Award-winning executive Jade Richardson has revealed the ethos driving her management company Jade-Inc.
Richardson, who was named Music Champion at last year's Music Week Women In Music Awards, is founder and CEO of Jade-Inc, supported by colleagues Justin Stennett and Ashleigh Simone.
"I want to change the world through music and art, and tell stories that haven’t been told,” she told Music Week.
Richardson's first signing to Jade-Inc was British singer-songwriter Sasha Keable, whose accolades to date include a viral TikTok hit with Hold Up, a support slot for Olivia Dean, being chosen for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series and being shouted out by Beyoncé in an interview with GQ.
Speaking in the August issue of Music Week, Richardson said: “I’m working with one of my oldest friends, Justin Stennett. He, like me, is someone who has worn many hats – from artist manager to television creator, the list goes on.
"When I came across Sasha Keable, I thought that this was something we could work on together. He seemed keen, then he met Sasha and they hit it off, and the rest is history. Two years in, I realised I needed to find some help and Zak [Boumlaki, head of marketing at Warner] suggested Ashleigh Simone. I called her up six months ago and it’s been amazing. The three of us have really gelled and it’s made a huge difference to the day-to-day running and functionality of the management business. We’re all excited to see how things grow, but Sasha is our focus at the moment.”
I assess who I’m working with and tailor a service that suits their needs
Jade Richardson, Jade-Inc
The Jade-Inc approach centres on building careers for artists and executives, with Richardson's goal simply "to do a good job and to create a sustainable career for the artist and for the company, so that everyone can continue doing what they love".
She added: "No one else is me, and no one else is the artist that I work with, so they are always unique situations to the people involved. I assess who I’m working with and tailor a service that suits their needs.”
Richardson – who also holds two other major industry roles: A&R at Warner Records; and MD at 0207 Def Jam’s publishing arm 0207 Songs – explained that she was also aiming to support the next generation of music industry leaders through mentorship and knowledge-sharing.
“I’ve always mentored people," she said. "It’s not new to me to take people under my wing, teach them what I know and see their journeys evolve. That is probably one of the biggest joys in the music business: seeing people take ideas and passion and turn them into a business. It’s so encouraging when you see people doing it, and then they become your peers and people that you can potentially collaborate with. So I love it, and I think it’s really selfish not to share the knowledge.
"I was fortunate enough to be given this experience in my 20s, and many would say I had been privileged because of the way I looked and where I came from. I was one of the first women of colour to do A&R for Universal in the UK. I didn’t know it at the time, but it makes sense now that there were a few bumps [in the road]. Learning, growing and doing, I think, are the only ways we’re going to create change and evolution."
I want to see more people that look like me in positions of power that can sign off on budgets and make things happen
Jade Richardson, Jade-Inc
Richardson brought up her positive experiences working alongside presidents like Joe Kentish, Glyn Aikins, and Alec and Alex Boateng.
"These are people that are my friends and my peers, and executives in leadership roles didn’t ever look like them before," she said. "It’s a massive part of why I’m here, why I’m a champion. I want to see more people that look like me in positions of power that can sign off on budgets and make things happen.”
Richardson has discovered, bolstered and supported a plethora of artists in a career that has also included founding events/artist-development company Iluvlive, working in education and artist development for music charity UD, and stints in A&R at Island, EMI and Polydor, among others.
Discussing the current environment for new acts, she shared her belief that TikTok and other platforms had changed the landscape.
"I think we’re still adapting and pivoting daily," she added. "I could argue that people are less interested in artists and buying into who they are and what they do initially, and more interested in a small moment that catches our attention. That sometimes frustrates me. However, we are where we are and that’s the world we have to exist in. The key is asking, ‘How can you make that work for you?’
"These platforms are one of the most exciting things about the music industry because they give you such an instant connection, direct to fans. Your cadence for posting and talking can be as regular as you want. It’s the artist taking control. It’s the artist saying, ‘I want to go with this record, I’m going to tease it and see what the fans think.’"
Subscribers can read the the full interview with Richardson here.
