‘Somebody mentioned to us in our second week: Boys, the offers you’re doing are going to get you nowhere. You would possibly as properly give up now.’

Ren discovered that he’d scored his first UK No.1 album by listening to the countdown dwell on radio.

The second was captured on video, and posted to social media again in October, that includes a number of celebratory whoops and tears, with Ren getting hoisted onto the shoulders of his mates, all beaming from ear to ear.

The outpouring of emotion from the musician and the buddies round him in that video highlights the importance of the achievement for Ren (actual title Ren Erin Gill).

Not solely was Rick Astley’s newest album Are We There But? pipped to the put up by Ren’s personal Sick Boi that day (Friday, October 20), however the milestone arrived amid an extended interval of continual sickness for Ren, who has been receiving experimental remedy in Canada for an autoimmune ailment.

As Alastair Webber, co-founder of Ren’s label and writer The Different Songs, explains, Ren’s ongoing well being points meant he couldn’t carry out or take part in lots of promo actions previous to the discharge.

“He got here to us in January and had already pre-recorded six music movies, as a result of he knew he was going to do remedy from February, indefinitely,” says Webber.

Ten months later, after a marketing campaign targeted on fan neighborhood engagement and press, Sick Boi, which chronicles Ren’s well being struggles, topped the UK Album chart, marking his and The Different Songs’ first No.1.

Based in 2018 by brothers Alastair and Billy Webber (sons of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber), The Different Songs operates throughout recorded music, publishing, administration, animation and occasions.

The corporate’s artists and songwriters have collectively racked up over two billion streams globally throughout all platforms. A few of their tracks embrace Pump It Up by Endor (Licensed 3x Platinum), Following The Solar by SUPER-Hello & NEEKA (Licensed 4x Gold), and Ritmo by Raffa FL (Licensed Platinum).

Headquartered in London, The Different Songs additionally has a worldwide presence with places of work in New York and San Francisco, in addition to strategic partnerships with music entities comparable to Paris-based Unity Group, Berlin-based Wasted Expertise and a worldwide distribution take care of The Orchard.

Alastair and Billy’s personal careers began in A&R at Island Data UK and Warner Music, respectively. In direction of the tip of their stints in main label land, they arrange an occasion in 2018 named The Different Songs, the place songwriters have been invited to carry out acoustically to an viewers, in keeping with Alastair, “in search of songs and concepts”.

“We invited A&Rs, artists, and folks in movie and style,” he recollects. “It began with 20 folks within the room. It slowly gained momentum till we have been utterly oversubscribed from the music trade each time. It was a very scorching ticket.”

The occasion has featured performances by plenty of celebrity songwriters and artists over time, like Raye, Dave Stewart, Nile Rodgers, Jimmy Napes, David Foster, AR Rahman, Joan Armatrading, Cathy Dennis and Rodney Jerkins. In 2023, The Different Songs’ sold-out present at The London Palladium, hosted in partnership with The Ivors Academy, raised £65,000 for The BRIT College.

That authentic dwell occasion finally morphed right into a multi-faceted firm additionally known as The Different Songs that now operates throughout recorded music, publishing, administration and, most not too long ago, animation.

That latter enterprise was launched by way of a brand new division known as The Different Studio, in partnership with ex-Pixar animation director Andrew Gordon, who has labored on movies like Toy Story, Discovering Nemo and Monsters, Inc.

“We wish to maintain shining a light-weight on songwriters who’re typically undervalued on this trade.”

Billy Webber

The Different Songs additionally not too long ago employed Vince Amoroso as CMO, following his tenure as Head of Advertising at mTheory. One other key management place on the firm is held by former Island Data UK govt Sophia Humphreys (Chief Enterprise Officer). “She joined us proper at first as COO, is now our Chief Enterprise Officer, and runs all operations, authorized, finance, and people areas,” explains Alastair. “With out her, we wouldn’t exist right now.”

Trying to 2024 and past, with their first No.1 album and a sold-out Palladium present underneath their belts in 2023, Billy tells MBUK that the ambition for the brand new yr remains to be the identical because it was in 2018 once they arrange their first occasion: “We wish to maintain shining a light-weight on songwriters who’re typically undervalued within the trade,” he says.

Right here, the Webber brothers clarify how they plan to try this, how they met Ren and the way, collectively, they scored their first No.1 album…

What was your relationship with music like rising up? Was there at all times an expectation that you’d find yourself working within the enterprise?

Billy Webber: We’re from a musical household, however our dad wasn’t forcing music down our throats. We might watch issues like Tom and Jerry and Peter and the Wolf and beloved the music in these. I used to be, at one level, actually curious about going into sport. Once I was nonetheless at college, Al had simply began his internship at Island. I didn’t actually know what A&R was. I don’t suppose he actually knew what it was. However I requested him, ‘What are you doing day by day?’ And he was like, ‘I’m discovering tunes’.

I keep in mind I used to hearken to the MistaJam present and Colin Murray’s present on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra and began sending Al information as properly. I additionally beloved the manufacturing facet of it. Probably the most influential particular person for Al and I, when it got here to music, was our brother Nick [Nicholas Webber], who sadly handed away earlier this yr.

He gave us Logic after we have been 12 or 13 years previous. Me and Al would keep up all night time producing horrible information, and Al’s going to kill me [for saying this], however you understand, he would sing on a few of them, very badly.

We did that for most likely eight to 10 years. Our dad and mom have been a bit of bit stand-offish in that respect. They weren’t ramming it down our throats they usually weren’t forcing us to do something. We completely beloved what our brother was doing. He was in a number of bands, he was getting performed on Radio 1 by Zane Lowe. He was a correct hero for us.

“Our brother Nick was so influential to each of us, by way of our music style, and by way of the profession that we went on to have.”

Alastair Webber

Alastair Webber: Nick was in a band known as Archangel. We have been going to our first exhibits at 93 Toes East, and in any respect these cool venues on the time, between 2005 to 2007, proper within the thick of that indie motion. Nick was carrying eyeliner and had skinny denims and pointy sneakers, smoking 1,000,000 fags and giving us our first beers and cigarettes. We received a style for music and pop music there.

While dad would [talk about] the High 10 each week, and we’d watch High of the Pops collectively, Nick would carry that various facet to our music tastes.

He’d inform us what albums to hearken to. He was so influential to each of us, by way of our music style, and by way of the profession that we went on to have, in a barely completely different space to the realm that our dad was in.

Having mentioned that, [our dad] would disagree studying this, as a result of he’d argue that Jesus Christ Celebrity within the ‘70s was various and that he was a part of that motion of pop music, however in his personal method. It has come full circle now. We’re working collectively at the present time rather well with dad, however we’ve gone about it in another way. We’ve realized and performed our personal factor.

May you run us by means of your roles at The Different Songs and the division of labour?

AW: The way in which that it was divided up on the very starting was, I’d tackle the singers, and Billy would tackle the digital music and administration.

And now as the corporate has grown, Billy is extra accountable for all of the A&R throughout the completely different divisions. I sit on A&R with him. However [mostly] I’m [responsible for] enterprise partnerships. I drive everybody mad by establishing new companies and JVs.

BW: We come collectively on each single essential choice, mainly. And that’s from artistic to hiring a brand new particular person within the firm, to another large enterprise choice.

However we additionally belief one another to work individually and individually on numerous issues. After which we often at all times agree on one thing or typically we will each disagree collectively on one thing as properly.

AW: Fortunately, I’d say 100% of the time, musically we align. And that may be a bizarre brotherly factor, or how we’ve grown up, however that’s actually essential. There’s by no means a ‘Hmm, I’m unsure we must always signal that.’ If somebody loves one thing, the possibilities are, it’s a particular that the opposite particular person would love it as properly.

BW: Or we simply know tips on how to discuss the opposite particular person into it.

AW: We have now three predominant enterprise strands inside the firm. We have now One other Rhythm, our digital imprint, run by Joanna Phillips and Daniel Esrich.

We have now The Different Data with Harrison [Jones], and Louis [Merrion]. And we have now The Different Studio, our animation studio.

Now, we’ve employed Vince Amoroso [as CMO]. He’s based mostly in New York and sits on high of these three corporations ensuring the advertising and marketing initiatives are run correctly.

Was the plan at all times to have this multi-division firm?

AW: Sure. The plan was to create one thing that felt actually thrilling and unbiased and completely different. We didn’t wish to simply arrange a document firm, a publishing firm or a administration firm.

“By having a dwell occasion alternative and this ecosystem of songwriters, it places the artists signed to the labels and the publishing into a completely new sphere.”

Alastair Webber

By having a dwell occasion alternative and this ecosystem of songwriters, it places the artists signed to the labels and the publishing into a completely new sphere, and connects us with so many extra folks. But in addition, having an animation studio now opens the door into an entire different realm.

So that you’re not simply signing to a document label, or a publishing firm or administration firm, you’re signed to an organization that could be a multifaceted, attention-grabbing place to be, that’s honest, clear, and [offers] aggressive offers.

How did you meet and signal Ren?

AW: We signed his publishing in 2019. I met him once I was in my second yr at Island Data, in 2011.

Nick Huggett and I have been curious about signing him [at Island Records UK]. However he wasn’t capable of proceed his music profession as a result of he all of the sudden fell sick with Lyme Illness, so we saved in contact over a few years.

It was heartbreaking to see him put up these messages of whole despair as he was misdiagnosed persistently. It was solely a lot later that he lastly received identified with Lyme, and began getting stem cell remedy.

He began getting a bit higher and began busking on the streets of Brighton. He joined a band known as The Huge Push. They have been doing very properly. He performed The Different Songs [event]. Then he signed to our publishing firm, which is in reality a JV with our excellent good friend Björn [Deparade] at Wasted Expertise in Berlin. It’s known as The Different Wasted Expertise.

We’ve been working with Ren intently ever since and within the final yr he signed to the document label.

Ren’s well being points and remedy make the No.1 album achievement all of the extra extraordinary. Are you able to inform us concerning the challenges you had throughout this marketing campaign?

AW: We had a bunch of movies within the bag, however we didn’t have Ren available in the market, doing exhibits, and doing as many interviews as we wished.

We additionally needed to be very conscious of the quantity of instances we spoke to Ren, as a result of he was going by means of experimental remedy.

I mentioned to Ren in January, when he had a number of completely different choices, ‘I do know you. I’ve recognized you for 10 years. And I do know that we will take care of you.

And I do know that we will put a help system round you, that gained’t put strain on you and on the similar time we will try to do the very best that we presumably can’.

Did you suppose you’d have a High 10 document?

AW: I might need mentioned, ‘Let’s purpose for it’, on condition that we might see some sparks within the fanbase.

However I don’t suppose we thought a No.1 was attainable. Actually, it was about pondering of issues in a completely reverse method than we’re used to. It wasn’t about, ‘Let’s get your music in playlists’; it was about, ‘How can we work with the fanbase and inform the story by means of press?’

Press was actually essential as a result of Ren’s story had by no means been informed correctly. So we introduced on Cherry Create, who’ve been implausible. Piece by piece, the story was being informed, and that galvanised the fan base to inform extra folks nearly for us.

What was the overarching technique on the marketing campaign?

AW: As playlists and DSP help means much less and fewer, neighborhood was important. Each single that we launched, we made positive that the neighborhood turned up collectively and have been actually enthusiastic about that specific second.

Out of his streaming numbers, I’d say 1% comes from editorial, which form of exhibits how giant Ren’s fanbase is and the way devoted they’re. The common listener listens 12 instances per music on common; numbers I’ve by no means seen earlier than.

The neighborhood administration is totally key and one thing Ren has been actually on us to try to present.

And that’s why Ren does plenty of bodily [sales], plenty of vinyl, cassettes, merch and CDs. He streams and has a bodily music-buying viewers who wish to be a part of Ren’s collectibles. They wish to be a part of his journey.

How essential has the No.1 album been for The Different Songs’ positioning within the UK music trade?

AW: It’s good validation for the work that we have now been doing over the past 5 years. It’s hopefully going [to help us] to make use of the momentum to place wins on the board.

We’ve had fairly a number of folks name us eager to signal their acts to us. We’re not the largest firm on the earth, so we have now to watch out to not stretch ourselves too skinny.

What are your ambitions for The Different Songs in 2024 and past?

AW: The ambition is for the corporate to essentially cement ourselves as a spot the place artists really feel impressed and that desire a completely different form of alternative. For years, Billy and I’ve been chipping away at attempting to make industrial successes, however the issues which were working are [artists] like Ren, the place you don’t naturally go ‘Okay, I can hear that on Capital or New Music Friday or no matter’.

We have now to stay to our perception that nice artwork is nice artwork and it takes some time. That’s what we’ve tried to do with the corporate to date.

“We have now to stay to our perception that nice artwork is nice artwork and it takes some time. That’s what we’ve tried to do with the corporate to date.”

Alastair Webber

It’s taken 5 years to get so far, of being good to folks and doing honest offers. Famously, somebody mentioned to us within the second week, ‘Boys, the offers you’re doing are going to get you nowhere. You would possibly as properly give up now.’

Doing a single with out an choice plenty of instances. Why would you ever try this? As a result of we wish to give artists the liberty to do what they like. 9 instances out of 10, if we do job,
they’ll keep.

And that’s been our mantra from the start: How can we take the great issues we realized on the majors and issues we wished to vary about how these methods work, and put it right into a contemporary firm? For 2024, it’s nonetheless the identical imaginative and prescient we had in 2018. However now we have now clearer goals.

“We have been the primary document label on the earth, so far as we all know, again in 2019, or 2020 to supply songwriters a lower of the grasp on our document offers, and that share would come out of the document label share.”

Billy Webber

BW: We have been the primary document label on the earth, so far as we all know, again in 2019, or 2020 to supply songwriters a lower of the grasp on our document offers, and that share would come out of the document label share.

We wish to proceed educating managers or songwriters that that’s what we’re doing and try to get extra labels to enroll to that as properly.

The essential factor on the deal is that we wished to create a blueprint that we might then simply give to different labels. If we will do it, then anybody can do it, particularly after we have been method smaller again then.

However the thought is that 4% PPD would come out of the label share to non-performing songwriters. So, in the event that they didn’t have a share of the grasp in any respect on the artist facet, it will come out of our share, they usually’d receives a commission from document one. That was a vital factor for us. It’s not very sophisticated, and we wish to encourage extra labels to try this.