Leading music manager Scott Maclachlan is to join the team at Warner Music Australasia as SVP of A&R. He will report to Niko Nordström, President of Warner Music Australasia, and will split his time between the company’s Auckland and Sydney offices.
Maclachlan is the co-founder and director of Saiko Management, a boutique music management company with offices in Auckland and New York. He is best known for unearthing and nurturing Lorde and SOL3 MIO, two of New Zealand’s biggest ever artists.
Scott Maclachlan says: “I’m stoked to be joining Niko and the team at Warner Music Australasia. The global streaming-driven music market creates amazing opportunities to break great artists from Australia and New Zealand around the world and that’s something I’m committed to doing over the coming years.”
Niko Nordström adds: “Scott’s a legend in the music industry and he brings local knowledge and global experience to this pivotal role. He has a true affinity with artists and always puts their needs first. That’s how he’s been able to generate such amazing results over the years. We’re delighted that he’s joined the Warner Music team.”
Maclachlan is originally from the UK and spent 20 years in the music industry there before relocating his family to his wife’s native New Zealand in 2008. He spent five years working for Universal Music New Zealand, spearheading A&R and new business activity, before concentrating full-time on Saiko Management from 2013.
It was while he was at Universal Music that Maclachlan discovered Lorde in 2009. She was aged just 13 and he signed her to a development deal, allowing her space to grow as a person and artist before the release of the global smash ‘Royals’ in 2012.
Maclachlan also uncovered and nurtured SOL3 MIO, the two tenor brothers, Pene and Amitai Pati, and their cousin Moses Mackay. Their powerful and moving operatic voices, combined with a dash of uncontainable Samoan humour, have made them the biggest selling act in New Zealand over the last four years.
In addition, Maclachlan represents the New Zealand artists Balu Brigada, LEISURE and Thomston, the Australian acts E^ST and Glades, as well as The Aces in the US. He will continue to have an advisory role at Saiko Management.
Maclachlan picked up the International Achievement of the Year prize at the New Zealand Music Manager Awards in 2014 and 2015 and was named Manager of the Year in 2015. He also won the New Zealand Online Achievement Award in 2012.
