MBW’s World’s Biggest Managers collection profiles the very best artist managers within the international enterprise. Gabz Landman is, amongst a number of different issues, the supervisor of Amy Allen, winner of the 2025 Grammy for Songwriter of the 12 months. Right here she talks about her star consumer’s unimaginable success (and work ethic) in addition to her personal profession, values, and objectives. World’s Biggest Managers is supported by Centtrip, a specialist in clever treasury, funds and international change – created with the music trade and its wants in thoughts.
Gabz Landman was nonetheless an intern when she positioned her first track.
She was at what was then Sony/ATV Music Publishing, performing duties means past making tea, when she was instrumental in securing the track Melodies as Madison Beer’s debut single.
“I keep in mind being very excited as a result of Justin Bieber was within the music video,” Landman laughs. “Ina Wroldsen co-wrote that track and he or she’s one in every of my favorite songwriters ever, so I used to be freaking out that it labored out. It was superb – and that’s turn into the sensation I’m chasing plenty of the time…”
Now at Warner Chappell Music, the place she was lately promoted to SVP of A&R, Landman should be getting used to that buzz by now. As each supervisor and writer of Amy Allen – the 2025 Grammy winner for Songwriter Of The 12 months, Non-Classical and one of many biggest and most profitable hitmakers working at the moment – she has been concerned in hits for everybody from Sabrina Carpenter (Espresso, Please Please Please, Style), Tate McRae (Grasping), Rosé & Bruno Mars (Apt.), Koe Wetzel (Excessive Highway), Harry Types (Matilda) and plenty of extra.
There may be additionally, in fact, the remainder of her administration roster (famous person British writer-producer Lostboy and singer-songwriter Donna Missal), plus her WCM publishing line-up (the place she works with the likes of Laufey, John Ryan, The Chainsmokers, Kenya Grace and Cal Shapiro, co-writer of Alex Warren’s megahit, Odd).
However it’s Landman’s relationship with Allen – who she first signed for publishing when working at Mike Caren’s APG in 2017, again when Allen was but to write down for different individuals – that basically stands out. In addition to doing enterprise collectively, the pair are nice mates, often sharing posts on Instagram, whereas Landman even goes on vacation with Allen and her household.
“Gabz is likely one of the most loyal and hardworking individuals I’ve ever met in my life,” Allen tells MBW. “She wholeheartedly believed in me earlier than I had any songs to my title and has at all times made me really feel like something is feasible. She fights fiercely for her songwriters and producers, and I’m over the moon to name her my supervisor, A&R and one in every of my dearest lifelong mates.”
Issues haven’t at all times gone fairly so easily for Landman. Regardless of her “complicated” accent, she is British, rising up in North-West London and beginning out interning at Reside Nation UK (she initially needed to be a reserving agent), earlier than heading Stateside for a stint at Madison Sq. Backyard.
Sony/ATV again residence gave her the publishing bug – and an early intro to her WCM boss Man Moot. However, when she left there, she – by her personal admission – struggled to seek out one other position within the music trade. She freelanced for Billboard (the place she’d had one other earlier internship) from London, earlier than convincing Ben Mawson to offer her a job at Faucet Music Administration.
She labored day-to-day on Dua Lipa, then moved to Los Angeles for Faucet, earlier than becoming a member of APG, the place she solid a relationship with Aaron Bay-Schuck, then managing producer duo The Futuristics.
That’s the place she met Allen, who was pursuing an artist profession within the under-rated Amy & The Engine, and so they instantly clicked.
“I booked her in some classes to take a look at how she works, and Amy was like, ‘OK, I’ve a session day by day, however what am I going to do at evening?’”
“Amy is simply so charismatic, pure, easy and likeable that my Spidey senses kicked in instantly the place I used to be like, ‘Any artist or songwriter goes to like working together with her, based mostly on character alone’,” Landman says. “The half I had to determine was work ethic – I instantly booked her in some classes to take a look at how she works, and Amy was like, ‘OK, I’ve a session day by day, however what am I going to do at evening? I must be in doubles’. I used to be blown away by how on it and bold she was.”
When she left APG, Allen requested Landman to turn into her supervisor and Bay-Schuck, by now CEO and co-chairman of Warner Information, introduced her in as VP, A&R – the place, regardless of some fascinating signings, she discovered document firm artist improvement to be a quite totally different animal to publishing.
“Karen Kwak [Warner Records EVP/head of A&R] has a quote – which I discover hilarious – the place she informed me, ‘You’re a tremendous individual, activist and writer. Label individual? Not a lot!’” she laughs. “I used to be not good at it, it simply wasn’t my expertise. That was a wake-up name for me.
“I’m just a little bit naïve and I suppose I believed my position was to make the general public care about an artist,” she provides. “However an enormous a part of it’s also getting all people on the label to see what you see. There are people who find themselves so good at that, I simply was not, however I like everybody that works there.”
Certainly, after transferring from the second to the fifth flooring at Warner’s downtown LA HQ when she moved throughout to Warner Chappell in 2022 (“It’s a greater view from right here”) – and swiftly signed Allen for publishing – Landman stays a day by day customer to each the Warner Information and Atlantic Information places of work.
She even signed Cadillac Dale after she and WCM senior supervisor Lulu Largent heard the then-unreleased Jack Harlow observe, Lovin’ On Me – which samples Dale’s No matter (Bass Solique) – by way of an workplace wall and realised the Detroit R&B artist was unsigned for publishing.
That type of consideration to element has undoubtedly helped make Landman and her fees so successful. However there may be additionally large ardour behind what she does. Right this moment, she arrives to satisfy MBW at Warner Music’s LA HQ in a whirlwind, speaking ten-to-the-dozen to make up for being caught in visitors, and displaying unbridled enthusiasm for Warner Chappell, her bosses (co-chair/CEO Moot and co-chair/COO Carianne Marshall) and each side of the publishing and administration video games.
She’s not planning on rising her administration roster any additional, however she’s definitely buzzing with present and future plans (“Extra hits!”). First, nonetheless, it’s time to speak rejections, 3am cellphone calls and why Amy Allen is not on a scorching streak…
What makes Amy Allen such an ideal songwriter?
She’s a generational expertise. Her impression on pop radio alone over the previous 12 months speaks for itself, however an unimaginable side of her profession can be how eclectic the genres she works throughout are.
At the same time as somebody who is aware of her schedule, I’m like, ‘How do you may have the identical quantity of days within the yr as everybody else? How is it doable you’ve achieved eight songs on this album, eight songs on that album, a complete mission with an artist and nonetheless have all these one-off hits?’
I don’t understand how she does it, however it’s a testomony to each her expertise and her manner, as a result of it means individuals wish to maintain working together with her. Her long-term relationships with artists actually set her aside.
How do the 2 of you resolve who she collaborates with?
Amy is open-minded to an extent that will shock individuals.
I’ve some purchasers who say, ‘Gabz, use your judgement, I don’t have to know everybody that reaches out’. Amy needs to know each alternative that’s been offered to her after which we get collectively to debate.
A very powerful factor is that she feels impressed, however we predict strategically, large image and long-term about whether or not a possibility is smart. Amy doesn’t wish to be pigeon-holed by style, she at all times needs to strive various things.
She additionally has a tremendous intuition for which initiatives are value essentially the most time. When she and Sabrina [Carpenter] began working collectively, Sabrina – who’s exceptional – already had an enormous fanbase and had been in films and TV reveals, however she wasn’t as large as she is now.
The primary day they met, Amy was like, ‘I imagine in her a lot, I wish to do as a lot as doable together with her’. That’s a intestine intuition factor.
She labored with Koe Wetzel final yr, which I feel stunned some individuals, simply because it’s not apparent. She went all the way in which to Texas, by no means having even spoken to him earlier than, and did a couple of days with him. And she or he was like, ‘I actually imagine on this mission’ – and that resulted in a No.1 at nation radio.
It’s additionally one thing I prefer to be strategic about. Her first minimize was with Selena Gomez [Back To You], which is uncommon for a brand-new songwriter and clearly so spectacular however – I’m not talking for Amy – I really feel extra proud when she’s damaged an artist or is a part of their first success. That claims extra to me, personally.
Are there instances when it’s important to resolve whether or not you’re taking a look at one thing as her supervisor or her writer?
Truthfully, probably not. There haven’t been any moments the place it’s been a difficulty. If something, it’s an asset.
What about when she’s doing her publishing deal?
It’s at all times as much as Amy to make these varieties of selections.
Once I came visiting to Warner Chappell and he or she was choosing her new publishing companion, it was actually essential to her and myself that the choice wasn’t hinged on me, and that she was deciding based mostly on
the group.
I stated to Amy, ‘I’m going to be concerned it doesn’t matter what, I would like you to like the corporate you’re employed with’. And it’s testomony to the group at Warner Chappell that, even with that in thoughts, she selected to be with Warner Chappell. She met [WCM North America president] Ryan Press and instantly hit it off with him; that they had such a transparent, artistic connection that, no matter my being right here, she would have wound up at Warner Chappell.
You and Amy additionally appear to be nice mates…
We’re. I really feel so fortunate. I’ve a really small administration roster, however I feel it’s the identical with all of them: on the basis of my relationship with them is friendship.
Once I’m deciding whether or not to work with somebody, I take into consideration how I’d really feel if it was 3am and I noticed their title calling on my cellphone. I wish to really feel at peace with that – that type of barometer has meant I work with actually superb individuals who – each time, wherever – I’m joyful to be there for.
Amy additionally has an artist profession – how do you stability that together with her songwriting for different individuals?
When she first signed a document deal, she felt she ought to perhaps take a break from writing for others. This time round, it’s been extra like, ‘Once I’m impressed, I’m going to write down for myself and I wish to know what alternatives come up’.
She additionally writes her artist mission just about by herself, however she might be at residence one morning and give you a tremendous refrain that finally ends up turning into a track for her mission, or one thing she brings right into a session for another person. It’s a mutually useful state of affairs.
What occurs when she turns into a large star as an artist?
We’ll be very joyful! I don’t wish to converse for her, however I feel Amy’s definition of success as an artist has very a lot been about making music she’s pleased with, that she will play for her grandkids and they are going to be pleased with too.
It’s extra about leaving a legacy than it’s about, ‘I’m going to go make a radio hit for myself’. If it occurs organically, which I hope it does, as a result of she’s so superb as an artist too, then that’s unimaginable. However I don’t assume she’d compromise her integrity for the sake of turning into a family title as an artist.
What do you search for in a signing?
A very powerful issues are work ethic, clearly expertise and manner. As a result of should you’re lacking a kind of three, it’s simply not going to work.
You could possibly be essentially the most proficient, hard-working individual ever however, should you don’t have an ideal manner, individuals aren’t going to wish to maintain working with you. You could possibly be essentially the most proficient, likeable individual on the earth however with no work ethic, it’s simply not going to occur and there’s nothing I can do to vary that.
“My hope is to construct The Avengers of songwriters, the place I’ve the very best in school at any style.”
My hope is to construct The Avengers of songwriters, the place I’ve the very best in school at any style, however I even have up-and-comers I’m creating that I imagine in wholeheartedly, that may develop into that position too.
Once you bought promoted, you posted on Instagram about your earlier rejections. Are you a resilient character?
I’m a reasonably self-deprecating individual and, to my therapist’s disappointment, I don’t like saying good issues about myself – however ‘resilient’ is a phrase I do affiliate with.
The rationale I posted that was as a result of on the time I used to be going by way of it, I didn’t have a reference level of somebody who bought by way of that and landed on their ft. I’m not a public determine, however I’m positive there are folks that, like me, wish to work in music and, if that helps somebody in the identical place, I’d really feel actually good about it.
Some individuals reached out and I’ve been doing calls with individuals in that place and making an attempt to counsel as a lot as I can, as a result of I actually do have plenty of empathy. It’s straightforward to take it personally, however it’s truly nothing to do with the individual. So, if I may also help individuals going by way of it, that will be very fulfilling.
You labored with Dua Lipa at Faucet earlier than she made it – is she instance of taking part in the lengthy recreation?
Sure, and he or she didn’t skip any steps. Discuss work ethic, hers has at all times been high notch. I at all times actually believed in her and it’s so gratifying to see somebody like that take off.
I had labored with many individuals, however Dua was the one the place the writers and producers – even to start with after I needed to beg somebody to do a session, as a result of she wasn’t recognized but – all got here again being like, ‘Please can we do extra together with her’. She’s so magnetic, proficient and particular that individuals who gave her a shot at that cut-off date instantly bought it.
In the event you may change one factor in regards to the music trade, proper right here and now, what wouldn’t it be?
Extra appreciation, respect and simply extra rights for songwriters. The music trade doesn’t exist with out songwriters, it’s essentially the most basic a part of the music enterprise, and so usually songwriters are missed or disrespected within the course of.
It’s my function to try to advocate for them as a lot as I presumably can. Once I go to Nashville, it at all times warms my coronary heart how a lot you possibly can really feel the appreciation for songwriters.
The second you land, you drive by billboards celebrating their achievements and I want there was extra of that globally and throughout the music trade.
How lengthy can Amy’s scorching streak maintain going?
One of many issues individuals have stated to me that’s perhaps misguided, is referring to Amy as having a ‘scorching streak’, as a result of I don’t imagine that. She was in a session at 11am the day after the Grammys. We went out and celebrated, she simply takes her work very severely and was able to go subsequent morning.
Amy has had an outstanding profession, not a scorching streak. It’s simply who she is: a tremendous songwriter. So why would something change?
