Lana Del Rey and Tap Music go back a long way.
In the latest issue of Music Week, Tap Management duo Ben Mawson and Ed Millett discuss their rise, and we hear from top artists on their roster including Dua Lipa, Ellie Goulding and Dermot Kennedy.
Tap’s first success was with their long-time client Lana Del Rey, who first met Mawson back in 2009 at CMJ festival. She moved to London a few weeks later, and went on to break big with Video Games in 2011. It's well on the way to becoming a million-selling single, with 974,715 sales to date, according to the Official Charts Company.
“Where do I even begin to pinpoint how they’ve most helped me?” she told Music Week. “I think the way they’ve primarily helped me the most is by seeing me as a real person with unique challenges and unique gifts. They’ve understood that I have a real sensitivity about me and that that’s what makes the music pretty, but it’s what makes certain processes more challenging.”
I need them as much for emotional support as I do for a career guidance
Lana Del Rey
Since aligning with Tap, the Polydor-signed artist has scored four No.1 UK albums. Across five studio albums, Del Rey has racked up UK sales of 1,824,120, including 1,213,017 for 2012's Born To Die.
Del Rey said the management team are a constant support.
“Honestly, weekly,” she said. “My challenges have never involved creating a record or putting out music or how to do that. I need them as much for emotional support as I do for a career guidance.”
Del Rey compared the management relationship to a marriage.
“I think the thing that makes us work – probably in the same way a marriage works best – is that we all have a naturalness about us,” she said. “We have experienced highs and lows together, mostly me having anxiety! But, of course, everybody’s life is happening in between the records.
“I’m the godmother to Ben’s first child and love Ed’s family dearly and I know it’s the same way with them towards my family, so we honestly live pretty day-to-day and know that things could change on a dime and they often do! They’re so go with the flow about it, if I decide I can’t do something they just are right on board with me.”
To read the full interview in Music Week, subscribers can click here.
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