Alan Raw (Creative & Cultural Company, BBC Introducing)

Currently in his 18th year as an award-winning BBC Radio DJ/Presenter, Alan also does production, live session engineering & music photography for BBC Music Introducing in West Yorkshire & Humberside. Alan has been hosting the BBC Introducing Stage at Leeds Festival since starting it over a decade ago.  

He is also CEO & Curator of The Creative & Cultural Company, running arts festivals & developing Arts Centres, studios and galleries. Alan a multidisciplinary artist known for sculpting outdoor interactive sound insulations and playing electro-percussion in Endoflevelbadie & Celtarabia, supported by Rhythm Tech & Regal Tip. Alan also Chairs the World Drumming Network, specialising in electronic drums & beat making. He is a promoter of new music and DJ's at #360RAW in Lending Room Leeds supported by Denon-DJ. The #360RAW project offers not-for-profit support to new bands and artists in the North, with free advice, promotion and performance opportunities. 

Scott Lewis (Come Play With Me/Clue Records)

Scott runs the label side of Come Play With Me (CPWM) which includes the selection process and workshops. He also runs Clue Records, which started in 2012. Clue Records follow a DIY approach, releasing music from artists with passion including Avalanche Party, Crushed Beaks, PLAZA, Team Picture & more, gaining acclaim from NME, DIY, The 405, Wonderland, CLASH as well as national airplay from BBC Radio 1, BBC 6Music, KEXP, Amazing Radio and more. As well as a host of sold out releases under their belt, Clue Records also present a monthly Amazing Radio show. Scott also manages Leeds based art-rock band Dead Naked Hippies.

Claire Rose (PRS For Music)

Claire Rose is the Outreach Manager for PRS for Music in the West of England. In her role, she works with music creators and music industry organisations and representatives to advise on PRS for Music, how to get the most from membership and where the organisation fits into the wider music landscape. She also organises events across her region addressing topics such as the DIY approach to music and issues surrounding diversity and inclusion.

As a membership society, PRS for Music represents more than 130,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in the UK and beyond, championing their rights and ensuring that they are paid whenever their music is performed or played in public.

Kirsty Booth (Music Publishers Association)

Kirsty joined the Music Publishers Group of Companies in 2014 taking on the role of part-time Project & Outreach Manager whilst also working at Fintage Music Publishing as Creative Services Manager. Fintage was sold to Kobalt in late 2016 and as of January 2017, Kirsty re-joined the MPA on a four days a week basis, as Membership & Outreach Manager.

Kirsty has a wealth of experience from the music publishing, recording and management businesses, starting her career with the A&R team at Virgin Music Publishers. After the Virgin Music Group was sold to EMI, Kirsty went on tour with various artists for Circus Productions, a live production company.  She eventually re-joined her former friends and colleagues at Chrysalis Music as Artist Liaison / Production Manager (for their label Hansome Records).

After taking time off to have a child, Kirsty went on to study Commercial Media at the University of Westminster, whilst also working part-time at Bucks Music as Artist Liaison for Rinsin’ Music, specialising in the jungle & drum’n’bass genres. Alongside her music industry career Kirsty has worked with social enterprises such as Media for Development and The Forgiveness Project, where she has used her passion, as well as the skills she has learnt within the music and film industry.

Nicole Raymond (NikNak)

Nicole Raymond (NikNak) is a DJ/Turntablist & Sound Artist who specializes in playing a wide range of eclectic music genres in her performances. One goal of hers is to continue developing the role and general perception of a DJ/Turntablist by incorporating self-recorded soundscapes and multi-channel performances. She brings her experience in DJ-ing and wide musical knowledge across into each of her sets from continually incorporating a wide array of genres, to experimenting with new mixing and scratching techniques.

Before becoming a DJ, NikNak primarily worked as a music producer previously named SinSam, and occasionally dabbles in production whenever she can. NikNak is also a qualified live and studio sound engineer. Having graduated with a degree in Music Technology and Innovation from DMU in 2013, NikNak has also studied an MA in Electronic and Computer Music at the University of Leeds. She has taught students at MAP (Music and Arts Production), The DJ School and Lifeforce Productions. Previously she has worked with Pedestrian, Dreaming In Colour Productions and 2FunkyArts in Leicester. She believes that music and its creation or manipulation should be continually pushed to further people’s imaginations, both as audience members and performers.

Richard Brown (Arts Council England)

Richard is part of the Music team in the North at Arts Council England. 

Before joining Arts Council England, Richard served as Manager of the Hebden Bridge Picture House, Managing Director of Arts & Business Yorkshire and previously spent 12 years leading Scotland’s independent record company and publisher Soma Recordings. He also served as Board and Council member of the Association of Independent Music (AIM). Richard’s commercial and artistic experience at senior levels make him expert at understanding the objectives and challenges of music and creative companies alike. 

Sam Palm (Spinnup)

Sam Palm is a Digital Manager at Spinnup. Sam manages all digital marketing campaigns for Spinnup, a platform for independent artists to get their tracks distributed to streaming platforms – and get spotted by Universal as well as running the internal playlists at Universal Music.  

His time at Spinnup was preceded with stints at Modest! Management and putting on events in Leeds back in his Uni days.  

Harry Ridgeway (Hanglands PR)

Hanglands is a specialist music PR & communications agency based in Leeds & founded in 2018 by Harry Ridgway. The co-founder of acclaimed promoter & small festival High & Lonesome, Harry previously worked at music & specialist PR company I Like Press for close to four years until August 2018. He also has worked in a number of other roles in the music industry, including working with E-commerce platform Music Glue as a rep for Yorkshire, delivering Communion Presents shows in Leeds and a number of others roles varying in everything from booking large events, curating fashion & event spaces, stage management & Artist Liaison. 

Tim Malkin (Artist - Talkboy)

Talkboy present a playful quality, combing hustling guitars, explosive drumming and unmissable, self assured vocal deliveries.  

Drawing immediate comparisons to Alvvays, The Big Moon and Arcade Fire, Talkboy are building on a strong reputation as one of West Yorkshires most exciting indie prospects. 

Talkboy is Katie Heap (vocals), Calum Juniper (vocals), Tim Malkin (guitar), Charlotte Jones (keys), Tom Sargent (bass), Jake Greenway (drums). 

 
'It’s time to start believing the hype' - Gigwise 

 
’A band who may be new, but know exactly what they’re doing. Talkboy are a force to be reckoned with.' - Gigslutz 

 
'From a first listen, you can already see that Leeds six-piece Talkboy is one of Yorkshire’s most exciting indie prospects.' - The 405 

 
’More than living up to the hype’ - Louder Than War 

 
‘Incredible to watch live and one name on the lips of West Yorkshire fans at the moment are Talkboy, we cannot wait to see what they get up to in 2019’ – BBC Introducing WY 

Maxie Gedge (PRS Foundation)

Maxie has a wealth of musical experience in many different roles – she works in communications at PRS Foundation, runs a musical collective called Gravy, has a MMus in Sonic Arts, and currently plays drums in Graceland and Current Bond. She has worked for festivals, venues and talent development organisations in a range of genres, programmed hundreds of new music shows, and also promotes and DJs at queer dance parties.

Simon Benger (Arts Council England)

Simon is a Music Relationship Manager at Arts Council England, the national development agency for the arts. He works across Yorkshire and the Humber, helping musicians to access funding and advice for a range of activity including creating new music, recordings, collaborations, performing, touring and making creative digital content. Before first starting with Arts Council England in 2013 Simon worked for a range of music and music education organisations across Yorkshire and the North West. He is passionate about supporting musicians across the North of England.

Simeon Walker (Composer)

Following a decade working as a musician, UK-based pianist & composer Simeon Walker has quickly emerged as a leading light in the burgeoning Modern Classical scene in his own right, following the release of his EP Preface (2016) and his debut full length album Mono (November 2017). Following this, 2018 saw him complete a successful 8-date European Tour; receive significant radio airplay across BBC Radio 3, 6 Music, World Service & BBC Introducing shows nationwide; and performed at Latitude Festival, whilst collaborating with other musicians and artists and working towards a follow up album and continued touring. 

With three consecutive Official Piano Day playlist features and numerous glowing reviews from across the music world, Walker’s calm, introspective piano instrumentals invite the listener to find stillness and beauty as much in the spaces between the notes as the notes themselves, as musical stories are woven with each tender, intimate performance. 

Richard Watson (360 Club)

A lot of my time is dedicated to helping and advising musicians, my most well-known proteges being alt-J. I’ve been promoting music for 25+ years, underground, grass roots and internationally known artists throughout the UK & Ibiza, including live broadcasts with Radio 1 and MTV. I’m a passionate supporter of live music and offer all acts I work with meetings to give advice, help and support in various areas of the music industry.

Lins Wilson (Magick Mountain, Music:Leeds)

Lins Wilson is a cellist, guitarist, bassist and vocalist splitting time between between cello work (primarily as a part of a collective called Buffalo) and her psych garage-rock band, Magick Mountain. As an active and longstanding member of Leeds’ music community she is passionate not only about creating and performing, but also connecting artists, audience and communities through music. Lins has played live in the UK, Europe and US for many many acts including Grammatics, Lone Wolf, Sam Airey, Menace Beach, Pulled Apart by Horses, Sky Larkin and Mother Vulpine. She also works as a creative producer / project coordinator, having delivered projects for Music:Leeds, creative studio Lord Whitney and Transform theatre festival.

Oliver Morris (UK Music)

Oliver has worked in a broad range of educational settings, formal and informal, with a variety of learners since 2001. Before taking up his role as Director of Education & Skills with UK Music he had been lecturing in education and human geography at Aberystwyth University and undertaking doctoral research. His educational experience encompasses widening access to HE programmes, undergraduate tutoring, community education, schools, and youth work with a creative focus (as musician, composer, deviser and performer). He was also extensively involved in the voluntary sector in his home-county of Ceredigion in mid-Wales both as community worker and trustee with the County Voluntary Council and his local Communities First partnership. He is currently trustee of Creative & Cultural Skills and on the advisory board for Live Music Exchange. He has played music since his teens in a variety of bands and composed and performed for theatre and TV. For a number of years he was drummer for a lion dance troupe and has also been long-listed for the BBC Fame Academy Award and was a finalist in the John Tripp Award for Spoken Poetry in his native Wales. 

Tony Ereira (Come Play With Me / Hatch Records)

Come Play With Me is a social enterprise established in 2015 to help people in the Leeds City Region that are looking to create sustainable careers within music. Tony is also one of the founding directors of Hatch Records, a Leeds-based record label that has seen releases from Deadwall, Then Thickens, Nine Black Alps and The Wedding Present. 

Tony has successfully been awarded funding from various funders inc. The Arts Council Grants For The Arts, Unltd. and Leeds Inspired for Come Play With Me - and from PRS Momentum Fund for Hatch Records.