Jo Gardner, Artist Manager: REAL Careers Aren’t Built By Chasing Trends

In this episode, Jo — PR veteran turned artist manager for Pendulum, Knife Party, TesseracT, TRASH BOAT, Saint Agnes and more - breaks down the truth about modern artist development in a world of burnout, algorithm-chasing, and 200,000 new songs a day.

From gig-obsessed teenager to navigating EDM’s U.S. explosion, to guiding Pendulum’s comeback through a pandemic, to building her own management company UNHOLY - Jo shares the real mechanics of longevity: branding that’s actually you, fan ecosystems built on intention not virality, and live shows that create impact instead of just competence.

She unpacks the difference between growth and “going viral,” why the live world still fails women, and how artist managers survive the emotional, operational, and financial pressures of modern music.

This conversation is hosted by Mark Adams, CEO of Blinding Talent — brand expert, strategist, and former Director of Music Programming across Bauer, Emap, and Channel 4.

They explore:

⬛ The early spark - music magazines, gigs & the path from journalism to PR

⬛ Pendulum’s return - pandemic chaos, rebuilding momentum & selling out Ally Pally

⬛ Artist management reality - boundaries, burnout & why no one should start in management

⬛ Branding beyond buzzwords - authenticity, extraction & what artists get wrong

⬛ Familiarity & fan psychology - why great brands feel “inevitable”

⬛ Live shows that convert - technology, theatre & leaving a mark as a support act

⬛ The hidden bias of live crews - microaggressions, credibility & why allyship matters

⬛ The 10% rule - tastemakers, community & why real breakthrough happens offline

⬛ Data that matters - core fans, superfans & why 500 people can power a career

⬛ The trap of virality - growth vs. spikes, emotional resilience & artist expectations

⬛ Streaming economics - value erosion, royalties & what must change

⬛ AI’s real future - tools not replacements, humanity as the competitive edge

⬛ The next 10 years - micro-communities, patron models & scaling intimacy

⏱ Episode Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:49 Meet Joe — journalism dreams to global dance PR

01:17 Discovering the magic of curation & live culture

03:01 Early PR years — Swedish House Mafia, Tiësto, Marshmello & EDM’s boom

05:09 The U.S. festival shock — scale, spectacle & glitter everywhere

07:01 From PR to management — learning the whole machine

08:59 Pendulum’s pandemic return — chaos → sold-out arenas

12:06 Artist management loneliness, identity & rebuilding a roster

15:46 What new managers must learn before managing

17:28 Branding myths — authenticity, consistency & extraction

22:30 Familiarity bias — why great branding feels like déjà vu

25:05 Community, tribes & the fractured culture of 2025

27:04 The collapse of gatekeeping — TikTok, algorithms & equality of access

28:46 The biggest artist mistake — chasing virality over growth

30:54 Algorithms, expectations & why numbers don’t define success

33:09 Old metrics vs new metrics — what “success” means now

35:04 Live innovation — DJs, rock bands & creating unforgettable shows

37:14 How emerging artists stand out on support slots

39:40 Gender in live music — bias, microaggressions & real lived experience

43:52 Why allyship is the real accelerator of culture change

47:14 Breaking through in 2025 — finding your pocket, people & purpose

49:34 The 10% that matters — influencing influencers

51:12 Data, funnels & why 500 fans can fuel a career

54:03 Rethinking monetisation — the real cost of undervaluing music

57:01 AI realities — humanity vs soulless replication

59:40 The decade ahead — micro-communities, subscriptions & sustainability

1:03:00 Closing thoughts

Follow Mark Adams:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/markadamsai

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