A&R is short for Artiste & Repertoire.  The term dates back to the days when bands didn’t write their own songs, and record labels matched artists with tunes written for them by teams of composers.

Nowadays an A&R’s job is based around finding and developing new talent.  When a band gets signed the A&R becomes the link person between band and label.  They find producers, work with product managers, and supervising the long and expensive process of breaking a new band in a competitive market.

Maria Egan-Cohen (29) is an A&R at Columbia Records in New York.  Oly Wayman (23) is a regional A&R scout for Island Records, part of the world’s biggest music company Universal Music.

A&R feels like a closed world to unsigned bands. How did you get into it..?

Maria: In the 90s I wrote a fanzine.  This led to a job in artist management that brought me to New York and, eventually, to my job at Columbia.

Oly: I did bits of unpaid work for various labels and got my job after seeing an advert in a student magazine.

How do you find out about bands?

Maria: Through a combination of online research, word of mouth, and relationships with people in the industry like managers and producers.

Oly: I spend a lot of time going to gigs.  I also spend a lot of time meeting managers and promoters.  The more people you can meet the more you can find out about what is going on.

What are you looking for in a new band? Is it in the voice, the tunes, or the looks?

Maria: I want something that is truly unique. I suppose you could sum it up as a great voice and songwriting genius.  You need to be an accomplished performer who is comfortable on stage, and you have to have a great image.

Oly:  You need a good natural energy.  I am looking for vibrancy, someone who is ready to go on to bigger things and who can hold their own alongside established artists.

If you can walk out of a gig singing one of the songs at first listen that is the best sign of a good hook.  Surprisingly, that doesn’t happen very often.  In terms of genres, it really grabs my attention when boundaries are broken between different styles of music.

How has MySpace changed A&R?

Maria:  MySpace has changed everything.  It is very easy to navigate and you can quickly check any band’s page to see how many plays they have and to check out their profile.  You can instantly judge what is going on with a new band in a way that you never used to be able to.

Sometimes it can be hard to ignore the statistics and just listen objectively to the music.  I try to listen blind without looking at the number of plays, and decide whether or not I like the music on its own merits.

Oly:  MySpace has revolutionised A&R.  It is important for bands to have something on there that stands out from the crowd.  A good picture or a well-designed background can go a long way towards making a page memorable.  There is every possibility that A&R types will be listening to your songs without you knowing about it, so I would definitely try to make the content as good as possible.

MySpace can give good bands a lot of leverage.  If something is getting loads of hits I have to check it out otherwise my A&R manager will want to know why I missed it.

How much of a demo do you actually listen to?

Maria: I have boxes and boxes of stuff in the office and any unsolicited demos will go straight to the bottom of pile.  The best stuff usually comes via some sort of contact.  Bands also need some story attached to their music like local radio play or a sold out gig - something to suggest that people are talking about you.  Three songs are enough, best one first.

Oly: The first chorus is really important!  Many bands don’t actually like their most commercial songs, so maybe take advice on what should be your opening track.

What other advice would you give to a band?

Maria:  Don’t worry about just impressing A&R people.  More and more independent artists are having good careers without the help of major labels.

Oly:  Enjoy what you are doing. Making music is a beautiful thing and any success is a bonus.