Neil Jacobson Launches Producer Management Company Hallwood Media – Variety
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Neil Jacobson, former president of Geffen Records and a veteran A&R executive, has officially launched his new producer management company, Hallwood Media, LLC.
The company originated as Interscope Records’ producer management division, which Jacobson started in 2013; he spun it off into Hallwood as part of his exit from Geffen in December.
Clients include Jeff Bhasker (Bruno Mars, Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran), Emile Haynie (Lana Del Rey, Kanye West), King Henry (Beyonce, Justin Bieber), Brendan O’Brien (Bruce Springsteen, Rage Against the Machine) Bipolar Sunshine, Alex Salibian, and Beach Noise, all of whom accompanied Jacobson in the move, and he has since added J.R. Rotem, David Stewart and others to the roster.
Jacobson represented Bhasker, Haynie, and O’Brien in the sale of song catalogs to Hipgnosis Songs, and a division of Hallwood Media is specifically dedicated to such catalog deals.
In its first personnel move, Hallwood Media has hired Nathan Olivas as Senior Vice President of A&R / Management. Olivas, previously an A&R executive at Mad Decent Publishing (Diplo’s independent label and publishing company), bringing clients Phil Scully (Diplo, Zayn, Dillon Francis), Jim-E Stack (Bon Iver, Octavian) and others.
“I have been trying to hire Nathan for years,” Jacobsen said. “From the first day I met him it was glaringly evident he was a star. He has impeccable taste, amazing ears and one of the best personalities of anyone I know in the business.”
“The goal for Year One is to begin building the best and strongest producer-songwriter roster in the sector,” Olivas said.
Jacobson also runs Crescent Drive Productions, an independent music management firm, publishing company and record label. A graduate of Berklee School of Music — from which he and Bhasker graduated in 1999 — Jacobson spent 17 years at Interscope-Geffen-A&M, where he signed or working closely with Avicii, Black Eyed Peas, LMFAO and others.
