DOUBLE DRUMMER

Double Drummer is an independent Sydney-based record label and music publisher with a father/son team at its core (Tim and Edward). Previously Tim had a long major label career with senior roles in Australia and internationally (signing artists like Powderfinger and Megan Washington; as well as working closely with the likes of Pink, Foo Fighters, Beyonce, AC/DC, John Farnham, You Am I, The Cruel Sea, Alicia Keys and OutKast). Edward is a singer/songwriter, guitarist, drummer and producer. Double Drummer’s digital distribution partner is Believe; and sub-publishing partner is Universal. 

Our business has a strong focus on artist development, careful curation and working with artists that we believe could have lengthy careers. The A&R approach centres on three main questions: Does the music move us? Could we see ourselves working with this artist for the long term? And does it have the potential to be world class? If the answer to all of these questions is ‘yes’, then we will prioritise that over a flash-in-the-pan TikTok moment every time. The word “authenticity” is way overused these days, but that’s genuinely what we’re looking for. Songwriters whose music and message feel real and true to who they are as people. 

Our current roster includes Greta Stanley, Radio Free Alice, Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird, Georgia Mulligan, Emma Swift and Dominic Breen (we also handle management for Breen and Cousin Tony's). One of the best parts of doing this kind of work is seeing an artist grow from ground zero - playing to just a handful of people to selling out a sizeable venue. 

It’s no secret that it’s an incredibly challenging time to be an indie label in this country. Two iconic indies just made the call to close their doors within a week of each other (Spunk and Elefant Traks) and that doesn’t feel like a coincidence. We are at a crossroads – we believe our industry and the various levels of government have an obligation to rally behind people that are taking risks and trying to help artists set themselves up for the long haul. There should always be a place for long term artist development and a career-oriented focus.  

It’s easy to forget that many of the most iconic bands didn’t properly break through commercially until their third or fourth album (Midnight Oil, INXS, The War On Drugs and The National all come to mind). These days, it feels like artists often aren’t afforded the time or investment to develop and evolve. It can take a while for brilliant creative minds to reach their full potential, and this is something that Double Drummer is conscious of in a system that is so focused on quick wins and appealing to short attention spans.