Better Noise Music announces key series of promotions and new hires

08 May 2021 - Press release

Today, Allen Kovac’s leading worldwide independent record label and artist development company Better Noise Music announces a series of key new hires and promotions across all departments and global offices. The announcement is made by  Dan Waite, who was named President at the start of the year.

“We are a strategic, forward-thinking company, and I am pleased to have a team with a wealth of knowledge and diverse set of skills to help drive that,”said Waite. “This new and existing group of top-notch professionals are building on top of successful engagement via our international offices, data science department, social media, and Steve Kline’s streaming and radio teams, so we are building the infrastructure across all our teams. These new additions bring another level of creativity and experience to move us through our exciting projects ahead while still keeping us focused on Better Noise Music’s Founder Allen Kovac’s primary mission: artist development via data driven engagement.”

The label welcomes Sean Maxson as VP, Marketing. In his role, Maxson is set to oversee all marketing strategy and execution for the company’s music releases and film/TV productions. With a career spanning over 20 years in music and entertainment, Maxson has held key marketing and promotions executive positions at RED Distribution, Mammoth Records, PIAS, and most recently served as General Manager at IDOL. He’s been involved with successful project launches from an eclectic group of artists including PIXIES, Bullet For My Valentine, The Hold Steady, The Ting Tings, Enter Shikari, My Morning Jacket, Four Tet, Violent Femmes, Ray LaMontagne, Cage The Elephant, Eels, Amaranthe, and Better Noise’s very own AWOLNATION.

Maxson said, “I’m thrilled to be joining the Better Noise team, whose independent spirit, passion and energy are unmatched.   I want to thank founder Allen Kovac, President Dan Waite, COO Steve Kline & GM Rose Slanic for welcoming me into the company, where I look forward to finding new ways to connect artists and fans through new strategic, creative, and data-driven activations. And it’s an exciting time to be at this label as we approach our 15-year anniversary.”

 

Maxson’s addition is the latest in new hires which include:

• Saleem Khan joining as Accounts Payable Coordinator;

• Anne Wall joins as Director, Business Affairs, Licensing, and Royalties;

• Jimmy Harney, who was recently announced as Head of Public Relations overseeing communications strategy for all music and film releases. Harney comes from Sunshine Sachs where he worked on campaigns with artists and brands such as Alicia Keys, Roc Nation, Nickelback, Justin Timberlake, Netflix, Apollo Theater, Janet Jackson and Rapsody;

• Jonathan Janis joins the label as Director of Marketing, following his artist management and strategist stint at Red Light Management. Janis has worked with an eclectic group of world-class artists including Tiësto and Allen Stone;

• Michael Filippone joins as Income Tracking Manager.

 

Internally, the following promotions were made:

• Harris Masood promoted to SVP, Finance;

• Chekesha McCalla promoted to Director, Financial Operations;

• Alex Hock promoted to SVP, Business & Legal Affairs;
• Melanie Rodriguez promoted to Sr. Director, Marketing;

• Amy O’Connor promoted to Senior Director, Global Streaming;
• Claudia Mancino promoted to UK & Europe Promotions Manager;

• Autumn Myers promoted to Label Key Partners Manager;
• Tim McLean Smith promoted to Director, Catalog Marketing & Label Director For Australia And New Zealand; 
• Henry Tongue promoted to Director, International Streaming Strategy;
• Victor Lang promoted to Director, Marketing GSA;
• Daniel Sears promoted to Production Manager.

 

2021 marks the 40th anniversary of Mötley Crüe. Better Noise is gearing up for a celebration of the event with special packages of music and merch to be announced.

 

In terms of new music, this week Better Noise dropped the latest video from Five Finger Death Punch, “Darkness Settles In” from their critically acclaimed album F8.  The label is gearing up for new releases from AWOLNATION and Atlas Genius in the coming months. Hip-hop/rock fusion artistHyro The Hero is currently making noise for his upcoming mixtape KIDS AGAINST THE MONSTERS. And country-rocker Cory Marks’ foot-stomping party anthem “Blame It on the Double (featuring Tyler Connolly of Theory of a Deadman and Jason Hook),” was recently released last week to positive media reception from the likes of Billboard and American Songwriter.