We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Zena O’Connor. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Zena below.

Zena, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I established 2120 Music in 2011, providing management support for Australian country rock artist Lucie Tiger and hosting band shows (Indigo Kicks) and songwriter showcase events in Sydney Australia. Over the last ten years, what started as an artist promotions and management business on a small scale in Australia, has culminated into taking the huge step of moving operations from Australia to the United States and working on a much larger scale.

This evolution occurred after a tour of the United States in 2019 followed by Australian Music Week in the same year, which served as the inspiration to start the first songwriter showcase events in Sydney. These were initially held on an irregular basis with our first event in February 2020 just before the Covid pandemic hit. Determined to keep going, we had to pivot quickly to turn these into live stream events until love events were possible. From late 2020 through to 2023, we held over 50 songwriter showcase events as well as Sunset Sessions in several venues around Sydney. The events proved to be popular as there were no other songwriter nights at this time and we are proud to note that we ensured that all artists were paid at these events.

In July 2020, Lucie Tiger released her first EP ‘Gasoline’ and the title track won Country Blues Song of the Year at the Tamworth Country Music Festival Songwriters Awards. Thereafter, Lucie released a series of singles which 2120 Music promoted in Australia and the United States. Her 2021 single ‘Found My Home’ was her first Top 20 single in Australia on the CountryTown Top 50 Chart. It was also Lucie’s first single to hit the MusicRow Country Breakout Chart, peaking at #50 – quite an achievement for an indie Australian artist. Since then, Lucie has had four singles on the CountryTown Top 50 Chart and has had greater success in the United States, with seven singles making it onto the MusicRow Country Breakout Chart.

Lucie Tiger’s ongoing success in the United States prompted her to apply for a US work visa and she eventually settled in Muscle Shoals in late 2023. As a result, I established 2120 Music in the same location, taking what some would consider to be the enormous risk of moving to the other side of the world. Over the last five years, 2120 Music has evolved into an Indie Label while also acting as a booking agency and radio promotions business, and we are continuing to achieve success with radio promotions and songwriter showcase events as well as takeovers around Nashville and further afield.

I should mention that I started 2120 Music as a side hustle and I retired from my former career when I established 2120 Music in the United States at age 65 in 2023.

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.

I found myself in the music industry almost by default as I had a successful career in a completely different sector. Being a trained designer, I was used to looking for creative solutions to design problems and challenges, and this approach has helped me enormously in the music industry.

Was I intimated? Yes! But one of my inspirations is David Geffen and I’ve always been encouraged by his assertion that “I’ve always thought that each person invented himself… that we are each a figment of our own imagination. And some people have a greater ability to imagine than others.” If David Geffen could start in the mail room and end up managing renowned artists and establishing Asylum Records, then perhaps I can aim to create a modicum of success on the fringe of the music industry.

I’ve also been inspired by concert promoter Bill Graham, who established Fillmore West and Fillmore East back in the 1960s. These were established to fill a gap in the music industry marketplace, and this is what prompted me to start hosting songwriter sessions in Sydney at a time when such sessions were non-existent.

I’m most proud of being able achieve small steps of success in an industry that was previously foreign to me and which I had to research extensively to find my path forward.

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

Aside from setting clear goals and then defining the steps to achieve these, I believe the most important thing is to have a determined attitude that isn’t fazed by roadblocks or setbacks. ‘Keep Moving Forward’ in my motto and the one and only tattoo that I have is an arrow on my forearm which is a constant reminder to keep going despite the challenges, difficulties and naysayers along the way.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Due to the nature of my business activities with 2120 Music, I relocated from Sydney Australia to Muscle Shoals in the United States in 2023. Whilst this move may be a huge challenge for some, I’ve found it to be a refreshing new start that has enabled me to more clearly focus on my goals, both in business and on a personal basis. Living and working in a new country has tested my resilience but my determination to keep moving forward, make new connections, and aim for small successes has so far been very rewarding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://2120music.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2120music
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2120MusicManagement
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zena-o-connor-phd-49bb905/

Image Credits

Zena O’Connor, Rory O’Connor