WORDS: LILY NGUYEN
IMAGES: JEZ RYAN / MAMMAL SOUNDS
Jez Ryan is Founder of Mammal Sounds, an Australian independent record label and artist management company with a strong track record of discovering and developing emerging artists. Since launching in 2009, the company has worked across releases, management, publicity and artist development while navigating a music industry transformed by streaming, social media and direct-to-fan distribution.
In this Behind The Music interview, Ryan discusses how independent labels operate in today's music industry, what makes an emerging artist stand out, and why labels need to offer genuine value beyond simply releasing music in the streaming era.
Hey Jez! For those unfamiliar with Mammal Sounds, what does your day-to-day actually look like across artist management and label operations?
It's not actually an easy question to answer. Most people probably don't realise just how much admin goes into every music project behind the scenes. A big part of my day is handling that, alongside constant communication and planning with artists. When someone's in a release cycle, everything ramps up significantly. No two days are really the same, but being organised and able to juggle multiple projects at once is essential.
You've worked with a lot of exciting new acts over the years. What's usually the thing that makes you stop and pay attention to an emerging artist early?
It's less about what I look for and more about what I hear. Usually it hits me before I've even had time to think about it. Sometimes I'm not actively looking for a new artist at all, then a song comes along and it's an immediate reaction of, "I need to talk to this person."
I also run a music news platform called Acid Stag, so I'm exposed to a sizeable amount of new music every week, and while I definitely have genres I naturally gravitate towards, the artists I connect with don't always fit neatly within those boundaries.
I genuinely love working with emerging artists. There's something incredibly rewarding about helping someone build a project from the ground up. You experience the wins and losses together, and it's exciting to be part of that journey.
With so much music being released every day, has finding great artists become easier or harder than it was a few years ago?
I actually think it's become easier. The market is definitely saturated, but that also makes the truly great artists and songs stand out even more when you come across them. Those are the ones that immediately grab my attention. Of course, everyone's tastes are different, so I'm sure the answer varies depending on who you ask.
The last decade has completely changed how artists release and promote music. How do you think the role of an independent label has evolved during that time?
It's never been easier for artists to release music independently. With the right distributor, artists can get their music out into the world while retaining the majority of their master rights. Because of that, independent labels need to offer genuine value beyond simply releasing music. If an artist is giving up a share of their masters, even temporarily, there needs to be a clear reason why that's beneficial for them.
JVLY
Looking back across Mammal Sounds, is there a release, artist or moment that you feel really defines what the label stands for?
One of the things I'm most proud of is the community that's formed between artists across the Mammal Sounds roster. Seeing artists become friends, collaborate and support each other outside of the label is incredibly rewarding.
I also think the journey of artists like JVLY, daste. and Lemonade Baby really reflects what Mammal Sounds is about. I initially signed each of them to the label, and after working together on multiple releases, they eventually transitioned onto my management roster. Supporting artists through different stages of their careers and growing alongside them is a big part of what Mammal Sounds stands for.
Finally, if you could recommend one person for us to interview next for Behind The Music, who would it be? (Optional)
Nathan Nott at Believe Music Distribution (Australia).
Learn more about Mammal Sounds at https://mammalsounds.com/
About Behind The Music
Behind The Music is an interview series from Hype-Index exploring the people behind today's music industry. Through conversations with artist managers, publishers, marketers, publicists, label executives and other industry professionals, the series aims to shed light on how artists are developed, supported and discovered behind the scenes.
Each interview offers a practical look at the roles, decisions and day-to-day work that help shape modern music careers.
About The Author
Lily Nguyen is Editor-in-Chief at Hype-Index, where she covers artist development, music marketing and the wider music industry ecosystem. Through the Behind The Music series, she speaks with the professionals helping shape the careers of emerging and established artists across the industry.