Jamie Webster and Alfie Skelly take a deep dive into the artist-manager relationship

Singer-songwriter Jamie Webster and his manager Alfie Skelly have discussed their professional relationship with LIPA students and described how it’s been foundational to Jamie’s success.

Jamie has released three top 10 albums (his last, 10 for the People entered the chart at no. 2), performed at many of the UK’s biggest festivals, including Glastonbury and T in the Park and played to over 40,000 people at his own headline show in Liverpool in July. He said his manager, Alfie Skelly, has been key. “You can have all the talent in the world, but it doesn’t mean you’ll be successful. It’s about what you do with the talent and who’s there to guide you and help you harness that talent.”

Alfie and Jamie, who were taking part in a Q&A with LIPA Management and Music students, first met after Jamie signed to Liverpool-based record label Modern Sky UK four years ago. He had a discussion with CEO Dave Pichilingi about his need for a manager, and how it had to be someone as committed as he was. “I needed someone by my side, but it had to be someone who I felt would go down on a sinking ship with me. Someone who would be there, good or bad.

“So, Dave sat me down with Alfie and for the first few months we were trying to work each other out. Then I had a moment when I realised how passionate Alfie was about breaking me as an artist. And I think he had a similar moment with me and how driven I was and how well I wanted to do. From that point on we’ve worked together and become good mates.”

Image: Alfie and Jamie with Management and Music students 

Alfie believes the best artist-manager relationships start with a good personal relationship. “When I joined Modern Sky Dave Pichilingi said he wanted me to meet Jamie. I explained to Dave that there must be a connection between me and Jamie for me to work with him, otherwise, it can become exhausting.

“Management can be all-consuming. You are responsible for everything, which can be great when things are going well but tough when they aren’t. Music is an emotional investment, you have to love what you’re doing for it to make sense. We met and about halfway through I thought, ‘I love him, he’s boss - let’s do it.’”

During the two hour session as well the artist-manager relationship Jamie and Alfie discussed the need for artistic authenticity if you want to make an emotional connection with an audience, how picking the right team to work with on a campaign is vital and the importance of taking time out to look after your own wellbeing, especially while touring or dealing with online criticism.

Jamie also talked about his early career and how, despite his confident image, he needed an empathetic producer during his first recording sessions. “I needed a producer who could guide me and make me feel like I was good enough. I’d come from playing pubs and going somewhere like Parr Street Studio and seeing all the other artists who’d recorded there, it’s easy to feel out of your depth.

“My producer, Rich Turvey (LIPA Sound Tecnology, 2008), told me I was a good songwriter and that he was there for me. He said that he’d make the best of what I had to offer and deliver it in a way that would help me reach the people I wanted to reach. I think Rich is one of the best producer/writers you could ask for.”

Jamie’s latest tour, which includes dates in Ireland, UK and Australia, started on 15 November.

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Top image: Alfie Skelly, Keith Mullin, Head of Management and Jamie Webster. Photography Brian Roberts