Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Addy Kimbrell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Addy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

As a middle schooler, my biggest hobby was signing on to MySpace Music and searching for new artists I’d never heard of. I loved discovering talent and investing myself in the careers of artists I believed in, even if at the time that just meant going to their concerts, buying their music, and telling my friends about them. Music has always been special to me–it speaks to me on an incredibly personal level, and I think it’s amazing how someone you’ve never met can write a song that expresses the exact feelings you’ve had in your own life. It’s one of my most valued methods of connection with other people, and as soon as I realized that, I knew I wanted to find a way to make a career out of working with artists to get their music into the world.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Addy Kimbrell and I am an independent artist manager, meaning I (along with my colleague Reed Watson) created our own artist management company called Thousand Dances Artist Management.

I’ve known for my entire adult life that I wanted to work in the music industry. I never had dreams of becoming a famous artist myself, I just knew that I loved music and wanted to support the people who make art that is meaningful to me. I went to the University of North Alabama and obtained a degree in Entertainment Industry Business, then went on to work for an independent record label called Single Lock Records for about 7 years. While at the label, I managed a couple artists here and there on the side before Reed and I decided to partner up and make our management services more official.

Right now, I manage two clients: Rock Eupora (Nashville Power Pop) and Carver Commodore (Alabama Indie Rock). My relationship with both of these bands formed really naturally out of me just being a fan, and eventually coming to the conclusion that we thought we could have a fruitful future together as business partners.

I pride myself on a couple things when it comes to this work–pickiness, integrity, and creative support.

1. Pickiness – I am someone who is extremely prudent in deciding who I’d like my clients to be. I only take on a new project if it’s something I wholeheartedly believe in artistically, and feel that the artist and I share similar goals and perspectives about how to shape their career. I’m not afraid of a slow build… I’d rather have a couple artists who I feel very strongly about than beef up my roster with people I think can just make me a quick buck.

2. Integrity – It is my goal to approach this work with honesty and transparency. So many artists have been burned by business partners who didn’t understand their goals or have their best interests at heart. I want to establish great rapport with my artists so they can trust my guidance as their manager, and so that they can have a reputation of working with smart, thoughtful team members.

3. Creative support – Because I am so picky about who I work with, I feel that I never need to really provide them with a high level of creative criticism or guidance… I let them do what they want to do, and the product is always incredible. I trust their creativity fully, which means I can simply be a support system for them, not someone who wants to control what they make.While managing artists is still only a part-time role for me, I am confident that my artists will continue to build sustainable careers, and that is my overall goal. It’s a marathon, not a sprint!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

First, we as individuals have to consider the impact that art has on our lives every single day. Art, in all its forms, is taken for granted in our society. It’s everywhere and it adds value to our day to day lives without us even having to really seek it out. On one hand, that is incredible because it means that art is accessible, as it should be! On the other hand, it means we should be mindful about supporting (especially financially) the people who provide the asset of art to us. Investment in art is an investment in our quality of life.

In practical terms, I think this can mean a couple things. It can mean buying music or merchandise from the artists you love most in order to support their careers. It can mean going to their concerts. It can mean advocating for policies that will help artists build more sustainable careers, such as breaking up monopolies and enforcing fair pay to artists by streaming services.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My mission is simply to help artists build sustainable careers in a time where releasing music independently can often feel like screaming into a void. It’s incredibly difficult work to constantly try and convince an audience why they should care about YOUR music, or even just to get your music in front of them at all. It’s my hope that I can be an advocate for my clients, tell their stories, and help them continue to have a healthy relationship with making music so that they can do it for the rest of their lives.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thousanddances.com/

Image Credits
Photos of Rock Eupora and Carver Commodore by Cole Varner