This week's Mindful Music has two guests! David Nathan is a well-known and respected veteran in the entertainment/music industry who has worked and developed the careers of multiple A-list talents throughout his career such as Taylor Swift, Amy Winehouse, Ariana Grande, Florida Georgia Line, The Weeknd, Thomas Rhett, Shawn Mendes, and Cash Money, to name a few. With over three decades of experience and a contact list of elite and sought-after names in the music, film, television, and sports industries, Nathan possesses the experience, skills, and connections required to successfully negotiate, secure, and navigate the most desirable and highly paid deals.
In 1996, Nathan was hired as the seventh employee at the new “start-up” label and spent 21 years there, rising through the ranks to SVP of Promotion and Artist Development. He was an intricate piece of building Republic Records into the #1 Record Label in the world. In conjunction with his promotion and marketing initiatives and responsibilities, he also worked on branding, marketing, social media, and touring, allowing him to forge and build lasting relationships between diverse communities on behalf of his clients.
Sam Koch is a DJ, Producer, Songwriter, Entrepreneur, and Mental Health Advocate. Within his first three years of producing music, Sam has amassed 1+ million streams across all of his productions. He prides himself on having a great ear for new talent and his knowledge of various genres allows him to bring unique collaborations to the music scene. Sam started DJing in 2014, after seeing Swedish House Mafia play at the legendary Madison Square Garden. Their music helped Sam cope with his own anxiety as a kid and now his mission is to use music as a remedy to help others with their everyday struggles. He has opened up for popular artists such as Machine Gun Kelly, 50 Cent, Lil Yachty, and Polo G, to name a few. As a graduate of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, Sam is taking his love for business and mixing it with his love for the music industry and mental health advocacy.
David and Sam launched Happy Jack Records this past May 4th. Happy Jack Records is a boutique label taking a mega-proactive approach to the mental health of its artists, in honor of the person the label is named for, David’s son Jack who tragically died of an accidental fentanyl overdose nearly two years ago. At the time of his passing, Jack was donating percentages of his profits to mental health-focused charities. And now David and Sam are carrying on Jack’s legacy in a way that is going to transform the music industry.
Listen to David and Sam's Playlist: