Musicology Magazine Speak to Colin Lester
March 16, 2010
When you go out and buy the latest innovative product to hit the shops, you do not pay attention to the designer of the product but more so the shop you can get the best deal from, the same principle applies to music. You tend to see the finished product but not the blood, sweat and tears that it takes to create and nurture such a product. Colin Lester is the blood, sweat and tears that have managed artists who have sold over 23million records to date.
Recognising an artists’ talent from a two-step era and converting that into multi-platinum award winning artist, namely Craig David is a feat that cannot be underestimated. ‘I first heard Craig on a Pirate Radio station and I heard a track called Rewind, I did a bit of research and eventually I got into contact with him. He played me some material and one track that captured me was ‘Walking Away.’ And I thought that anyone capable of writing such lyrics at the age of 17 is somebody I want to work with.’
Colin Lester has managed a host of UK and overseas artists that have sold a huge amount of records, Arctic Monkeys, Travis and Remi Nicole amongst the roster however his 10+ year relationship and track record with Craig David is undoubtedly the most successful which Lester states is down to the ‘Honesty’ between the pair. ‘I didn’t expect two years down the line we’d be making records let alone 10 years. The expectation is this business
is very fickle. So at the time as much as I would have hoped to, I remember telling his Mum that I will do everything in my power to make your son successful and I promise as a company we will do our all. And that’s all you can do, promise to give your all. To be honest though, I thought he was an incredibly good artist that would sell records but 10 years down the line, no.’
Colin Lester Management (CLM Entertainment) are still responsible for Craig David up to this date and much of the credit for a career spanning over a decade must go to the artist but widely the management
and the way they have taken care of their artist and his affairs. What is special about Colin Lester’s style of management is that he is a real businessman that has a broad understanding of music, what makes it relevant, what makes it likeable and ultimately what makes it sell. ‘The thing that keeps any artist relevant is the records they make.’
For a man that has been in the music industry for over 30 years, the well spoken Londoner has a knowledge of music that others can only envy. His career has seen him sell an abundance of records over three decades however he is adamant that the Music Industry has not changed as much as others claim. ‘The Music Industry, as much as others would like to tell you has changed actually hasn’t changed at all. And the reasoning behind that is very simple, A+B=C. A is a great song, B is radio, media, TV, press exposure etc and C=sales which is a hit. The only thing that has changed is the sales as the volume and the way people can access and buy Music has changed drastically but the basic equation has never changed. So ultimately you’ll be judged by the records you make, there is no other formula to go by because if your song is being played all over radio and TV then it will turn into a hit.’
The acts that Colin Lester has managed or still manages now have not been the typical one-hit wonder acts, they have all had sustainability and Lester points that this is because of a specific reason. ‘The key to any long term artist is the song, the song is the currency of our business. Therefore if you are a songwriter, it just so happens that you can write your own hits therefore it’s likely you will have a longer career than the artists that are potentially waiting for someone to write their next hit, so for me, song writing is always the number one thing that defines long term careers. Therefore the artists that will be around in ten years will be the ones that have ability to write global hits. And that is the important thing about Craig, he sells records in virtually every country in the world.’ A man of strong opinions, less bothered by smaller hindrances such as X Factor and other reality TV shows affecting his chances of finding talent, he is much more concerned about matters which affect his artists themselves, a credit to his loyalty and desire to constantly achieve the best for them. ‘What makes my job difficult these days is the illegal downloading. Which is strangely called file sharing which I cannot understand, as we are not sharing files, let’s be honest. Sharing is a word we were taught to respect as children so by using words like sharing children do not actually understand that they are stealing. The problem that we have in nurturing new talent, rather than the reality TV programmes causing problems is that the record labels have a lack of funds to invest into new talent due to the amount of money they continuously lose annually from people illegal stealing music. As an artist manager that is a very important issue for me personally. I get so upset and passionate about it as it is a real issue that not only affects my acts but also other artists.’
Lester acts as what is known as a ‘Visiting Fellow’ to Southampton Solent University where he lectures about the Music Industry. ‘It is interesting speaking to some of the students whom are on the managementcourse, as they find it difficult to see how one can make money due to this downloading issue. You have to be much more dynamic as an artist and as a manager in the industry nowadays to actually make money.
In terms of the other acts under CLM Entertainment, Remi Nicole is working on a new album, signed to Island Records, ‘She’s a great young artist and you’ll hear a lot more from her. She has a new single that will be out soon that is produced by Bless Beats which is a great record. You will also be hearing
from a new act I recently signed called The Alfonz, a band from Swindon, 18 year old guys who write great songs and recently done the Glastonbury BBC Radio 1 Introducing Stage.’
The motto for CLM Entertainment is ‘We will be defined by what artists we sign.’ Lester added, ‘I look for acts that write their own songs and can articulate their music in a positive manner.’ One thing that is certain from speaking to Mr Lester is his passion for music and also his passion to succeed and put his all into making his acts the best they can possibly be. In an era where glitz and glamour is favoured over long and hard grafts it is refreshing to see someone who has had a successful career that still promises to flourish, nurture and develop some of the finest talent the UK and International Music Scene has had the pleasure of being witness to.
Musicology Magazine – April 2010
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