Posts by Mark Sutherland

Dan Nigro on changing the pop landscape with Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan

The hottest-to-go songwriter around right now talks to MBW about writing some of the biggest hits of the last few years, TikTok and launching his own label

Interviews

‘I’m confident a UK rapper could run the world one day.’

Respected industry veteran and EGA Distro ‘Head Coach’ Colin Batsa reflects on his company’s recent successes, the evolution of the music business ecosystem, competing with the majors and conquering America…

Interviews

‘To this day, I don’t look at charts, I don’t cloud my head with stuff I can’t affect.’

Swedish writer-producer Rami Yacoub reflects on his partnership with Max Martin, Britney's breakthrough, One Direction fans sleeping outside his studio, his five year hiatus, and selling his catalog - several times

Interviews

‘Artists like Drake and Travis Scott push me to go to my limits every time I make music for them.’

From a small village in Switzerland to the top of the charts alongside Drake and Jack Harlow, OZ tracks his journey and tells his story...

Interviews

‘Labels owning masters in perpetuity is criminal, quite frankly.’

Jungle manager Sam Denniston offers his thoughts on dinosaur record deals, TikTok, AI, going easy on DSPs and how his own neurological condition has and hasn’t impacted his career…

Interviews

‘I try and stay out of business conversations. I go on my instinct and my musical taste.’

MBW's World’s Greatest Producers series interviews super-producer James Ford about working with Arctic Monkeys, Blur and more

Interviews

‘We were of that time, and everything was absolutely wonderful.’

Pete Bellotte on how he helped define disco and set the tempo for modern electronic dance music

Interviews

‘Artists are the ultimate entrepreneurs, they put so much at stake to do their job and you have to remember that.’

Yungblud’s manager, Tommas Arnby, on his philosophy on management, virality, artistic evolution and more…

Interviews

‘Ultimately, it’s about getting songwriters paid – accurately, fairly and on time.’

Claire McAuley, EVP of Global Rights Management at Warner Chappell, doesn’t just have a passion for publishing, she loves the granular detail and the noble toil of administration that ensures the right monies get to the right writers – every penny from everywhere…

Interviews

‘I’m not interested in regurgitating the past, but I’m also not in the rat race of hopping on whatever trend is most popular right now.’

MBW’s World’s Greatest Producers series meets Kacey Musgraves collaborator Ian Fitchuk

Interviews

‘No one understands the pressure of being labelled as a ‘hit songwriter’, then somebody puts you in a room with strangers and they’re like, ‘Hey, I need a smash!’’

Grammy-winner Theron Thomas talks about the childhood that inspired him, helping break Lizzo, his billion-stream hits, AI, TikTok, The Power Rangers and Mel Gibson

Interviews

‘We’re not trying to do the bare minimum, we’re trying to change hip-hop.’

TM88, Future’s key creative collaborator, who has also worked with legends such as Drake and Travis Scott, on evolving hip-hop and why nobody is on his level

Interviews

Dot Da Genius on Kid Cudi, Kanye, the possibility of a producers’ strike and why he wants to ‘completely overhaul’ the current music industry business model

Kid Cudi's key creative collaborator discusses his breakthrough, his biggest records, AI and why he's keeping hold of his catalog - for now

Interviews

‘When you’re making records, there’s always the odd moment when you don’t know what the hell you’re doing, but it generally passes – don’t panic is the important thing’

Trevor Horn reflects on shaping the sounds of Frankie Goes To Hollywood, ABC and more - and offers his insights into how production has changed as well as what remains as important as ever

Interviews

‘As time goes by, people realise what extraordinary songwriters they are.’

MBW’s World’s Greatest Managers series meets Wendy Laister, who has managed Duran Duran for over two decades