by Richard Young, Publisher & Content Manager, The Beat Magazine 2025
What follows is a Beat Magazine Q&A Interview with Nashville Artist Manager, Jordyn Elliott, who got her start in the music business in the London area.
(Pictured: Jordyn Elliott. Photo Credit: Jeanette Dowler.)
Q. For the benefit of readers who may not know, what is an Artist Manager? What do you do for the artists you represent?
An Artist Manager looks after all aspects of a musician’s career including but not limited to signing them to record deals, publishing deals, coordinating with team members like booking agents, business managers, record labels and negotiating contracts for shows and any live appearances. As well managers are the liaison for all correspondence with the artist and over sees all budgets and music releases.
Q. I understand you are originally from the London area. Can you tell me a little bit about your upbringing in Southwestern Ontario?
I was born in Clinton, Ontario, and at the age of four years old, I moved to Mount Brydges. My family owns the funeral home in the small town. I attended public school there and went on to high school in London at St. Thomas Aquinas and then on to Fanshawe College. I graduated from college in a two-year program for Event Management and jumped right into the workforce. I had my first real job when I was eighteen, selling merch for a local band in London.
Q. What motivated you to get involved with the music industry while you were still in London? I think you told me you worked for Brad Jones and Rock The Park. Can you tell me about that?
I come from a very musical family. My grandma was a music teacher for years, and my mom sang along with my aunts and uncles. I always loved music, and I actually sang until the age of sixteen, but experienced anxiety and stage fright, so I decided it was not for me. I did work for Brad! He was a great manager/boss. I helped on the day-to-day activities in his office at Centennial Hall and his yearly festival, Rock The Park. The year I was present, Alice Cooper, Peter Frampton, and Heart played. Such a cool experience. It was that job that I really got excited about management, watching Brad and how successful his company was.
Q. What drew you to the role of Artist Manager? Any mentors, other than Brad Jones?
I have had a solid mentor since the age of twenty-one. I met this rock producer Brian Howes (Skillet, Hinder, Daughtry, and Nickelback) and he kind of took me under his wing. I still collaborate with him on projects to this day. I actually share in three gold plaques for artists we have worked on together. I think artist management is a calling. It wasn’t something I could just learn, it was a feeling, and I really love the development portion of an artist’s career and watching them grow and be successful.
Q. Can you describe a typical day in your life as an Artist Manager?
I usually start my day with answering emails from promoters, agents and label representatives. Usually, I have weekly calls with all team members to strategize for the upcoming week. I attend content shoots for social media, coordinate budgets and approve all assets for releases. I usually have little time to eat ha! I end my day around 7:00 or 8:00 pm unless I have a show then I attend to represent the artist.
Q. What brought about your relocation to Nashville, Tennessee? How long have you worked out of Nashville?
The country music scene was really appealing to me when I met artist Canadian country pop singer and songwriter, Eric Ethridge. I managed him for years, and he was rapidly growing, and we would make trips often to Nashville. Nashville is such a community city, and I was told there are thousands of hit songs written here daily. I was having some really great success with Eric and Sirius XM The Highway. I also signed Eric to his record/publishing deal in Nashville. I have been here since 2020.
(Pictured: Eric Ethridge, cover of California.)
Q. Can you identify some of the acts and artists you have represented since moving to the US? Do you represent any specific genre of music? Do you represent any Canadian acts?
Currently, I manage country artist Shaylen, who is signed to Big Machine/ Nashville Harbor. I also manage British pop artist Karl Michael, who is signed to Peer Music here in Nashville. I have mainly been a manager in the Pop and Country genres. I am developing a country artist from Canada, Sean Michael Ryan.
(Pictured: Karl Michael. Photo Credit Sean Hagwell. )
Q. Could you give me some highlights of your career to date? Can you share a success story or major milestone you helped an artist achieve?
I have been fortunate to have some really cool wins with some great artists like Eric Ethridge. I have two gold singles with If You Met Me First, California, and Eleven Past One. I have a gold single for their song The World is Ours. I was also a part of getting Shaylen her Opry debut in October 2024. So special.
(Pictured: Shaylen. Photo Credit: Sean Hagwell. )
Q. Artist Managers and Promo representatives sometimes get a bad rap in the music industry. How do you respond to this?
That is unfortunate to hear. I consistently deliver high-quality work for artists, demonstrating my loyalty and dependability in every collaboration. I really build my relationships in the industry on trust, and I never make promises I can’t keep. There will always be bad eggs in any type of business, but I really want to be known as fair and competent, and I appreciate anyone willing to give me the opportunity to work with them.
Q. What are the biggest, most fundamental challenges or opportunities for emerging artists in the music industry right now?
Social Media! Artists have to constantly be relevant on there. They have to post at least two to three times a week to keep up with their audiences. I also feel like a lot of newer artists have to fund a lot of the marketing assets and productions, and it can be very costly to compete with artists on a label level. A lot of artists work a side job or hustle to make ends meet while they are doing music.
Q. Is there anything else you think our readers should know about Jordyn Elliott, the Artist Manager, and Jordyn Elliott the person?
I want to tell anyone out there who wants to try their hand at management that consistency and networking are the keys to building those contacts. Hands-on experience is the best way to learn! I love my job, and I couldn’t think of anything else in the world I would want to spend my time doing. You have to love it and be passionate because it’s a long road, but the payoffs are worth it!
Q. Do you have any plans to visit Canada at some point in the near future?
Yes! I will actually be back next week to visit family for a few days and again at Christmas.
Follow Jordyn on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hjordynelliott/
The Beat Magazine 2025 