MBW can reveal that Dan McCarroll, President of Warner Bros Records in California, is leaving the label.
McCarroll joined Warner Music in 2014 from Capitol Records, where he also served as President.
The news of his departure from WBR arrives amid a lot of industry chatter concerning the future of the label and its leadership team, led by Chairman & CEO Cameron Strang.
Like all Warner Music labels, WBR will soon come under the official purview of Max Lousada, who becomes CEO of Recorded Music at the major in October.
Whispers in the industry suggest that Lousada may look to make significant changes at WBR – although the exit of McCarroll represents something a shake-up in itself.
Dan McCarroll was responsible for the A&R team at WBR. That team will now report direct to Strang.
“Dan has been a fantastic friend and colleague to many of us, and I’m personally grateful to him for all his advice and counsel.”
Cameron Strang, Warner Bros
In an internal memo sent today (July 24) and obtained by MBW, Strang said McCarroll had been “integral in evolving our A&R activity, and helping us grow our partnerships with some of the world’s biggest stars, all the while attracting a new generation of talent to the label”.
He added: “Dan has been a fantastic friend and colleague to many of us, and I’m personally grateful to him for all his advice and counsel.”
Warner Bros has scored ten Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 in the past 12 months with LPs from Michael Buble, Fleet Foxes, Gorillaz, Green Day, Head & the Heart, Linkin Park, Mac Miller, Mastodon, Prince and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Before joining Warner in 2014, Dan McCarroll led US A&R efforts at Capitol, at a time when the then-EMI label’s frontline artists included Elton John, Katy Perry, Emeli Sandé, Capital Cities, Ryan Adams, Sky Ferreira, Tori Kelly, and The Beach Boys.
Prior to his role at Capitol, McCarroll served as Executive Vice President of North American Creative, EMI Music Publishing.
He joined EMI Music Publishing’s A&R team in Santa Monica in 2002, before moving to New York in 2007 to lead the company’s East Coast A&R operations.
McCarroll had previously run the A&R department for The Music Company, the Elektra imprint formed by Lars Ulrich.
Prior to that, he spent many years as a touring and session drummer.Music Business Worldwide
