Meet The Team: Ronnie Olubayo
Hey Ronnie! Tell everyone something about yourself that they wouldn’t find out otherwise.
It’s really weird and makes no sense whatsoever but I have a bit of a phobia of adults dressed up as mascots and characters. My first visit to Times Square was pretty traumatic.
Amazing, did you always know you wanted to work in the music industry?
I think I wanted to work in film first, but it still would have been in the area of sound. I changed my mind a lot over the years, but I always knew I wanted to be working in a creative industry.
What was your path into the industry?
I started doing student radio which is when I decided I would try working in music after my studies. Once I graduated, I was looking for any sort of experience in the music business and I ended up getting a music PR internship with an independent company. That internship helped me land a promotions role at a major label, and I’ve continued building my experience ever since.
Was there a particular learning curve you remember encountering at the beginning of your career?
I think this applies to all industries, but I learned to not be afraid of running with any opportunities that are presented to me. I was quite anxious at the start and I generally like things to be straightforward. But it’s really important to be open to different opportunities as you can learn so much in any part of the industry. Especially if you’re starting out and you’re not completely set on a particular role; it’s all applicable!
What is your current role?
Marketing Strategist
What does that entail?
It’s quite a varied role. I support Alex, the managing director, with the day-to-day stuff across Latch. I’m also involved in finding more opportunities for the business, so it requires research and making connections.
What is a common misconception about the job that you do?
Of the industry in general a lot of my friends think it’s really glamorous and it’s just loads of gigs and parties. There are a lot of cool events to be fair but at the same time you still kind of have to be in work mode while you’re at them.
What was the last track that you listened to?
Guajira by Desta French
What is the most rewarding part of working on artist projects?
I love being able to work behind the scenes so when you see an artist do really well it’s nice to know you played a role in that even if other people don’t. Also, there are a bunch of people and teams that are involved in supporting artists, so I do enjoy the aspect of being able to interact with so many different people.
What are the changes you want to see in the music industry?
Everyone understands that it can be a stressful environment sometimes so you just have to be the kind of person that can handle that well. But I’d like to see more action from companies to ensure the mental wellbeing of their artists and employees. Also, I’d really love to see more non-English speaking artists doing well in the mainstream UK charts.
Tell us about something you do outside of work.
I’ve been knitting for quite a long time but I’m getting a bit bored of it, so I’d like to start learning how to make ceramics soon. I also watch a disturbing amount of TV!
What artists should people be keeping an eye on?
Fauxe, NiNE8 collective (there are a bunch of artists in this collective and they’re all really great), Yaeji, Rose Gold, Ojerime
Follow Ronnie:
Linkedin
