Industry Talk: Toothfairy’s Martin Schilde

2014 has been a banner year for Martin Schilde and his label/artist management Toothfairy. With acts such as CLMD and Coucheron establishing themselves firmly abroad and new voices such as Ary Wire coming up, 2015 looks set to be a prosperous year for the growing record label and management. We caught up with a busy Schilde to learn more on what’s on the Toothfairy agenda for next year.

What is your main focus these days Martin? What’s the No#1 item on the Toothfairy agenda as the year draws to a close?– We’ve got lots of cool stuff happening for us right now – the main priority right now is to put the finishing touches on lots of tracks and to finalise a pretty hectic 2015 release schedule.

– Our focus is on continuing to expand Toothfairy and to establish the talent label Toothpick. 2015 looks set to be a super exciting year for us, several of our artists will release their debuts and we’ll embark on our most ambitious international campaign so far. We’re witnessing an increasing global demand for our artists, but it is vital for us to build a solid and secure foundation before we expand any further. For me, it’s also imperative that I can follow my artists’ dreams and help them achieve their goals. Some of them aspire to be a part of the top tier echelon; others might want to be more diverse in their output. Everything has its right place – it’s much a question of being confident through your musical output and stop comparing yourself with everybody else all the time.

What are the main international Toothfairy-projects this winter/spring?

– We’ve managed to establish international careers for several of our artists – 2015 will be the year that we aim at stabilizing those artists on an international level. On top of this, we have several exciting offers for our new artists – it’s really nice to see that the acts can help each other out, and open doors for each other. We spent some years to establish a solid international network and in 2015 I dare say we’re going to see the fruits of this. CLMD and Coucheron have already proven their worth with international attention mounting for both of them. Our next export focus will include Carl Louis’ solo project released which is scheduled for a debut 2015. Ary Wire also has some really exciting offers from some of the biggest players in the genre. 2015 will also be the year that I unleash the biggest Toothfairy export project ever – feedback on the project up until now been totally overwhelming and I have great faith in it. Frøder and Surfalot are also set to release strong outings in 2015 while Nils Noa continues to build a solid underground fan-base. It is super rewarding to see that we can work together as a family and help each other forward. The most motivating factor is that we have a solid base of young talents on our doorstep, the average Toothfairy artist age is 23 and for Toothpick is the even younger – it bodes well for the future.

Coucheron has been amid a lot of industry-buzz in later months – could you give us a sit.rep. on how Sebastian’s career is developing?

– Coucheron is a true star, we have built a solid friendship and made a lot of exciting stuff together. Coucheron has shown breadth in 2014, both with his own releases and as a producer for others, he’s scored tracks for Hollywood, he’s landed a number of No#1 spots on Hype Machine, and helped to write music that has entered Billboard and other major charts. Coucheron is still young, but he already been propagated by a number of key players as being the sound of the future, one that is destined make his mark in the years to come. Summed up, 2014 has been a really exciting and educational year for the both of us. In 2015, the plan is to firmly establish Coucheron on the international circuit and begin touring and releasing more original music. He is also set to release his debut EP, which we’re super, excited for. Coucheron can work in two fields, both as an artist and as a producer. In 2014, he has proved this, now it’s all about being able to use this in the best possible way to increase international interest parallel to making the right choices on the producer side of things.

What other Norwegian acts pop up on your playlists these days?

– Bar my own artists, I listen to a lot of peer playlists and radio – I like to check out others recommendations and keep track of what the young folks include in their own playlists. I’ve always been the guy in the gang with the biggest CD collection, and to others’ dismay I’ve one of those sporting a car with double 12” speakers blaring out 90s dance, glam rock and Dimmu Borgir on repeat through the night in my neighbourhood. My present mood pretty much dictates what I’ll listen to – there’s so much good music out there and so many channels that deliver the goods to you. It’s difficult to single out some favorites – I’ll listen to anything ranging from Wardruna to (singer-songwriter) Anne Grete Preus as long as it matches my mood and carries a strong melody.

Any gigs with Norwegian acts coming up this winter/spring that you’ll get to see?

– I’m really looking forward to by:Larm – the programme is so strong. I am a bit spoiled in that I’m running my own venue, Musikkflekken in Sandvika (on the outskirts of Oslo) where we are based. Musikkflekken has played a vital role in spotting new talent in addition to hosting a string of fine concert experiences. I can’t wait to see Frøder play live with her new project – she’s an artists that can master most formats.

New Toothfairy releases or other projects that an international audience has a reason to look forward to in the months ahead?

– CLMD, Coucheron, Carl Louis, Frøder, Ary Wire, Surfalot and Kasket Club are all set to release new music in the first quarter of 2015.

– We’re hard at work with the planned international campaigns for all of these acts. We’re seeing increasing interest from abroad for all of our projects, really, and our talents are witnessing progress and that doors are being opened up internationally. Much of the reason why I’m running the Toothfairy label is the band Eyeemmajedi – those who believed the guys had packed it in are in for a major surprise in 2015! Band members Baardsen and Alex Pavelich have made a name for themselves in later years – now their debut album is set to be released in a new color, name and figure. It might be a bit cocky to say so, but I believe what we’re here working on might alter the musical tide internationally.