We were lucky to catch up with Nina Sacco recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Nina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

Unlike larger agencies that prioritize established acts, ALA works closely with artists at the ground floor, even if they’re not yet widely recognized. What matters to me is the sound and the message and the people behind both. First, I work to strategize their branding and bookings to connect them with audiences who will support their music and live shows. My one-on-one approach ensures they feel prioritized and supported, matching their effort and energy to amplify their impact. We’re also thinking a lot about the kinds of venues and events the bands are involved with and what kind of image it projects. It’s easy for artists to get pigeonholed especially if they are a bit outside of the norm and the industry doesn’t know what to do with them. They might get put in a box that becomes increasingly difficult to bust out of. To me, the trail of where the band has played should be telling a story, leading the audience along on the band’s journey.

This is an exciting time for indie music. Tensions are high, and there is a lot that needs to be addressed in terms of social issues. Music has always been a catalyst for change, and I see indie artists boldly reclaiming that power to get their message across. It feels like people are finally shedding this celebrity worship that has been so prevalent and has sort of had everyone hypnotized. Audiences are waking up, seeking depth, meaningful and relatable content over hyper-commercialized sounds and imagery. The result is a movement of emerging voices creating meaningful contributions to the indie music scene.

By leveraging a network of like-minded promoters and presenters, securing placement in tastemaker festivals, pairing artists with exciting touring acts, I help them gain visibility—even if it means taking calculating risks. To me, it’s more about visualizing the long game and making strong, lasting connections in the industry.

At this point, the indie music community has collectively recognized that no outside force will rescue the scene. In response, an underground network has united to support and uplift exciting emerging and international acts, ensuring their voices are heard. With ALA I’m actively working to connect and collaborate with organizations like Psyched! Radio SF, Gorinto Productions, New Colossus Festival, Vinilious Records, & Going Left Productions, among others. It’s incredibly inspiring to witness how hard these groups are working to advocate for artists who traditionally receive little support.

Nina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My background is in fiction and playwriting, where I developed a fascination with storytelling—the who, what, where, when, why & how. I began my career producing events, like plays, jazz-and-poetry series. Music has always been a profound influence on my life. It offered me an escape from the written word and gave me a space to connect with my body and emotions in a way that writing didn’t. While I never learned to play an instrument, I’ve always admired the musically inclined.

In 2020, I lost my job at a theatre and spent the next three years taking whatever work I could find, wherever I could find it. During that time, an African rock band I had followed for years put out a call for administrative assistance. I applied and got the job. Within a year, I organized their first tours, with two East Coast runs, a Pacific Northwest tour, and the band’s first European tour. My approach combined instinct, and my experience as an audience member, with diligent research. I asked myself: Where could I see this band thriving? Which cities, stages, and communities would appreciate their unique sound? Just like these bands, I also started from the ground floor with zero contacts, and I’ve been hyper-focused on building up my network and community from the jump. It didn’t take long before other bands began taking notice of the strategy I had implemented and reached out to collaborate with me, leading to new opportunities and partnerships.

My heritage is very mixed, and as a result of never really fitting in, I am passionate about diversity, inclusion, and cross-cultural collaboration. What drives me is my passion for connecting people and creating opportunities where these parties can combine forces to elevate one another. I’m drawn to the sense of community within the indie music industry and the collaboration that makes it thrive. Whether it’s organizing tours, coordinating events, cross-promoting brands, or strategizing a band’s next steps, I focus on aligning the artist’s vision with audiences and opportunities that will resonate with what the band is putting out there.

I feel most fulfilled by the professional relationships I’ve built and the sense of purpose that comes from helping talented musicians with a message to connect with the stages and audiences they deserve. For me, it’s about more than just logistics—it’s about fostering a supportive network where artists can thrive while contributing to the vibrant community that works tirelessly to present these opportunities.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Referrals have been my most valuable source of new clients. When a band recognizes that our collaboration has provided meaningful opportunities to advance their careers and achieve their goals, they often recommend me to other musicians and ensembles. That level of trust and endorsement is incredibly rewarding. I believe they sense the difference in my approach when they start to see the path we are building one stone at a time— that I genuinely operate with their best interests at heart.

Have you ever had to pivot?

My life has been a series of pivots. From a young age I stubbornly dedicated myself to the arts which isn’t the most lucrative or rational of pursuits. I’ve worked odd-jobs to sustain myself, restaurants, retail, farms, ranches, theatres, dog-walker, editor, whatever I could get my hands on. But whatever I did to make ends meet was always secondary to my artistic goals. It’s been a wild ride. I’ve relocated more times than I can count on both hands. I’ve done a lot of solo traveling. It might sound romantic, but I think many people I encounter have no idea about the challenges of this type of transient lifestyle. And it’s not how I planned it. At one point, I pictured my life very differently. But I have been pretty unwilling to compromise. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and learned some hard lessons. But my ability to adapt and pivot is absolutely experientially based. I have had no choice but to pivot and I hope to retain that reflex as a means of survival. While I’m not counting on it, I do hope for a day when things feel more stable in general. In the meantime, I’ll just turn the music up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artistliaisonagency.live/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artistliaisonagency/

Image Credits

Meredith Mountjoy 1st photo