HOLLY MACDONALD | Founder
“Her artist-focused expertise in various aspects of the industry- and from the DIY to Top 40 - has naturally paved the way to her current work with artists as they attempt to navigate the labyrinth that is the music industry. Holly has a proven track record of helping artists recognize their strengths, while giving them tactile advice to ensure the success of their careers. From illuminating new paths in the industry previously unlit, to providing experience-based reassurance, she’s helped countless artists gain forward momentum.”
BIO:
Born in New York’s Hudson Valley and raised by Woodstock Nation, Holly MacDonald came of age playing music in the indie noise mecca of Western MA and in NYC’s DIY scene. From the very beginning, she’s been trusted for her ability to balance practical strategy, community care, artistic sensibility, and creative vision to support the scenes that she moved in. This was the assist that led her to play a significant part behind the scenes of big cultural moments of the last decade. She understands the effort and care it takes to build an artist’s career and achieve their creative vision.
Early on in her career, she worked in independent music management and festival curation, cutting her teeth on the management end of Wilco’s team and helping to launch the group’s inaugural Solid Sound music festival.
She later arrived at the crossroads of music and social impact, where she worked beside one of the founding executives of Jive Records (A Tribe Called Quest, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, P!nk, Outkast, etc) to galvanize musicians to use their platforms for good. She strategized on dozens of national and international campaigns and with hundreds of celebrities and cultural icons for social progress, environmental impact, and racial equity.
A few favorite moments? Holly brought John Legend and NoName to take part in the restoration of Nina Simone’s childhood home to preserve Simone’s legacy as a musician and social activist in an initiative to promote the visibility of Black women within American History (at the time, less than 6 percent of nationally recognized historic sites honored Black Americans, and less than 2 percent honored Black women).
She played a critical role in launching the GRAMMY Music Education Coalition with artists like Bebe Rexha, Luis Fonsi, Maggie Rogers, Corinne Bailey Rae, and H.E.R. She helped orchestrate moments like Usher surprising his hometown with a concert, Kesha penning the title track to the Ruth Bader Ginsberg film On The Basis of Sex, and Kelly Clarkson doing the Diabetes Dance Dare.
She has remained rooted in music scenes, where she has produced and directed music videos (credits include Brian Wilson, Angelique Kidjo, Lucius, mmeadows, And The Kids, and more), hosted a radio show (Pop Rocks & Rants), and DJed in NYC.
She has been nominated for a Shorty Award and she has been a part of teams whose work has received accolades from The TODAY Show, Billboard, Entertainment Weekly, the New York Times, The Huffington Post, Fader, Paste Magazine, Spin, Stereogum, and more.
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“When I was putting out my first full-length album, I felt so overwhelmed. There were so many more decisions and directions than I anticipated. I felt frozen and Holly gently nudged me toward confidence. Through her connections and understanding of the industry, Holly helped me to book my album release show, promote my album through interviews and blogs, brainstormed with me, and at one point even took over directing a music video brilliantly. She can do it all and makes it look so effortless. I can’t imagine getting through that process without her.”
C.F. Watkins • Musician