We are sharing our recent interview with music entrepreneur.
Pro Media Mag : First of all please introduce yourself to our readers.
Fanny Axén : Hey my name is Fanny Axén I’m 33 years old from Stockholm, Sweden and i have been working in the music business for 13 years now.
I Actually started in this business as a Stylist and Designer and everything iv done so far iv done on my own and showing my drive and work ethic, my first job was to style and design clothes for Benny Andersson from ABBA grandchildren that was gonna be in the Melodifestivalen which is the biggest music competition in Europe.
I from there started to take care go the group for a couple of months as a PR manager which if I’m completely honest with you didn’t have a clue of what it was, but i took the days as the came and in the end learned alot.
After that my first job was Stylist and PR Manager for one of the biggest artist in the world at that time , Mohombi ,that also was my biggest idol, so that was kinda of unreal thing for me to be able to work with him. He acted as my mentor and he gave me the responsibility that also take care of his own artists at his record Label LaClique music. I designed Mohombi’s clothes for shows music videos and photoshoots and also put together Pr Campaigns with fans and big influencers that wasn’t as big at this time but my mindset was to get Sweden and people to understand how great this is I need to get big names to support them. which was very successful.
I learned so much working with Mohombi and I was responsible for getting them on Radio, tv shows, Photoshoots and booked them for shows, I actually even co produced music videos.
After that I worked with a few artists and then started to realize I wanted to manage artist myself find something that i believe in and develop them from there.
I did that with 2 artists Jay Samson and ARON where i started at 0 and worked with hem 24/7 in all aspects from confidence to image to the music of course in the end had them opening shows for big artists like Nelly, Jeremih and Ro James and the biggest labels and the guy who managed and found Drake actually reaching out 1 day after realizing the first song with ARON to say he is a fan and thought she was signed to a major already , Also having some of the biggest labels in the world flying in to meet with us and reaching out, so that told me i did something right.
I also was in a situation around 2014 where i had to take care of Ryan Leslie’s concert in Sweden all by my self from venues, to my artists open for him to making sure the artist and his crew was ok, its was probably the craziest 3 days of my life and didn’t sleep at all , cause i had to deal with everything on my own with absolutely no budget and having to pay from my own pocket for the artist to get even food.
But I told myself if i can do this i can do anything, even had the whole Mariah Carey team coming to the show so that made it even more stressful making sure they also were ok. But in the end i got those tickets sold through my social medias and with my amazing friends couldn’t have done it without them.
But in the end it was all worth it cause i got an amazing friend and support in Ryan Leslie after he told me he was very impressed what i did and made sure he was ok even tho i had to deal with everything i had to. So I’m happy i pushed through it never had a thought of giving up.
Pro Media Mag : Who or what inspired you to get into music industry?
Fanny Axén : I would just how much i loved music and always i knew from probably 8 years old that thats what i wanted to do.
Pro Media Mag : You have been self employed right from the start of your career. How does it feel to be your own boss?
Fanny Axén : Its a good feeling knowing you can do anything you want to, but its definitely been really hard to and there been many times i have been thinking of trying to start working for someone but then i remind myself that I’m doing things very differently and don’t think alot of people would let me do things my way.
Its also really worth it when you achieve some of your goals you et for yourself and make things happen that alot of people would say would probably be impossible but once you get there is all on yourself which has helped my self esteem alot to.
Pro Media Mag : What exactly are the services you are providing to the artists?
Fanny Axén : I worked as a Artist manager. And have been doing everything from helping them with there own believe in themselves, to image, stage performance,social media, business part of course, the plan to get where they want to, depending what there goal is for them selves.
I basically look at what the artist need to move forward and i make sure they get that either its myself or i put them with the right people from my team that will get them where they need to be. I’m just there in every step of there life pretty much 24/7.
I’m also very involved music vise as whats called being an A&R which means i find new talent and develop them to become a brand seens music is about so much more than just the music today, I choose the sound and songs that fits the artist together with my team of producers and writers and are in the studio every step of the way to.
I also got great relationships with brands, fashion and a few others like drinks and makeup and i always trying very early to get them to been seen with what fits them regarding clothing and so on.
very hard to explain it all but yeah its just very much all aspects of the persons life i work with as a manager.
Pro Media Mag : You have been styling and managing artist since last few years now. It must be a tough job ?
Fanny Axén : Styling Is definitely a tough part cause i always trying to get to know the person a bit to make sure they feel comfortable in there clothes and look, worse thing u can do is to try to force someone to wear something they don’t feel comfortable.
Pro Media Mag : Can we have some artist names you have managed?
Fanny Axén : Jay Samson, ARON, Anton Hagman, Foki ( Sweden biggest blogger) working with alot others tho iv done like Ro James, producer Kee on the Track who’s produced Nicki Minaj & Rick Ross, Justin Bieber, Future, Big Sean so been involved in a few of his projects) and also Ryan Leslie, Mohombi, a big Swedish multiplatinum group called Panetoz and Moelogo to mention a few.
Pro Media Mag : What kind of response you have received so far?
Fanny Axén : With my own artists the response has actually been absolutely amazing from press, fanbase, to major labels showing alot of interest , A&R, producers and Brands mostly you have to chase this people when you work with a new artist but we been lucky where they come to us which is a great thing.
Pro Media Mag : Any particular achievements?
Fanny Axén : One of my biggest moments is definitely when my first artist i ever managed, Jay Samson opened the artist Nelly´s tour with out even having any music released at all, i just made the promoters and artist believe in my artist and it worked out.
But also a big one was getting hired by my idol who was at the time one of the biggest artists in the world international superstar Mohombi, he really believed in me and mentored me and I became the PR manager for his record label.
Another one is another idol of mine Ro James that i think is one of the most talented people out there, my artist Aron i worked with opened for him her first show ever in a show in London and from there we came friends and now were actually working together.
And last one is having Johnny Phillips from SJM concerts thats one of the biggest independent promoters and managements ( Bruno Mars, Drake, Ariana grande, own O2 venues,Festival) in the world to believe in me and what i did with my artists and started working with me on anything i bring to them an believe which is an absolutely amazing thing to have as a Manager.
Pro Media Mag : Have you set some goals to achieve?
Fanny Axén : I have a goal to changing how people see girls working in this business and prove that we can be bosses to but also treating the artist differently and not just see dollar signs on there heads.
and another one for myself is to be working with the biggest brands and artists in the world.
