UNIFIED relaunches, announces staff promotions

UNIFIED has come along in leaps and bounds since launching in 2011.

To reflect the massive growth and changes within the company, UNIFIED has reorganised and relaunched as UNIFIED Music Group, a “four pillar business” which deals in recorded music, touring and events, merchandise, and artist management.

The company has also opened its new, much larger Melbourne head office – which will include a new writer studio, content creation space and the cult-favourite store – and promoted numerous staff members.

“Looking back at our original statement of intent, none of what we believe has changed,” says CEO and founder Jaddan Comerford.

“We exist as a company focused on building careers. We’ve grown and expanded in such amazing ways that it was time for us to refresh the way we organise our divisions. So in order to do this, we need to be organised, and we need to be very clear about what we are doing and how we are doing it.”

Speaking to TIO, Comerford says the launch of UNIFIED Music Group serves to clarify the many arms of the company as well as create space for his staff to act more autonomously.

“For me, as a CEO, it’s not possible for me to be across every single detail of the company; so me having four key pillars and heads of those pillars reporting in to me allows the communication and general organisation of the company to be much more streamlined.”

The four pillars that make up UNIFIED Music Group are:

UNIFIED ARTIST MANAGEMENT

UAM’s roster of artists includes Amy Shark, Illy, In Hearts Wake, Nina Las Vegas, Northlane, The Amity Affliction, Vance Joy and Violent Soho to name a few.

UNIFIED RECORDED MUSIC

UNIFIED owns and operates four record labels, its 2011-launched flagship UNFD, along with ONETWO, NLV Records and Exist. Recordings – all started in conjunction with management clients. In addition to this, UNIFIED provides label services for US-based independent giant Hopeless Records, and REMI & Sensible J-owned label House Of Beige.

Under this pillar also operates UNIFIED Music Publishing, which has a direct partnership with Mushroom Music Publishing.

UNIFIED TOURING AND EVENTS

UNIFIED has staged and sold out three UNIFY: A Heavy Music Gatherings in Melbourne and since launching UNIFY PRESENTS, the touring arm of UNIFIED, in conjunction with LIVE NATION in 2016, it has toured artists like Bring Me The Horizon, Slipknot, A Day To Remember and Architects amongst others.

UNIFIED MERCHANDISE SERVICES

UMS owns and operates 24Hundred and The Vinyl Store, while fulfilling orders for Sony Australia (The Music Vault), Warner Music Australia (Maniacs Online, Warner Music Australia), and STL Tones.

To further clarify the company’s growth, UNIFIED has announced a number of staff promotions, including that of Matthew Rogers from General Manager to Chief Operating Officer and Luke Logemann from Head of Recorded Music to Chief Creative Officer (General Manager of Recorded Music and Touring & Events).

“UNIFIED has always been about me trying to build the company, rather than just me and my name,” Comerford tells TIO. “So a big part of that is ensuring there are leaders within the company.”

“I really could not to be more proud to be leading this incredible team of people to achieve our vision,” he said in a statement. “From very humble beginnings, I am now very proud to be the CEO of what I truly believe is a company very much looking into the future.”

Following its inception as bedroom-based start-up label Boomtown Records, UNIFIED launched with a team of eight people in 2011. The company has expanded to include 35 people in 2017 with offices in Melbourne, Sydney, London and most recently, Los Angeles, where Comerford and wife Rachael (Co-Owner and General Manager of Business Development) are based.

“It’s easy for people to know UNIFIED for what they know it for; maybe they know the festival or maybe they know Violent Soho, or maybe they know 24Hundred,” Comerford tells TIO. “This is a way of saying, ‘Hey, this is everything we’re doing. It’s global. It’s very thought out, it’s well-staffed and well-structured – and it works.”

The newly reshuffled team is as follows:

Jaddan Comerford – CEO and Founder

Matthew Rogers – Chief Operating Officer

Luke Logemann – Chief Creative Officer (General Manager of Recorded Music and Touring & Events)

Rachael Comerford – Co-Owner and General Manager of Business Development

Nick Yates – General Manager of UNIFIED Artist Management

Graham Muir – General Manager of UNIFIED Merchandise Services

Maya Janeska – General Manager of UNFD

Conrad Lloyd – General Manager of UNIFIED Label Services
 
Ben Patashnik – UNFD Label Manager, UK and Europe

Oliver Mitchell – UNFD Label Manager, North America

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.