Harbour Agency's Jeremy Sharp Leaves To Set Up Craft Music

The Australian booking agency sector has seen a seismic shift this morning, with Jeremy Sharp announcing his departure from the Harbour Agency to set up an independent agency with digital marketer Peter Gillies, Craft Music. 

The new agency arrives with a huge roster of artists, most previously working with Sharp at Harbour including (in alphabetical order): Angie Hart, Bad Pony, The Basics, Ben Lee, Brendan Maclean, Busby Marou, Chris Sebastian, David Campbell, Emma Pask, Fatai, Frente, george, Jack Carty, Jarryd James, JEFFE, J-MILLA, Kate Miller-Heidke, Katie Noonan, Mark Wilkinson, Missy Higgins, Paul Mac, Rachael Fahim, Short Stack, Skunkhour, Tim Freedman, Vera Blue, The Whitlams, William Crighton and Xavier Rudd.

Sharp paid tribute to his former employer, whom he finished up with last week after a massive nineteen years. 

“I am immensely proud of my work at The Harbour Agency and eternally grateful for the opportunities provided to me during my time there. It was Tony Grace Guarrera who showed belief in me as a young and passionate 19 year old - without him I wouldn’t have made it this far down the road.” Sharp states. “I’m incredibly excited to form this new chapter in my life and launch Craft Music alongside Pete Gillies. We have already received an overwhelming wave of support and can’t wait to embark on this new journey!”

The new company, headquartered in Wollongong, will co-locate with Pete Gillies' Craft Digital Marketing. Gillies began his career with experience as a touring artist and manager as part of rock band New Empire. 

“Live performance is a place where artists can express their craft with the audience experiencing a pure moment in time. Curating these events is a genuine honour," Gillies said. "I actually began my touring career with Jeremy by my side over 15 years ago and toured extensively throughout Australia and abroad. Jeremy and I share the same core values and passions and are overjoyed to be starting Craft Music together.”

Their Wollongong location puts them firmly in the trend, with many music businessess choosing to move away from their Sydney / Melbourne hubs during and after the pandemic. Jeremy and Pete chose their location to prioritise a healthy work-life balance at home with young families. 

"The core of our work is to bring people together, yet to facilitate this, we can work quite effectively from afar," said Gillies. "The music industry is filled with great people that collaborate to create amazing experiences - and physical location is rarely the catalyst for these achievements. There are a number of influential organisations based out of Wollongong. Yours & Owls are one of these, who have chosen a regional city location and done some amazing things."

The duo's location is also mirrored in their vision for the future, with expected growth throughout regional touring amid the post-covid recovery of the live sector. 

"For many decades Australian touring has been concentrated in metro markets, yet we’ve seen proof that there are local and regional cities finding growth in the live markets," said Jeremy. "This enables artists to consider building a wider fanbase across markets and tour for longer. With a growing population and regional sprawl occurring over the past 3 years, we’re passionate about expanding the reach for our artists."

"The industry is undeniably facing some challenges with over-saturation, the rising costs of putting on shows, inflation pressures and skills shortages. The live industry has proven it’s resilience through these challenges and we believe the good times are just a moment away. We feel now is a time of great opportunities and a great need to reconnect with each other. Live music is the best way to bring people together."