CMA Member Profile: Matt Stubbs

By Cillea Houghton

For Matt Stubbs, BRELAND’s day-to-day manager at WHY&HOW, patience is a virtue and mentorship is invaluable when it comes to artist management.  

Raised in Houston, TX, Stubbs, was actively involved with music growing up and he knew that music was the career path he wanted to pursue. However, it wasn’t until he attended the University of Texas that he discovered a passion for music business.

Early in his career, Stubbs found that mentorship and exposure were critical components in his professional and personal trajectory. While interning at Triple 8 Management, he learned that he had a skill for logistics and enjoyed the behind-the-scenes nature of the music business. As a Triple 8 intern, Stubbs was mentored by his boss and now colleague at WHY&HOW, Eddie Kloesel. Sharing an office with Kloesel, Stubbs quickly recognized the tangible tools needed to be an artist manager. Alongside Bruce Kalmick, Kloesel allowed the young Stubbs to learn about the logistics of artist management, including organization, how to talk to artists and how to manage life outside of the business.  

Stubbs also had the ability to ask questions immediately and even listen in on phone calls, with Kloesel also teaching him the art of organization—a simple, yet necessary tool that Stubbs utilizes daily to coordinate clients’ schedules. For Stubbs, a major learning curve in his young career was realizing that there is no “structure” to artist management, but rather being able to adapt to a situation at a moment’s notice.  

“It’s more [about] ‘I’m going to do everything I possibly can today to further my artist’s career and the best path,’ whether that’s putting out a fire somewhere because something has gone wrong or reaching out to these people that need to be reached out to,” he explains of the job.  

“You could show up to work one day and have something completely different happen than the day before,” Stubbs continues. He says that patience and communication are key to navigating the fast-paced music industry, especially in a managerial role where he has to wear “many different hats.”  

“I like to say that we’re the middle man, the liaison, the spoke of the wheel that is making sure that everybody who is a part of the team is always on the same page at all times,” Stubbs explains of the job wherein he talks daily with the artists’ business managers, agents, creatives, etc. to ensure that the team is “moving forward in the best way that’s possible for our artist’s career.”  

“The biggest thing that I learned fast was you can only control what you control. So, as long as you’re open and communicative as much as you possibly can be, then you’re doing everything you can.”  

A crucial part of this success is communicating with the artists themselves, with Stubbs talking to BRELAND every day of the week about all the details of his career. 

“There’s no job too small and there’s no job too big. When I say we wear all the hats, we really do, but at the same time, an artist team is a big team and it’s a super important team, so you also have to know that balance and know that you shouldn’t do everything on your own and you have a team of people in place that will help you out,” Stubbs describes of the artist manager dynamic.  

One of the most rewarding moments of his career was when BRELAND was opening for Dierks Bentley as a new act. Watching him perform, Stubbs had a gut instinct that BRELAND was destined for stardom.  

“Seeing a crowd react so strongly and positively to an artist that they have no idea who he was, was so special. ‘I know for fact right now that this kid’s going somewhere and I want to be a part of it,’” Stubbs recalls of his reaction. It’s this sense of conviction that’s propelled Stubbs to the point in his career with the goal of continuing to learn, grow and act with compassion – and he encourages aspiring managers to do the same.  

With more than 80% of employees as active CMA members, WHY&HOW, and Stubbs, understand the value of reaching beyond yourself and your organization to get involved and invest in the industry.  

“I just want to keep learning. I don’t think that you can ever know enough. I’m always open to learning and trying new things and seeing what works best, and I’m excited to keep doing that,” Stubbs says of how he hopes to continue growing in his career. “I think it’s one of those things where you have to be open to the growth too. You always have to be open to change and get better on a daily basis, and if you really are and you understand that, then success is inevitable.”