why did you partner with The FADER for this singles series?
SIMON: The FADER has a longstanding reputation of discovering and amplifying some of the world’s most compelling artists. We couldn’t imagine a better platform to give these Watch List artists the kind of industry and fan visibility that exposure in The FADER can provide.
(The Watch List’s first artist was Vienna, a singer-songwriter from Nashville, TN)
How did you go about picking the first batch of artists to include on The Watch List? What did you see in those artists that sets them apart?
SIMON: There are so many great artists in the ReverbNation CONNECT program. Ultimately, the decision of which to feature in The Watch List was more a function of which of those we thought would be a good fit for The FADER, and also, which were at the right moment in their journey to share new music.
We were also very keen to show the broad range of artists that ReverbNation has on its site. For that reason, the first few months of The Watch List will showcase artists from many places across a wide range of genres.
How did you find Sammy Brue?
SIMON: Sammy was initially identified through our Curation Process, where he was discovered by our then Senior Curator for Americana music, Emilee Warner.
Our Senior Curation team meets several times a year with the entire CONNECT team in NYC. At those meetings, we discuss which artists to prioritize for initiatives like The Watch List. Sammy was an immediate and firm favorite with everyone on the team. This was back in the summer of 2014.
Since the launch of the ReverbNation CONNECT program in 2015, we’ve been able to offer many artists an elevated level of career development. Sammy is an artist that’s really benefited from the industry introductions and practical assistance we’ve brought to his career.
This is exactly what the ReverbNation CONNECT program was launched to do, so personally, I’m particularly excited to see his progress.
CONNECT has accomplished a lot this past year. What are you most proud of?
SIMON: It’s been an amazing first year for ReverbNation CONNECT. For me, what’s powerful is our ability to help so many artists, rather than the chosen few the traditional music industry blesses. It’s also been liberating to be able to take risks on truly extraordinary artists who may not be the immediately obvious commercial candidate. I firmly believe that’s the only way great artists can be developed.
Ultimately, I’m beyond proud to see the fruits of everyone’s labors, as artists begin to achieve meaningful career advancement. It’s a credit to Matt and the whole ReverbNation CONNECT team in the US and the UK that so many artists are now experiencing the additional benefits of this extension of ReverbNation’s core mission – that of putting our artists first, by offering them meaningful career opportunity that starts with our tools, and ends with their success.
MATT: Being a part of something like ReverbNation CONNECT is truly a dream for me, as I’ve had a real passion for finding, helping, and exposing great artists for the majority of my life. Playing a role in the execution of a program that’s making a real impact on the careers of promising artists is definitely something I am proud of. I think what I’m most proud of though is the team that Simon and I have brought together for CONNECT. Every single person on our team shares a common passion for developing the next generation of great artists and it’s an inspiring environment to be around on a daily basis.
What was your first impression of Sammy, and what made him an ideal candidate for The Watch List?
MATT: The Watch List is all about showcasing the amazing artists from ReverbNation CONNECT to a wider audience, and Sammy is exactly the type of artist this program was created for. I can honestly say I’ve never met anyone like Sammy. The way he sees the world, his creative drive, and his commitment to his craft are amazing things to witness. Even though he’s only 14 years old, I think most artists could learn a lot from the way Sammy approaches his career.
What has ReverbNation CONNECT done in the last few months with Sammy?
MATT: Over the past few months, we set up a showcase for Sammy at Hotel Cafe in LA, which really got the industry buzzing. We then helped Sammy build out his team with Peter Leak at Red Light Management and Jonathan Levine at Paradigm. We spent a day at Southern Ground Studio in Nashville recording “Once A Lover” for The Watch List and organized a couple of shows while he was there to showcase for a number of Nashville-based record labels. We also brought him to NYC for our CMJ showcase at Rockwood Music Hall, then sent him back to Nashville for a show to celebrate his release via The Watch List.
What do you see in Sammy’s future and how will you help him get there?
MATT: I think that Sammy will have a lifelong career in music. In the short term, Sammy will find a record label to call home. We are currently helping him navigate offers to help him find the right fit. In the long term, I truly think that the sky’s the limit for Sammy.
Tell us a little about what’s to come for The Watch List this coming year.
MATT: We have one more Watch List single to release in 2015, which will be a song from a sick Cleveland-based rock & roll band. In 2016, you can expect to continue to hear more amazing artists from various genres who are very worthy of your attention.
Check out Sammy Brue in the playlist below, and stay tuned for more updates on The Watch List!
