Firebird-backed Mick Management has entered into a strategic alliance with UK management company Hunger Management.
According to a press release issued on Wednesday (June 11), the partnership aims to raise Hunger Management’s profile in the US and provide access to a “strategic infrastructure of resources” for its roster, while expanding Mick Management’s footprint in the UK.
Plus, via Mick Management’s partnership with Firebird (which invested in Mick Management in 2023), the company says that Hunger Management “will also join an ecosystem of partners who reach a global audience of more than 1 billion fans”.
Firebird was founded in 2022 by former Ticketmaster CEO Nathan Hubbard and ex-KKR partner Nat Zilkha, with Raine Group as its lead investor.
The company has previously claimed to be the “engine that powers over 1,000 artists worldwide”. It has picked up stakes in a number of music and music-adjacent companies over the past couple of years.
Launched in 2019 by widely-respected UK artist manager Jazz Sherman, Hunger Management’s roster includes indie pop-rock singer/songwriter Alessi Rose whose EP Voyeur comes out July 25 on Capitol Records.
Rose is currently supporting Dua Lipa on the European leg of her Radical Optimism Tour and will embark on her own European tour this Fall as well as opening for Tate McRae on her US arena tour.
Other artists with Hunger include breakout British pop singer/songwriters Gracey and Anne-Marie.
Founded in 2001 by Michael McDonald, with Jonathan Eshak joining as partner in 2015 and Adam Sensenbrenner in 2024, Mick Management is home to artists including Maggie Rogers, Leon Bridges, and The Marías.
“I am so excited to be partnering with Mick Management’s Michael McDonald and Jonathan Eshak – they are truly incredible at what they do and wonderful people to work with.”
Jazz Sherman, Hunger Management
“I am so excited to be partnering with Mick Management’s Michael McDonald and Jonathan Eshak – they are truly incredible at what they do and wonderful people to work with,” said Hunger Management Founder and CEO Jazz Sherman.
Added Sherman: “Hunger was founded with a mission to keep artists at the forefront while thinking beyond the UK, always with a global perspective.
“Partnering with the fantastic team at Mick Management, whose years of industry experience and a proven track record of success opens up exciting, untapped opportunities, I can’t wait to see what we can build together for our artists.”
“We’re thrilled to be aligned with Jazz Sherman and Hunger Management at such a unique moment in the company’s journey, especially with the rise of Alessi Rose and their impressive roster of talent.”
Michael McDonald, Mick Management
Michael McDonald, Founder and CEO of Mick Management, said: “We’re thrilled to be aligned with Jazz Sherman and Hunger Management at such a unique moment in the company’s journey, especially with the rise of Alessi Rose and their impressive roster of talent.”
“Jazz’s stellar reputation in the UK and strong strategic vision for Hunger’s distinct and thoughtfully curated roster, makes this partnership a natural fit and we are excited to see where the journey continues to take us as a team across the globe
Jonathan Eshak
Mick Management Partner Jonathan Eshak added: “Jazz’s stellar reputation in the UK and strong strategic vision for Hunger’s distinct and thoughtfully curated roster, makes this partnership a natural fit and we are excited to see where the journey continues to take us as a team across the globe.”
Firebird revealed in June 2023, via an article in Billboard, that it had acquired stakes in Mick Management, Ntertain, Nashville-based music publisher Tape Room Music, UK-based One Two Many Music, and UK-based dance music label Defected.
Nat Zilkha told Billboard at the time that although Firebird had struck some minority-equity transactions, “most of [the deals we have done] is buy majority stakes”.
In June 2023, the Wall Street Journal reported that the company had raised more than $400 million from investors including Goldman Sachs, KKR and Pritzker Organization.
In September 2022, MBW exclusively revealed that the US company had acquired a minority stake in Coran Capshaw’s Red Light Management.
Two months later, we discovered that Firebird had bought a significant stake in UK-headquartered Transgressive Records.
More recently, in January, Firebird inked what it described as a “transformational deal” with British artist Yungblud (real name Dominic Harrison).
Last month, respected A&R executive Rob Stevenson and Label Ops executive Matt Signore launched a new record label called ALTER MUSIC and entered into a joint venture partnership with Firebird Music Holdings.Music Business Worldwide
