Christian Tattersfield remains one of the UK music business’s key players.
His London-based Good Soldier Songs (GSS) is a fully independent group with strong publishing and recorded music arms.
Across one or both of these divisions, its signings include Biffy Clyro, Birdy, The 1975, David Gray, Gavin James, The Wombats and hotly-tipped new Warner-signed band Coasts.
As a successful entrepreneur – not to mention the former chairman of a major label at Warner Music UK – you might expect Tattersfield’s hiring policy to be pretty regimented. And certainly to demand a glowing history of music business achievements from potential candidates.
Not so.
Tattersfield’s latest job vacancy at GSS says something very interesting about where he may or may not believe true innovation in the music industry will come from in the future.
The brazen ad, which you can read inset, asks for an ‘incredibly intelligent young person’ to work in digital. Apparently, ‘lazy and/or stupid people need not apply’.
“This is exactly the kind of advert that would have appealed to me when I was younger.”
Christian Tattersfield, Good Solder Songs
And here’s the really interesting bit: ‘No experience a plus.’
MBW asked Tattersfield to explain why he appears to be deliberately looking outside the music industry for his next employee.
His reply didn’t disappoint: “This is exactly the kind of advert that would have appealed to me when I was younger.”
(Apply, if you dare, via info@goodsoldiersongs.com.)
Clearly, Tattersfield does not suffer from a deficit of self-confidence, but it’s hard to knock his record: the British exec is a thoroughbred of both major and independent labels.
He began his career at London Records in 1990 under Roger Ames, before leaving to start his own imprint at BMG, NorthWestSide, with then partner-in-crime Nick Raphael – where the duo signed the likes of Jay-Z, Another Level and ‘N Sync.
Tattersfield later joined East West Records as MD before establishing 14th Floor in 2002, where he signed the likes of Damien Rice, Biffy Clyro, The Wombats, and Ray LaMontagne.
He was eventually appointed CEO, Warner Music UK and Chairman, Warner Bros. Records UK in August 2009, assuming responsibility for the full portfolio of Warner Music’s labels in the UK.
Under Tattersfield’s leadership, Warner developed signings such as Ed Sheeran, Lianne La Havas, Foals, Cee Lo Green, Rumer and Birdy, while taking acts like Muse, Plan B, Paolo Nutini and Biffy Clyro to new career highs.
His Warner team also helped push Bruno Mars, Michael Bublé, Green Day and Linkin Park to widespread UK popularity.Music Business Worldwide