🎙️ Interview with Tom Windish of Wasserman

We sat down with Veteran booking agent Tom Windish, who has developed the touring careers of some of the biggest names in music, including Billie Eilish, Lorde, alt-J and The xx. Hundreds additional clients have grown from playing small local venues to dominating stages at major festivals and arenas.

Universally recognized as one of the industry's most successful music agents, Windish joined Paradigm (now Wasserman) in 2017 from The Windish Agency, which he started in his Chicago apartment and built into an industry force with a staff of more than 80 in six cities and over 1,000 clients. Windish has won Pollstar's Independent Booking Agency of the Year Award three times and is now the Head of A&R and Business Development for Wasserman. Below is our conversation.

AvA: How did you get your start in the music industry? 

Windish: I did college radio at SUNY Binghamton. I threw a concert for them. That led to more concerts with the college and then an internship at William Morris. I lasted three weeks at that gig before being told I was "not made for William Morris". I started booking bands on my own the same day.

AvA: How has the industry changed during your time?

Windish: When I started there was no email, no streaming, no cell phones. I used to page bands to get in touch with them! Man, that makes me sounds old. But also, I came from working with "underground" bands. You couldn't buy the records in the shops of a lot of the bands I liked. Streaming shined a light on those artists and changed the trajectory of a ton of them.

AvA: What is one piece of advice for someone just starting their career?

Windish: To succeed in this business is a huge amount of work. First off, great music is key. After that, I think drive is important. Don't expect people to open doors for you. Open doors with your music and the quality of your live show. Engage with your fans. Don't take them or anyone for granted. Be grateful to your fans and people who help you.

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