Scott Maclachlan, the artist manager who guided the rise of Lorde from a teenage talent to a global star, has been appointed senior VP of A&R at Warner Music Australasia.
Maclachlan is the co-founder and director of Saiko Management, a boutique music management firm with offices in Auckland and New York. In his new role, Maclachlan reports to Niko Nordström, president of Warner Music Australasia, and splits time between the music major’s Auckland and Sydney offices.
“I’m stoked to be joining Niko and the team at Warner Music Australasia,” comments Maclachlan in a statement. “The global streaming-driven music market creates amazing opportunities to break great artists from Australia and New Zealand around the world and that’s something I’m committed to doing over the coming years.”
The A&R team, including its head Heath Bradby, continue to report directly to Nordström but will work closely with Maclachlan on A&R strategy, signings and planning, a Warner Music spokesperson says.
Adds Nordström: “Scott’s a legend in the music industry and he brings local knowledge and global experience to this pivotal role. He has a true affinity with artists and always puts their needs first. That’s how he’s been able to generate such amazing results over the years. We’re delighted that he’s joined the Warner Music team.”
The U.K.-born and raised exec relocated to NZ in 2008 where he served with the local affiliate of Universal Music, spearheading its A&R and new business activities. While at Universal in 2009, he discovered Ella Yelich-O’Connor and signed the 13-year-old to a development deal. In 2012, Ella (aka Lorde) released “Royals” and the rest is history.
Maclachlan left the music giant in 2013 to concentrate full-time on Saiko Management and its roster of artists, which includes the best-selling tenor trio Sol3 Mio. In future, he will continue in an advisory role at Saiko, which also represents such NZ acts as Balu Brigada, LEISURE and Thomston, Australian artists E^ST and Glades and U.S. outfit The Aces, though not Lorde, who left the company in 2015.