Tash Sultana Launches Lonely Lands Agency With Jaddan Comerford & Regan Lethbridge
Tash Sultana, the multi-instrumental singer, songwriter and loopologist and is adding another weapon to her considerable arsenal: a booking agency.
Tash Sultana, the multi-instrumental singer, songwriter and loopologist is adding another weapon to her considerable arsenal: a booking agency.
In what signals a great leap into the business side of the music industry, the young artist will helm a new Melbourne, Australia-based agency Lonely Lands Agency with her co-managers, UNIFIED Music Group CEO Jaddan Comerford and Lemon Tree Music co-founder Regan Lethbridge.
Sultana, whose talents and DIY ethos were showcased in her global hit “Jungle,” which has generated more than 500 million streams since its release in 2016, has been ready to pounce on this new venture for some months.
“Artists have more control over their careers now more than ever before,” she tells Billboard. “We have a lot more say in how our careers shape up working in conjunction with outside labels, management etc.” LLA, she explains, was a natural progression.
Based at UNIFIED’s HQ in Richmond, Lonely Lands was presented Tuesday with a full roster of Ash Grunwald, Bootleg Rascal, CLEWS, Garret Kato, Jakubi, John Floreani, Ocean Alley, Pierce Brothers, Stand Atlantic, Tones And I, The Belligerents, The Moving Stills, The Pinheads, Trophy Eyes, West Thebarton, Ziggy Alberts and, naturally, Sultana.
The artist stable is “extremely diverse” with some “incredible talent,” Sultana notes. “I’m glad to have the opportunity to work with acts that may have not been on my radar before,” she adds.”
At launch, seasoned booker Harry Moore joins as senior agent and UNIFIED staffer Desiree Venuto is named assistant booking agent. In a statement announcing the new venture, Comerford explains, “I believe Lonely Lands Agency is going to be another string to Tash’s bow. It shows the world that Tash is force to be reckoned with, not just as an artist, but also as a business person and an entrepreneur.”
LLA represents UNIFIED’s first move into the booking agency space. “I think it will be like anything Tash does,” comments Comerford, who co-manages Sultana with Lemon Tree Music for the Americas. “It will be authentic and it will be about doing the best thing for the artist.”
Lethbridge, who co-founded the Lemon Tree Music artist management firm in 2013 with David Morgan, knows what lies ahead. “It will no doubt be incredibly busy but we are just pumped to get rolling,” he tells Billboard.
At age 23, Sultana has the world at her feet. Honing her skills as a busker, the Melburnian built a massive following on YouTube and, on the live stage, she’s always a hot ticket. Following the release of the Notion EP in 2016, Sultana last year dropped her debut album, Flow State, an hour-long, 15-track set on which she plays every instrument. The set peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart and went on to collect the 2018 ARIA Award for best blues and roots album.
The Flow State World Tour continues Tuesday night (May 7) with a sold-out show at Jannus Live, in St Petersburg, FL.