- "There's a double-edged sword to success." The North American booking agency shares insights on the state of the music scene and how it grew its enterprise from the ground up.
- Andrew Kelsey and Mariesa Stevens started Liaison Artists—the North American booking agency that represents acts like Bicep, Maceo Plex, Dixon and Honey Dijon—20 years ago. At that time, the nightlife landscape was different than the one we inhabit today: there were fewer artists, more localised scenes and a nascent but passionate group of acts leading the development of techno.
In this interview with RA music editor Andrew Ryce, Kelsey and Stevens talk about the agency's humble origins in San Francisco and the challenges they overcame to get their enterprise off the ground, developing it into the powerhouse it is today. They also spend time discussing the temperature of the contemporary climate: a swing towards new sounds and an influx of fresh, young talent competing for a finite number of club and festival slots. In their view, the environment, while competitive, is fertile ground for a new, exciting era of clubbing and electronic music—and a newfound challenge to stay true to their sound in a scene that's changing rapidly. Listen to the episode in full.