Spinefarm Music Group, a New York-based rock label acquired by Universal Music Group in 2002, has appointed Dan P Carter, a prominent figure in the rock industry, as its new Director of Artist Development.
The label has also made two new appointments in its marketing team.
Carter is known for his experience as the longtime curator of BBC Radio 1’s flagship rock and metal show The Rock Show and for his podcast Someone Who Isn’t Me.
Having collaborated with Spinefarm in a consultancy capacity in recent years, Carter will now spearhead artist signings and support talent development across the label’s international roster. Based in London, he will report directly to Jonas Nachsin, General Manager of Spinefarm Music Group.
Carter will also work with the Spinefarm team including long-time UK Director of A&R Dante Bonutto, Lailah O’Donnell, Worldwide Head of Publicity, and new marketing intern Sara Alfano.
“Starting this new role as Director of Artist Development at Spinefarm is an exciting new chapter where I feel I can contribute as part of a fantastic team at one of the foremost Rock and Metal labels in the world.”
Dan P Carter, SpineFarm Music Group
In addition to his broadcasting endeavors, Carter has contributed to UK music festivals as a curator, and has co-written and remixed music from artists including McFly, My Chemical Romance and Puscifer. As a visual artist, he painted album covers for releases by HIM, Dillinger Escape Plan, Behemoth, Empire State Bastard, Frank Iero and others. He received the first ever ‘Icon Award’ at last year’s Heavy Music Awards.
“Starting this new role as Director of Artist Development at Spinefarm is an exciting new chapter where I feel I can contribute as part of a fantastic team at one of the foremost Rock and Metal labels in the world,” Carter said in a statement.
“Dan P Carter’s reputation speaks for itself. For years he has been a well-known and highly respected champion of Rock music in all its forms in the UK,” Nachsin added. “We couldn’t be more excited to add Dan to our worldwide team as we fuel Spinefarm’s ascent through its continually evolving association with some of the best artists on the planet.”
“Dan P Carter’s reputation speaks for itself. For years he has been a well-known and highly respected champion of Rock music in all its forms in the UK. We couldn’t be more excited to add Dan to our worldwide team.”
Jonas Nachsin, Spinefarm Music Group
The label has also bolstered its UK marketing team with the appointments of Leah Devine and Tristan Pratt as Marketing Managers. Devine, previously associated with BMG as Product Manager for Rock & Metal Catalogue and Sony as Creative Marketer for Music for Nations, brings her expertise as a graphic designer and marketer, while Pratt, known as ‘The Metal Tris’ on social media, adds his experience as a content creator and marketing professional from Snapper Music and Marshall Records.
Carter, Devine, and Pratt will be based in the company’s London offices.
Founded in Finland in 1990, Spinefarm Music Group has evolved into an independent label for European metal acts including Nightwish and Children of Bodom. In 2016, Spinefarm acquired metal label Candlelight Records (Emperor, Opeth, Winterfylleth) and the following year, it unveiled the blues, country and roots offshoot Snakefarm (Marty Stuart, Kyle Daniel, Austin Meade, and UK home to a UMG Nashville roster).
Over the last decade, its roster has grown to include acts such as Bullet For My Valentine, Atreyu, Killing Joke, While She Sleeps, Black Label Society, as well as young artists like Dayseeker, Dead Poet Society, Kid Kapichi, BRKN LOVE, and Creeper. In 2015, it signed Australian hard rock band Airbourne.
Spinefarm also signed and released the first three albums of the breakthrough act Sleep Token.
Headquartered in New York, the label is part of the [PIAS] Group’s roster of independent labels, distributed globally through the [PIAS] services division [Integral].
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