Thando Zulu moved from Nottingham to London during the pandemic to study a Music Business MA and has since lapped up every opportunity for growth. Fresh after graduating he’s launched a management company, Zulu Music, offering an alternative narrative in a sector that’s often burnt out...
To anyone outside of the music industry – and probably lots of people just entering – the role of a music manager is still shrouded in mystery. When would I need one? What do they do? How does it all work?
Back in 2015 when Thando went to the Sofar Sounds gig in a Lace Market flat that would kick-start the rest of his career, he probably wasn’t sure either.
“The act needed an MC so I got on the mic and after that show, I got more and more involved [with Sofar Sounds], " Thando says. “I did artist scouting and became part of the team. Soon, I got used to meeting a lot of people in the industry and that was my foot in the door.”
Eight years, one master degree and multiple accelerator schemes later, he’s an expert on the subject.
“It’s a partnership,” He explains. “Opportunities don't just suddenly start flowing in because you have a manager - it’s more that you have someone to partner with to grow your career, which can be difficult to do alone.
“Think of it like adding a team member rather than having a genie in a bottle that makes all your wishes come true…”
It’s more that you have someone to partner with to grow your career, which can be difficult to do alone
Fostering a family feeling
Thando’s firm, Zulu Music, was officially launched in 2022 to oversee campaigns, business management and strategy for artists, songwriters and producers. However, he’s been working with artists since 2020, including Nottingham’s BEKA and more recently, JERUB, who both played at Splendour last year.
“I met almost everyone in Nottingham. I went to Bluecoat Sixth Form and Joel [Baker - who is also on the roster] had gone to Bluecoat school. I met BEKA at a youth club we did when we were teenagers and I met JERUB at church.”
When you learn the origins of Thando’s business – supporting his musical mates – it’s easy to see why Zulu Music’s ethos is to build sustainable careers in a holistically healthy way.
“The whole thing has a holistic impact,” he explains. “What if an artist is having an off day, going through writer's block or they only want to tour for three weeks instead of six as they have family commitments? It’s never purely ‘business’. Caring about the person makes so much sense to me - you want work to be fun, rather than feel really transactional.”
In a news release, BEKA praised Zulu Music’s relationship-first approach. “I truly admire the hunger Thando has to facilitate real expression and foster a feeling of family. It’s a unique dynamic that feels imperative in the industry now, but feels so rare…”
Thando is quick to add that he doesn’t feel completely alone in his mission, however. Instead, he feels “part of a group of amazing managers who are doing the same thing – approaching it with a sense of integrity and passion for the artist.”
Caring about the person makes so much sense to me - you want work to be fun, rather than feel really transactional
Adding theory to the practical
To reach that network of music industry peers, the burgeoning manager spent “the best £60 ever” in 2020, by signing up to the Music Managers Forum (MMF). After getting so far without formal training, he wanted to fill in some of the knowledge gaps. “I wanted to be sharper about contracts and understand the economics of the industry a bit better – adding the theory to the practical work I’d been doing already.”
Here, the community signposted Thando to a masters degree in Music Business at Tileyard Education, which spearheaded the move down south. He also became one of the first recipients of the MMF Student Trailblazer Award and has hit the ground running with the support of two accelerator programmes. It’s another term we ask him to explain…
“Basically, [accelerator programmes] push your business forward faster. I’ve just finished the 2022 MMF Accelerator Programme where they bring people into your sphere – people who’ve worked with Damon Albarn and Ed Sheeran, for example.”
Thando is also part of the Wray Nephew’s Wray Forward Music Business Accelerator for black-owned music businesses. “There’s also a bit of funding to help in the early business stages. On my own, it would have taken me a lot longer to get in that room, but they bring the room to you.”
On my own, it would have taken me a lot longer to get in that room, but they bring the room to you
Realisations
When Thando expands on his approach to the music industry, he’s animated. Clearly, he’s formed strong bonds with all of his roster and has already made lots of memories he’ll treasure – all as a result of pursuing the job of his dreams.
Whether he’s spending a week in Turkey to shoot content for Joel Baker’s new album, reminiscing on breath-taking hometown gigs from JERUB, watching as the crowds sing back the words to BEKA’s tunes across the UK – or simply enjoying a post-performance meal with latest signing, London-based musician Aaron Taylor, this is exactly where he wants to be. “Sometimes it’s those moments where you just stop and think ‘oh my gosh, I get to do this, that’s really cool’ and I’m so grateful for it.”
But that’s not to say his role and the music industry doesn’t come without its hurdles. He tells us, “There are ongoing challenges with the economics of streaming and how artists get paid. Also, TikTok is complicated – it’s fun on the good days but on the bad days, it almost makes you want to give up.
“Covid-19 was difficult because live touring stopped and Brexit made playing in Europe a headache.”
Recently, BEKA has just supported HONNE on their world tour, yet when she was primed and ready to set off on her own European schedule, Omicron kicked in and steered it to a halt. “I’ve seen the impact first hand.”
TikTok is complicated – it’s fun on the good days but on the bad days, it almost makes you want to give up
Taking the next step
Now, it seems Thando and his artists are more ready than ever for whatever 2023 has in store. Aaron Taylor and JERUB both have big releases prepped for Feb – just after the dust has settled on JERUB’s gig at Nottingham’s Beat the Streets, with plenty more planned for the months to come.
In just a few years, with a mixture of heady determination, embracing every opportunity and always bringing his friends with him, the future looks bright for Thando. Lots of creative people in Nottingham will share the same desire to enter an industry that’s notoriously cut-throat – so what advice would he give to artists who were considering taking their career to the next level by working with a manager?
“Always know what exactly you’re looking for and ensure that you’re both on the same page – don’t enter into a partnership without agreeing this first.
“Also, be prepared to talk about money and your desires. Artists must remember that yes, you’re creative and it’s about pursuing your art but you’re also entering a business. When you have a manager, they help you take that next step.”
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