Meet: Cut Above Collective

Behind most successful artists is an extremely hardworking team in the background (see our recent interview with Amy Shark where she talks about the importance of her team), taking care of things like bookings, publicity, release strategies, marketing campaigns, contracts, publishing and just about anything else non-creative you can think of, allowing artists to do what they do best - focus on their art.

The latest booking agency on the scene in Western Australia is the Cut Above Collective, who is comprised of an experienced team of music industry professionals who are passionate about creating opportunities for their musical talent, from established artists to emerging superstars across all genres.

Teaming up with Mellen Events and Live Nation, the collective have access to some incredible resources in order to support their artists. Speaking of their artists, they’ve assembled a crack roster of some of W.A.’s finest talent (and a stack of Pilerats faves!) to kick off the collective:

- Alter Boy

- Boox Kid

- Chaos Divine

- Drea

- Have A Good Day

- Osaka Punch

- Priscilla

- Voyager

- Yomi Ship

Cut Above Collective General Manager Josh Terlick explains “We’re so excited to be launching Cut Above Collective here in Western Australia. With the support of Mellen Events and Live Nation Australia, we can’t wait to spotlight the amazing Western Australian artists we represent, along with some absolute gems from around the country.”

The collective will be celebrating with a launch at Rosemount Hotel on Saturday, April 29, featuring live performances from Alter Boy, Priscilla, Boox Kid, Drea & Have A Good Day, while Yomi Ship & Chaos Divine will be laying down DJ sets.

To find out more about the collective, we caught up with Josh Terlick to find out how the collective started, what they offer, future goals, how artists can get involved and a whole lot more - get to know below!

Congrats on the Cut Above Collective! What does the collective do?

We do Artist Management, Bookings and we’re in the process of setting up the Record Label, with releases scheduled for later this year. We also see our Artist Roster as the collective, which will lead to collabs in the studio and on the stage.

What was the reason for starting Cut Above?

Cut Above is a partnership between Mellen Events and Live Nation Australia. Mellen Events have had a long-term desire to create a Talent Agency, so when I met the Mellen crew we began chatting about working together on something new, and the stars aligned.

The collective has a stacked roster already - how did you go about assembling this line-up?

Some of the roster I’ve been working with for many years, joining us from my previous agency, Beardfoot Bookings. A few artists I’ve wanted to work with for a long time, and some have been introduced to me through the Mellen network.

What are Cut Above’s main goals?

Our goals include providing our artists unique opportunities that our partnerships bring. We will spotlight the talent here in WA and provide artists true national representation without having to look to the east coast. Of course we aren’t limiting ourselves to working with WA artists (Osaka Punch for exampe is based in Brisbane), and we offer a unique perspective on touring and events, partly due to the unique challenges of West Australian artists and the isolation of the WA music scene.

Can people apply to be part of the Collective, or is it by invitation?

Yes we welcome artists to reach out. We’re always looking to expand!

You’re partnered with Live Nation Australia and Mellen Events - HUGE - how did this partnership come about and what opportunities will it offer the collective?

I first met the Mellen team at one of their events, WA Day 2022. It was clear how passionate they are about West Australian music and emerging talent, so the discussions began. Since launching, our rostered artists have played a number Mellen Events productions, including supporting George Ezra, Hoodoo Gurus, Sting, SIX60, and sets at Perth Bluesfest and Dark Sky Festival in Exmouth.

The Collective will be launching with an event on Saturday, April 29 at Boorloo’s iconic Rosemount Hotel - what can we expect from the launch?

You can expect some of Perth’s finest ripping it up on one of my favourite Perth stages. This will be the Perth debut for Have A Good Day. The song writing of HAGD is extraordinary. Alter Boy is bringing something special that they’ve curated especially for the APRA Music Awards. In addition to live sets from Priscilla, Boox Kid and Drea, band members from Yomi Ship and Chaos Divine will be doing their first ever DJ sets. It’s going to be a blast.

Anything else you’d like to share with us?

Voyager and Osaka Punch are both absent from our launch with reasonable excuses. Voyager is currently on tour in Europe ahead of representing Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool in May, and Osaka Punch is touring nationally ahead of a major announcement next month.

Follow Cut Above Collective: Instagram / Facebook