Longtime agents Steve Martin and Andy Somers have launched a new agency -- Paladin Artists -- after leaving APA earlier this year. The agency is established founded in strategic partnership with Wayne Forte's Entourage Talent Associates and Karrie Goldberg's The Kagency.
Paladin Artists will focus on music touring, live events, theater, literary representation, touring exhibitions and estate management and is being described as a "nascent company of prominent, passionate agents who have come together as a community, committed to deliver their client’s visions to the fullest capacity, with offices in New York, Los Angeles and London."
The strategic partnerships bring "something unique and valuable to both Paladin’s artists and business," a press release reads, noting that Entourage Talent, established by Forte in 1993, is a true "boutique" talent agency and consulting firm clients that include Tedeschi Trucks Band, and guitar legends Joe Satriani and Steve Hackett. Forte is a founding member of The National Independent Talent Association (NITO), which advocated for the successful passage of the Save Our Stages Act.
The Kagency, founded by in 2004, built one of the first venue representation businesses in North America "focused solely on handling the corporate/private event, film and photo bookings for their clients," a release reads, hosting "a roster of major recording artists and other notable celebrities for their corporate contracts with diverse roster of clients," including Nike, Givenchy, Duran Duran and Beyonce to Cartier, Under Armour, Maserati and Vogue.
“The world has been through hell for the last 18 months with many places and people still struggling. I’m simply grateful to work with people I like and artists that I respect, enjoy and have fruitful relationships with,” says Martin. "Many were able to take a step back during the shutdown and evaluate what is important, be it personal or business. The industry is rapidly evolving and will continue to do so in the post-pandemic world.”
Somers added, “Paladin, Entourage and The Kagency share similar visions and will each benefit by the sharing of information, experiences, and common goals; exploring new means of improving the future of artist and brand representation while remaining independent at a controllable scale of operation.”
Paladin’s inaugural team includes agents Chyna Chuan-Farrell, Seth Rappaport, Steve Ferguson, Kath Buckell, Magaly Barone, Sara Schilevert and Christian Ellett.
“This pandemic has highlighted how short life truly is," says Forte. “So, why not work with people and clients one genuinely likes and with whom one shares similar visions and philosophies?"
NEWS
Rise Against have released a new single, ‘Nod’, their first new music since 2022.
The new track kicks off the punk band’s “inspired next chapter” and was produced by Catherine Marks. “I swear to God this can’t wait,” vocalist and lyricist Tim McIlrath sings at the top of the song’s chorus. “Not one more minute, one more day.”
“Nod is about the solace we find in community,” said McIlrath in a press release. “It’s about the comfort in knowing that we are not alone. This comfort can temper our anger and our frustration, at least temporarily.”
‘Nod’ follows the band’s 2021 album ‘Nowhere Generation’. It was followed by an EP titled ‘Nowhere Sessions’ which included live versions of songs from the album.
Tracks such as ‘Talking To Ourselves’, ‘Broken Dreams, Inc.’ and the LP’s titular single were re-imagined as live recordings, as well as a cut of their 2008 song ‘Savior’ and covers of Misfits‘ ‘Hybrid Moments’ and Creedence Clearwater Revival‘s ‘Fortunate Son’.
Check out ‘Nod’ below:
the release of ‘Nod’ arrives just before Rise Against head out on a UK and European tour alongside L.S. Dunes and Sondaschule.
They’ll kick off the shows on January 28 in Dublin, before heading to Belfast on 29. Then, in February, they’ll head to Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Zurich and more, before wrapping up the tour in Vienna on February 22.
The tour also includes stops at London’s O2 Brixton Academy, Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse and Birmingham’s O2 Academy on February 6, 8 and 9 respectively. You can find a full list of dates further down. You can find tickets to the UK and Ireland dates here.
JANUARY
28 – 3Olympia – Dublin, Ireland
29 – Telegraph – Belfast, Northern Ireland
FEBRUARY
2 – L’Olympia – Paris, France
4 – O13 – Tillburg, Netherlands
5 – Forrest National – Brussels, Belgium
6 – O2 Brixton Academy – London, UK
8 – O2 Victoria Warehouse – Manchester, UK
9 – O2 Academy – Birmingham, UK
12 – Velodrom – Berlin, Germany
14 – Mitsubishi Electric Hall – Düsseldorf, Germany
15 – Sporthalle – Hamburg, Germany
17 – Zenith – Munich, Germany
18 – myticket Jahrhunderthalle – Frankfurt, Germany
21 – Volkshaus, Zurich, Switzerland
22 –Stadthalle – Vienna, Austria
