“Grass Fed Music values bringing artists’ dreams to fruition and strives to provide clients with exceptional music management, serving as a solid foundation for success.” -GFM

I often find myself in a position of great privilege, because I get to witness the early moments in the careers of many artists, and I get to hear their new -and sometimes unfinished- work before anyone. Some of these people will "make it", and others have more or less "made it" already in some way. It's an unfortunate truth that many others will simply not go on to make much of an impact regardless of how good they are at the time they cross my desk. Their careers will eventually fizzle out and they will fade deeper into obscurity, and the light of their talent -their hard work- will largely vanish from the public, never to reach the effulgence and celebration they dreamed of.

What is it to be done, then?

Every time I write about an artist here, it's because I believe that they have something that needs to be cherished and cultivated, but I can only try to raise their exposure with some encouraging words of praise before sending them on their merry way. What many of these rising and/or struggling artists need is professional help, the guidance of someone invested in nourishing their talent, supporting them, and challenging them in new ways that spark a musical and professional growth spur so that all their effort and talent are applied efficiently. Enter Grass Fed Music.

As we came to understand thanks to this extensive interview, Grass Fed isn't just a talent management agency but a work of love by its founder Nael Atweh and the wonderful team that accompanies him in his mission to nourish musicians from all walks of life, promoting healthy, organic growth in both artistic prowess and reach.

Nael moved to Los Angeles inspired by the success of his brother, Nasri Atweh, lead singer of “Magic!” and half of the songwriter duo “the Messengers.” Nael's own musical pursuits were met with the same kind of walls and roadblocks many -if not most- nascent artists meet in L.A. and this is no doubt part of the valuable insight he would eventually utilize when he found himself little by little assuming the role of manager: He had found his calling.

Nael Atweh founded Grass Fed Music Management in 2011, and like every new business, it was a hard-fought battle from day 1. Perseverance would pay up, and eventually around 2014, lightning struck. A rising artist struggling to be believed in by managers and producers alike emailed Nael and asked him to be her manager It was none other than Sabrina Claudio. Fast forward to 2019 and Sabrina was Headlining Coachella, and in 2022 she's recording alongside The Weeknd - Is *this* the impact that having someone who believes in nurturing your vision and your talent can make?

In 2022, GFM and Nael Atweh have refined the craft of growing and cultivating an artist from the ground up, formulating a fascinating 'Artist Development Program' with a solid yet flexible structure to suit each individual need and want of their creatives.

Today's interview isn't just a look into the hows and the whys powering Grass Fed Management and Nael Atweh in particular, but a broad insight into the world of management, the unseen-yet-vital process behind each artist's career.

Nael. When did you realize artist Management was for you?

When I was younger I would race home from school every day to catch Much Music (Canadian version of MTV). Watching those videos, I was less focused on the art and instead, more intrigued by the moving parts behind the scenes. That’s when I realized artist management was for me but it wasn’t until I was 26 that I took that leap of faith.

Having been on both sides of the fence, what would you say is the most common thing that most artists need help with?

The most common area I find artists need help with is staying competitive with their music. The one thing artists have control over is their music and if they're not pushing themselves to get to the next level, I find the music takes the biggest hit. One of my favorite things to do is encourage artists. To ensure my belief in them and, in turn, resurge their belief in themselves.

Why do the vast majority of musicians need managers to succeed?

A manager is more than just a person sending emails and making calls to get things done. A manager is a friend, a therapist, and (should be) the one who sees the artist's vision just as clearly as they do. Only then can an artist truly focus on the art knowing they have a manager who will take care of everything else.

What separates good management from bad management?

Good management listens to an artist and focuses on incremental growth. Bad management doesn’t listen to the artist and focuses instead on instant gratification. Great managers should always be worried about their client's well-being even when they’re not making money or growing.

What can an artist expect when signing up with Grass Fed Music?

Any artist working with GFM can expect to be surrounded by a team of support and poured into on a daily basis. Since we both develop on the day-to-day and manage our core roster of clients, Grass Fed Music prides ourselves in being there for the client 24/7. We’ve seen tremendous growth come from focusing on great music and content over everything else. At GFM, we truly believe the solution to everything is the art and not the business. Always encouraging artists to double down on the music and story.

When assessing a new artist you're going to be working with, how do you ensure that their needs as a creative are met?

At GFM we take the time to understand who the client is first. We then inspire them with creative ideas that will resonate with who they are as a person. From here, we focus on surrounding them with a network of creatives inspired by their projects to encourage collaboration as we see it beneficial for development. We also pride ourselves in supporting them in their creative visions while also challenging them with ideas to push them out of their comfort zones. It’s a balance between helping them do what they want and pushing them to do what they’re scared of.

How would an artist know that Grass Fed Music's 'Artist Development Program' is suited for them and they are suited for it?

Artists will know that the GFM development program is for them when they realize they’ve hit a roadblock trying to progress to the next level in their careers. Most clients have the talent but lack the infrastructure and strategy to bring their visions to fruition. 9/10 clients we identify for the program are extremely talented but equally dormant online and off. Working with Grass Fed provides them the resources and support necessary to develop into the artist they aspire to be.

How did the program get started and why does it work?

I started the program after receiving an influx of emails over the last 10 years from artists in need of development/management. When I found I didn’t have the bandwidth myself, I built and trained a team of managers to support these artists and their needs. We figured out how to provide a service that artists can rely on while still maintaining control of their careers. Hiring amazing managers like Alyce Hayek, Josh Banton, Vanessa Rivera, and Natalie Walsh really catapulted GFM’s service into the stratosphere. We pride ourselves on not only having a great strategy, but also having the best managers to execute it.

Talent and audience connection aside, what separates artists who make it from those who don't?

Undeniably great songs with undeniably great content. But the catch is, when it doesn’t work the only solution is to go back and make better songs and better content. The music is always the solution.

Some artists have a bit of an ego -and they kinda need it- how big of a hurdle is that to overcome in your experience?

We don’t find artists have an ego as much as they have insecurities around their art and how they promote it. Most artists struggle with standing behind their art and comparing themselves to what they see online. When we do encounter any egos, we make sure to direct that energy back into the art and allow that confidence to live online and in their music.

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But what do the artists say? it’s one thing to let the man behind GFM speak, but the ones who can really back it all up are the prime beneficiaries of the company’s resources and skills. We were able to get in touch with two of their clients and asked each two very important questions:

#1.-Having worked with Grass Fed, what would you say is the "before and after" for your craft as a musician?

#2.-What did you feel was the key element in making their 'Artist Development Program' work for you?

Tea Janee

#1.- Before Grass Fed nobody had heard of me and no one in the music industry had recognized that my music had the “it” factor. I had no followers, no streams and no presence.

Immediately upon the release of my first single You Like To Play With Fire I was put on the #1 playlist on Spotify I could have been placed on New Pop Picks, Apple New Alternative and Shazam placed it number 10 their Best New Music playlist. Dash radio picked it up and now is playing it 3-4 times a day. There are so many other things being done to promote my song now that I know will help take my career to the next level. Not in my wildest dreams did I think this was possible because as of last week no one even knew who I was.

Grass Fed has not just managed my career, they have catapulted it!

#2.- I literally had no clue and how many things went into becoming a successful artist. There is no way I could have done everything and had my 1st single be this successful. Vanessa, Nael and Alyce along with everyone else at Grassfed has made a massive impact on me both personally and professionally.

The amount of daily effort each person at Grassfed has put into my career has been mind blowing! They are there day and night making sure everything gets done and making sure my artistry stands out. Having a true business plan and the resources to execute that plan has been a game changer. Through all of this they have taken the time to also mentor me personally and shown that they not only care about me as a client but also care about me as a person.

Working with Grassfed is literally the best decision I have made!

Your Angel

#1. When I started Grassfed, my vision, sound and visuals were very defined, but I didn’t have the tools to roll them out the way they deserved. Grass Fed helped me implement the structure and consistency needed to do my project justice. I attribute a lot of of my growth to that.

#2. I have been making music for a long time and have built and very clear world for my project to live in, but of course that is only half the battle as an independent artist. While working with Grass Fed, I really focused on learning how to be my own label and become more savvy when it comes to putting out and promoting my music. By following Grassfed’s rollout guidance I got two major spotify editorial placements by my third single with them. The amount I have learned about how to treat my project as a business has been a game changer for my growth. They also focused on my Branding and growth with Social Media and Streams.

Grass Fed Music is promoting true Organic Growth for Artist -INTERVIEW

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