LBB’s Great American Music Tour Begins in LA

The West Coast of the USA has several musical hubs, from the flannel-favouring birthplace of grunge up in Seattle down to the Portland punks and free-spirited Bay Area bands - but arguably, none has provided a combination of history, variety and industry impact which rivals that of Los Angeles.

The City of Angels has been home to rappers Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar; rock legends The Doors, Eagles, Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers; powerhouses like Etta James, Billie Eilish, Cher, Katy Perry - not to mention being a popular recording location for some of the most iconic albums from a whole range of non-Angeleno artists. The wider California music scene - spearheaded by the touring and media opportunities of LA - also claims the likes of The Beach Boys, Van Halen and Jeff Buckley.

The list of names that have been based in - and passed through - LA is almost endless.

A city known for its music, television and film industries - and its advertising, of course - it follows logic that, today, LA plays host to some of Adland’s most exciting music and sound companies. So naturally, as LBB’s Ben Conway begins the Great American Music Tour, his first stops are in the Golden State’s largest city, to hear Los Angeles’ leading music makers discuss their companies and how the local music scene inspires them.

Model Citizen Creative

[Above: Model Citizen’s CD and partner, Josh Good]

Model Citizen Creative is a boutique music house that specialises in audio post for advertising, film and TV, located in Marina Del Rey. Some of their strongest and best work falls in the tech, gaming and sports bubble. “We absolutely love high energy projects,” says Model Citizen’s CD and partner, Josh Good. “Recently, we’ve shipped launch films for multiple tech companies, VR gaming trailers, original music and sound design for the NBA and NHL, and edited music for three feature length films.”

One of Josh’s favourite things about the LA music scene is the incredible diversity in the arts throughout the city. One night you could be at an underground metal show, and the next day sipping wine listening to the LA Philharmonic Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl - or at a house party with a full stage set up in the backyard. “Living in the city and being exposed to all the different genres, art styles and creative people is super inspiring,” he says, “and that diversity really influences and comes through in our work.”

BUTTER

[Above: Butter’s LA team]

BUTTER is an international music and sound company with offices in LA, New York and Prague. They specialise in music for advertising, TV, film and trailers - but its largest department handles original music for advertising. This is a rarity among companies like BUTTER, who have eight composers on staff and a boutique ‘BUTTER SYNC’ roster that represents individual artists and record labels. BUTTER’s composer library boasts over 20,000 expert quality tracks ranging across all genre and its trailer division, creatively run by composer Max Schad, includes albums for sync as well as writers for custom opportunities. This year, ads with BUTTER’s music won awards from the Anthem Awards, Webbys and Clios, as well as two Cannes Lions Grand Prix for its Clash of Clans campaign with Wieden + Kennedy.

“We are truly just a humble group of kind humans that feel lucky to nerd out about music all day,”  says executive producer Annick Mayer. “I recently went to see Brandy Carlile at the Hollywood Bowl, and she brought out Annie Lennox, Blake Mills, Lucius AND Joni Mitchel and they all jammed together like something out of a Laurel Canyon hang in the ‘70s. Only in LA!”

MAS - Music and Strategy

MAS is a bi-coastal music company started in 2011 that has worked with some of the biggest brands, agencies and artists over the years. Partner/EP Gabe McDonough, senior music producer/music supervisor Lisa McGuire, and partner/music supervisor Gabe Hilfer hold down the fort for them in Los Angeles. 

"We love Los Angeles and its endless creative inspiration," says Gabe McDonough. "Hilfer is a film and TV music supervisor, and was recently nominated for an Emmy, and it doesn’t get more Hollywood than that. Lisa was recently at Baxter House studios tracking vocals with Chicano artist Xavi for a special version of OneRepublic’s latest holiday single, 'Dear Santa' for Ford. Talent from around the world is at your fingertips here." 

Describing LA as a "special place" right now for the way its art, music and brands are fluidly converging, the team is currently enjoying its work with Ryan Reynolds' agency Maximum Effort - creating everything from Aviation Gin ads to some of the most avant-garde TV they've ever seen for ME's channel on Fubo.

"Going to shows in LA is a trip too," adds Gabe, "you never know who you’ll be in the crowd with. Lisa was just caught on Jennifer Garner’s Instagram story melting to Mariah Carey’s Christmas performance at the Hollywood Bowl. Peak LA moment!"

Radish Music

“Hey we’re Radish Music, and we can’t get enough of LA.” With two of the team (founder/ECD Peymon Maskan and music coordinator Jenna Wilson) being LA-natives, and music coordinator Gemma Schladow having studied in the city of college, Radish Music’s love for LA is clear. “It’s a place that no band skips when they’re touring the West Coast, so it’s a playground for any music lover.” 

Radish is known for breaking fresh sounds, so seeing shows (and opening bands in particular) is an important way for the team to quickly research new artists. For example, Jenna and Gemma used to watch Thumpasaurus back in their USC days, so placing their song ‘Struttin’ in a Samsung launch ad last year was a magical LA moment come true. Sylvan Esso is also a band that Peymon booked for a showcase when they toured LA many years ago - so working with them on the Adobe ‘Birthday Card’ ad (covering ‘Sweet Caroline’) was like a sweet reunion. 

“We also throw shows ourselves, as we love to contribute to music culture in any way we can. We actually had Teezo Touchdown perform at an event in 2022 because we were so excited about his music. Watching him get called out by Drake and Givenchy gives us hope for the future.”

Fall on Your Sword

[Above: The Thames Room at Fall On Your Sword (via Tom Edwards) and Swimming Bell playing at Permanent Records Roadhouse (via Brian Dove)]

“We’ve always identified as more of an art collective rather than a traditional music and audio post house (though we very much are),” says Lucy Alper, executive producer and partner at Fall on Your Sword (FOYS). Starting out as a video art project, founder Will Bates then formed a band, which in turn evolved into the moniker you see today, under which he would score movies. They then created a home for all things sound and picture, scoring commercials and movies, doing audio post production and building interactive art. 

FOYS recently scored the Sony feature ‘Dumb Money’ starring Paul Dano and Seth Rogen - a soundtrack they’re really proud of. Another favourite project is the F5 title sequence they did with Block & Tackle. “It’s sonically wacky, visually astounding and really any collaboration with those folks are in our top 10,” says Lucy. 

FOYS moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 2018, but the relative newcomers already have favourite venues, including The Lodge Room in Highland Park, Permanent Records and Zebulon for music discovery, The Fonda, The Baked Potato for jazz, and the Greek and the Bowl. “LA also has some of the most amazing cinemas,” reminds Lucy, “which makes it easy to continually fall in love with the craft of film music.”

Mean Machine Music

[Above: Mean Machine’s co-founder Martin Estrada playing with Lady Gaga at the Oscars]

Mean Machine Music is a team of award-winning musicians and industry creatives working together to artfully craft music and sound for advertising, film, broadcast and digital media. Based in the heart of Los Angeles, they’re fueled by the vibrant energy of the city's unparalleled music scene and its unignorable kaleidoscope of diversity and innovation. 

“It's a melting pot where dreams are strummed into melodies, and aspirations harmonise with every beat,” says ECD, Clemente Bornacelli. “LA embraces every genre imaginable from the iconic venues lining Sunset Boulevard to the intimate studios hidden in the valleys. Here, aspiring artists brush shoulders with industry giants, creating an atmosphere that thrives on collaboration and experimentation.” Describing LA as an “unrivalled hub of musical inspiration”, the team uses LA’s music scene as its secret sauce - working with artists that produce and play some of your favourite songs.

“Whether pumping adrenaline into a commercial or scoring a film, our roots in the LA music scene give us that extra edge and make us who we are.”

California Music

[Above: Kristian Nord and Malte Hagemeister]

California Music describes itself as “a melody woven in the heart of Venice, California”. Led by German musicians Kristian Nord and Malte Hagemeister, the artist-driven audio company believes in the potent magic of sound and voice. With a team adorned with Grammy nominations and industry accolades, these sonic storytellers harmonise the worlds of emotion and brand, working with global giants like BMW and Samsung.

Their recent highlight has been making music for a Jedi - crafting custom music and sound design for the Volkswagen ID. Buzz commercial featuring Ewan McGregor, in collaboration with Scholz & Friends and AKKURAT Studios. The classic car, the movie star - you can’t squeeze any more icons into one ad!

“Los Angeles' music scene offers an inspiring duality,” says Malte. “Collaborating with seasoned veterans taps into the rich history of iconic music, while working with cutting-edge new artists in the city fosters a dynamic exchange of fresh perspectives and innovation. This unique intersection allows us to blend the best of both worlds, weaving a sonic narrative that pays homage to the past while pushing the boundaries of the future.”

Sounds Delicious

Sounds Delicious was founded in 2020 in Highland Park, Los Angeles, with the goal of creating music that felt like the records and art they hold near and dear to their hearts. 

Some of their favourite projects from this year include their work for Lexus, ESPN and Venmo, says executive producer Ronnie Fountenberry, who shares that they compare Sounds Delicious to “if Biggie and Beethoven had a baby”.

He adds, “I'm not sure what new things we could say about the Los Angeles music scene that hasn't already been said. It's vibrant, alive and always doing something unique… especially, if you like to look in the corners - which is our favourite thing to do. There's always something new and emergent to listen to and learn from. Randy Newman sang, ‘I love L.A’ and nothing could be truer for us!” 

Ear Candy Shop

[Above: Founders, Filip Mitrovic and Antony Demekhin]

Ear Candy was started by Grammy-nominated composer Filip Mitrovic and ex-agency executive Antony Demekhin over a beer in Brooklyn. They've since moved their HQ to Los Angeles, where Filip says "the entire music scene from New York seems to be now, so all the best artists are now here. Plus we get to enjoy the better weather!" Despite missing the obscure hip hop shows from his days in the Big Apple, Antony now enjoys LA’s underground electronic music offering. "I am really digging the warehouse dance music scene of downtown and east LA,” he says.

Founded in 2018 to deliver great music and sound design and treat composers fairly, Ear Candy also helps agency creative teams defend their music recommendations with the right music language and well-articulated creative rationale. They recently completed projects with the American Cancer Society, Realtor.com and Piedmont Health.

London Alley

London Alley is a creative production studio with music and entrepreneurial creativity at its core. Helping brands make resonant content, they often enlist the help of the world’s most well-known celebrities and brands - most notably: Ariana Grande, Doja Cat, The Weeknd, Bad Bunny, Post Malone, Kendrick Lamar, Tiesto, Nicki Minaj, SZA and Lil Nas X. 

Since starting out in 2007 producing award-winning music videos, London Alley has evolved to embrace various pockets of the entertainment world and now has 11 directors on its roster. Their content has aired on major media outlets worldwide and earned numerous accolades from VMA and CMA awards to Clios and Cannes Lions. 

The team’s recent favourite projects include the creation of the original song and music video ‘Pepper’, featuring Flowdan, Lil’ Baby and Skrillex - directed by Courtney Phillips - and the music videos for Doja Cat’s ‘Agora Hills’ and Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s ‘Barbie World’, both directed by Hannah Lux Davis. Not to mention Lil Nas X and Jack Harlowe’s ‘Industry Baby’ music video, directed by Christian Breslauer.

They say, “The LA music scene has always inspired London Alley, but it can be felt now more than ever before. From last year’s Super Bowl performance with the map of Inglewood projected on the stage to the resurgence of hip hop in the area - not to mention many music legends with LA roots.” Many of the company’s directors are based in LA and use the city’s backdrop as inspiration for their shoots, such as Christian Breslauer’s ‘The Box’ video for LA artist Roddy Rich, which earned VMA and BET Award nominations.

They add, “Amidst a vast industry, London Alley continues to cultivate a legacy of producing work at the highest level of creativity, enthusiasm and storytelling.”