Date Signed: May 2023
Label: Big Loud Rock
Type of Music: Blues/Rock
Management: Cooper Anstett, Anthony Manker, Group Projects - Red Light Management
Booking: Carrie Creasey, Mike Krug - WME
Publicity: Ashley White Public Relations
Web: liamstjohn.com
A&R: Ava Boney
For performers, there’s no denying the potential impact of appearing on television. Yet being seen by millions didn’t change much for Liam St. John, who competed on The Voice in 2020. “It was fun, but it didn’t really move the needle,” observes the bluesy rocker.
Instead, it was social media that pushed his career into overdrive. A year after St. John’s experience on Team Gwen, he penned the song “Dipped In Bleach,” and posted himself singing it on TikTok. The video garnered millions of views, which subsequently led to a publishing deal.
Since uploading to the app proved a winning strategy, he continued doing so. Before long, his cover of “I Put A Spell On You” caught the ear of Ava Boney. The performance compelled the Big Loud A&R to reach out. St. John started making regular pilgrimages from Los Angeles to Nashville, where the label home of Miranda Lambert, Morgan Wallen and Hardy is located. As the label’s interest intensified, St. John was invited to perform in their conference room.
While nurturing his relationship with Boney and Big Loud, St. John continued to tour. He also independently released the Stripped Back EP, which charted on Apple Music and went to No. 1 on the blues charts. To the Big Loud brass, that provided appealing evidence of self-initiative. Likewise, St. John appreciated that Big Loud stuck by his side even as he held off signing.
Further, the singer took it as a positive sign that Big Loud was scooping up left-of-center artists, including Stephen Wilson Jr., Kashus Culpepper, and Zandi Holup, a personal friend. “I wanted to be with a company that prioritizes the art over the business,” St. John observes. Expectations are that St. John’s 16-song full-length will surface in spring of next year.
