Even though we shouldn’t have to, I’d like to think we’re taking things into our own hands. After all, if they won’t give you a seat at the table, make your own table, right?

In general the representation for POCs in independent music is lackluster and it's not because there isn't any great music out there (there 100% is), but it's because the gate-keepers in the music industry are still white older men and this then reflects the lack of diversity.

Songs are really the driving force of our economy and employing the creators of songs seems like an obvious solution for a consistent supply of songs and in return, stable income for the creators.

This year is probably the first year in my life I've truly felt comfortable talking about it, mainly because I understand change doesn't happen when you're silent.

It’s a cold hard fact that compared with the actual level of diversity within UK society, the indie music world I’ve found myself in is overwhelmingly white, not just in terms of the the music and musicians who break through, but also in terms of behind-the-scenes decision makers, the journalists, the gatekeepers, people in positions of power within the industry.

Growing up, I didn’t see many Anglo-Indian women on 'Top of the Pops', I didn’t hear them on the radio, and I didn’t see them sell out shows at the o2. I believe that this is changing through my generation of musicians…

I honestly couldn’t recommend the Latch mentorship more, it gave me an amazing platform and I’m sure the new Latch mentees will love the experience just as much as I did and benefit from all the invaluable mentoring and expert knowledge.

Independent music behemoth AWAL have recently been acquired by Sony for around $430m, a move that significantly weakens the options for an artist to stay truly independent

Open Door is Latch’s mentorship scheme. 2021 will be the second year of the program with six talented individuals gaining music industry experience. The mentorships will consist of weekly video calls, access to learning resources, seminars…

With that potential audience out there, how can an artist reach them without the expertise the music industry traditionally provided? That's what we want to do with Feed... build the tools that give artists the marketing and financial resources they need.

Once the mentorship began, it was clear that Open Door was exactly the chance I needed. Weekly tasks set by my mentors Hannah and George helped sharpen my skills: drafting up press releases and pitches, scouring the web for new bands and the right places to plug them…

Speaking with multiple producers, pluggers, presenters, and more within the radio industry has helped me construct a path as I take my first steps into my career. Regular meetings with my allocated mentor were scheduled where I learned about radio plugging and the impact of this…

Little Pink Book was born out of my passion for elevating women in the music industry and my love for curating events. At the time there was a lot of negativity around being a woman in music with campaigns such as Me Too and gender pay gap…

“For us, streaming strategy is more holistic. We're always talking to people from across the industry to understand the ins and outs of DSP best practices. There are loads of amazing tools that can help to analyse the data and direct further action.”

Safe to say, Open Door exceeded my every expectation. From day one, I was in contact with my mentor, Alex, who became an anchor and hugely helpful sounding board throughout the coming weeks. I was consistently impressed by the panels Latch curated, covering areas like…

Meet Latch’s in-house photographer. Lucia Garcia creates powerful imagery for a wide range of well-established new brands and artists. Her work has been exhibited in national outlets including i-D Magazine and the Tate Modern, amongst others…

As part of our Open Door mentorship, we put on weekly webinars that gave our mentees extra industry insight. Hosted by Alex Treharne (Latch’s MD) and Hannah Thacker (Senior Music PR), this particular week was about the journey of an independent artist…