Named after Bob Dylan’s dark 1964 classic “Ballad of Hollis Brown,” the Queens, NY based rockers got on the fast track to a major booking agency after the release of their 2013 full-length debut, Ride On The Train, signing with New Frontier, a boutique Nashville booking agency that frontman/guitarist Mike Montali says specializes in “American sounding bands.” In 2014 alone, the band performed 120 concerts in 10 countries.
As Hollis Brown’s deal with New Frontier was drawing to a close, their manager Chris Tuthill of TCI invited Jesse Rosoff (from the NYC office of The Agency Group) to check them out at The Mercury Lounge. Rosoff braved eight inches of snow that night, and later flew to the South by Southwest conference to catch them a few times, including their Red Eyed Fly showcase that was part of The Outlaw Road Show put on by writer/publisher Ryan Spaulding and Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz.
“We’ve always dreamed of taking that next step and being with a global booking agency.”
“I liked them at The Mercury,” says Rosoff, “but during the SXSW shows I started singing along to all their songs and things just clicked. I got to know the guys, we had a few meetings and I made a decision to sign them at a gut level. They have a solid tour history and signing with us will give them the opportunity to expose themselves to thousands more.”
Rosoff was also impressed that the band, through its connection to Duritz, had self-booked its upcoming summer/fall U.S. tour with Citizen Cope and Counting Crows. Hollis Brown will then continue promoting their just-released album, 3 Shots, with numerous European dates.
“Jesse’s aim is to capitalize on this Crows tour and help keep our momentum going throughout 2016 and beyond, starting with the big summer festivals,” says Montali. “We loved working with New Frontier and are grateful to them for getting us started on the road. But we’ve always dreamed of taking that next step and being with a global agency that can elevate our game even further.” – Jonathan Widran
