An Interview With...Lucy Bridge

Meet Lucy Bridge who is the Warner Music Intern for Generator NE. The role sees Lucy commute to London once a month and learn skills to help better the North East music industry such as analytics, meetings, and Artist Management.

1. How did you get the music industry intern role?

"I didn’t go to university so over the years I’ve made work experience opportunities for myself as well as having a full-time and part-time job. I think this stood out to the Generator team as it showed my passion for starting a career in the music industry."

2. Why did you want to work in the music industry?

"I’ve had aspirations of being part of the music industry since as young as ten years old when I'd record my own radio shows. As I got older I started to get work in the live music scene working numerous festivals during the summer season. More recently I started DJing around Newcastle and repping for local gig promoters. Over the last couple of months, my friend and I have set up a live music promotions company called House Folk based in North Shields."

"I’ve always had a passion for music and right now I love being a part of the gig scene, especially in the North "East. I’m not the most academic person, I'm more of a creative person and what I’ve seen so far is that the music industry welcomes those people."

3. What has been your experience of working for Generator NE?

"I’ve worked for Generator for just over a month now and I love it. Everyone has a real passion and drive for wanting to make the North East’s music industry as accessible as it can be. As well as showcasing the incredibly talented local artists and creatives as much as possible."

4. What does the music industry intern role contain and what is a day in your life for that role?

"I work Monday to Thursday based in the Generator's office on the Quayside. I’ll travel down to London every 3 weeks and spend 3 days with the team I'm allocated to. When I'm based in Newcastle I'll work on tasks that Warner teams need help on. For instance, I’m creating a newsletter of all the vinyl/digital releases coming out in April. This is for the label Rhino which they will then send out to their suppliers. I’ll also help the Generator team on tasks they’re working on for example,, planning Generator Live events or workshops."

5. What do you think the North East needs more of in the music industry?

"· Women/LGBTQIA+ individuals."

"· More independent labels/bigger established labels. This would create jobs and would also mean artists from the North East could stay up here and wouldn’t have to move to another city to try to start a career."

6. What is a day in your life when you go to London to work?

"Each time I visit Warner HQ it’s with a different department. My first visit was with Rhino. My mentor Hanna, organised meetings with each person in the team. This is a great way for me to understand the label as a whole and how everyone on the team contributes. I’ll also attend meetings they have set up with other labels/departments either via Zoom or in person. Whilst in meetings I'll take notes so I have a clear understanding of what I’ve learned everyday. Recently, I joined the commercial and analytics team and this was really interesting as I learned about the importance of streams/playlists when it comes to the charts. I was also able to sit in on label meetings to chat/listen to unreleased music that was about to be released."

7. What would be your advice for those who want to work in the music industry?

"Start as early as you can with gaining experience within the industry. Talk to as many industry individuals when you get the chance. I found a really good way of meeting people was through attending conferences. It’s a perfect way of meeting like minded people or future employers."