Meet Bandsintown Artist Community’s Derek Jones. He mixes music management and photojournalism
Every month, the Bandsintown Artist Community spotlights one if its members and this month it’s photojournalist and artist manager, Derek Jones.
Hey Derek, it’s so great to have the opportunity to hear more about what you’ve been up to in the industry. Can you start off by telling us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Derek Jones and I am a photojournalist and artist manager currently based out of Nashville, TN. I have been in the music industry for about 8 years now. I currently manage 4 bands and freelance photojournalism assignments when I have free time.
That’s awesome! How did you first get into photojournalism?
I have always been really obsessed with music and while I was attending college for photography I was given an assignment to shoot something I had never shot before. I decided it would be fun to try to shoot a concert so I reached out to a local band for an opportunity. They said yes and they shared my photos on their social media pages. An editor of a magazine happened to see the shots and he reached out to me and asked if I wanted to shoot some bigger concerts. The only stipulation was that I also had to write reviews of all the shows that I attended. Luckily, I have always been a decent writer so I said yes. I guess you could say from that point I fell down a rabbit hole and spent the next few years trying to cover every concert I could get approved for.
We’re starting to see the possible connections that may have led you into artist management. Would you say photojournalism inspired you down that path?
Photojournalism definitely helped inspire me to start managing artists. Over the years I have learned so much from hanging around musicians and studying every detail of their careers. I gained so much insight that some even started asking me to help them out with various things. This eventually ended up with them hiring me to manage them on a full-time basis.
Hands-on experience is so key to learning, and it’s so cool to hear you were able to translate that to another avenue in the industry. With that, do you have a favorite part of managing artists?
My favorite part of managing artists is watching them execute my ideas and seeing them succeed. I love when a plan comes together and I especially enjoy hearing them get excited about a strategy. Obviously, I don’t have all the answers, but figuring out how to help them really makes me happy! Going to free shows all the time doesn’t hurt either!
That must be so rewarding. Speaking of that, what is one of your proudest projects to date?
I would say the marketing campaign for my client Anastasia Elliot and her latest single. Some of the photos I did for her gained the attention of various bands in Nashville who now want me to work with them. It felt good to be recognized for my photography through something I did as a manager.
Kudos to you! We know industry trends are constantly evolving, but is there one that you’d encourage other pros to try right now?
Collaborations with other artists! Not only does it create some really exciting new sounds, but it also helps fans of one band or artist find out about other musicians too! This can work for recordings and even for live performances as well. I love watching two bands I love do something cool together during a show.
Great recommendation! We really appreciate all the support you’ve shown for Bandsintown. As an industry pro, is there a feature you find most useful on Bandsintown for Artists?
I really like the new Fan Management Suite! It really helps me analyze where new fans are and helps me come up with strategies to market music to them. Learn more about the Fan Management Suite ↗︎
Thank you for your time and for sharing your story with us, Derek. One last question before we wrap things up: is there a specific project or anything the community can support you with at this time?
If anyone knows any good booking agents or social media marketing experts, I would be interested in networking. One of my clients has a ton of content but really hates social media and needs some guidance on how to engage her fans in a better way.
To connect further with Derek directly, you can find him in the Bandsintown Artist Community or through the links shared below.
- Website – https://www.scarletreverie.com/
- Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/Derekjonesphotography/
- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/scarletreverie
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Derekjonesphotography
