This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. To find out more about our use of cookies click here OK
This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. To find out more about our use of cookies click here. OK

Home > About Us > Guest of the Month > Guests of the Month 2012 > July 2012 Guest of the Month Joe Frankland

Guest of the Month July 2012: Joe Frankland

Joe Frankland is Artist Development Manager at Generator, the UK’s leading music development agency. Joe has worked at Generator for the past four years, supporting musicians through training courses, seminars, workshops, showcase events and high profile gigs. Joe is well placed to develop the careers of artists in the North East of England and beyond having been a musician for many years. Prior to moving to the North East, Joe graduated with a Music Business Degree at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford and worked in independent record shops.

We asked Joe to tell us some more about Generator, and what exciting projects there are coming. He told us:

As Artist Development Manager at Generator, I manage the Musician Support Team which essentially supports artists and musicians at any level of their career. We’re currently working on a one-off collaborative project for the Arts Council and BBC’s ‘The Space‘ platform, commissioning musicians to produce innovative pieces of work in unique spaces. So far we’ve had the amazing Lanterns on the Lake working with Novak Collective to film a performance in a shipyard, and we have more strands involving the likes of SBTRKT, Paul Smith (Maximo Park) and Raj Pannu (Coldcut).

We’re also making a lot of progress with our Artist Development programme. The Tipping Point is a daily blog and fortnightly e-mailout which relies on tips from our UK-wide Tippers Network. It’s a great way to unearth and shout about some amazing emerging musicians from all corners of the country. Our Artist Development work also encompasses mentorship and support around singles releases (6 per year) and intensive development for 2 artists per year. So we’ll be effectively plugging the artist development gap and giving artists a platform to progress to the next level.

So, Joe, what’s been on your playlist recently?

Jethro Fox – an artist first tipped to The Tipping Point by legendary blogger Andy Von Pip from the Von Pip Musical Express. He’s one of a number of amazing artists coming out of Liverpool and LIPA right now but what sets him apart for me is the fact I’ve not shifted ‘Before’ from my brain for many months. His performance in a church at the Great Escape was stunning and I can’t wait to see him in the North East.

Lulu James – I’m cheating a little here by choosing an amazing vocalist who came through our UMT:VOX course which teams young vocalists with the best producers in the North. Her writing/production partnership with Dom Zilla was soon taken to the next level and every blogger, label and publisher has been clammering to work with Lulu. This culminated in a feisty and packed Generator showcase at The Great Escape where Lulu showed perfectly what all the fuss is all about.

Alt-J – I know everyone’s banging on about this band and their strange name but this album hasn’t left my CD player for a month and is up their with Clock Opera’s album as my favourite debut release of the year. I was gutted to miss their Newcastle show but will no doubt catch their tour later this year.

Boy Jumps Ship – a band that need no introduction to Radio 1 listeners or readers of Rocksound and Kerrang! who are all over the Newcastle four piece, yet I still feel more people will love this band. Their explosive amalgamation of musicianship, distinctive hooks and arresting energy went down a treat at our Evolution Emerging event so I urge your readers to check them out.