Not Your Father’s APA

Earlier this month, Ferguson announced he was leaving Paradigm to accept a position as VP of Music for APA.

First founded in 1962 by former MCA executives David Baumgarten, Roger Vorce and Harvey Litwin, APA had a reputation for being a bit stodgy and old school, but Ferguson said the agency has evolved as a new generation takes the reins.

“It’s not your father’s APA,” he told The Real. “I think it’s an exciting time to be at the company and a great time to be in the live music industry.”

Changes in APA’s New York music office began in 2013 when APA President & CEO Jim Gosnell recruited Paradigm agent Andrew Ellis to join the company. Less than a year later, Gosnell hired Steve Martin away from The Agency Group and later promoted the vice president of worldwide music to partner.

He was followed a year later by Andy Somers, who left TAG in 2014 and brought clients like Social Distortion, Pennywise and Stiff Little Fingers with him.

Ferguson said he joined APA because “my contract was up (at Paradigm) and I had to make a decision where my next move was going to be.”

At APA “there’s a lot of great people here whom I’ve never worked before with like Bruce Solar, Josh Humiston and John Pantle. Along with old friends like Steve Martin, Andy (Somers), Troy (Blakely) and Ellis; it feels like home.”

Ferguson said he’s getting used to being the VP of Music at APA, noting that he didn’t have a title at Paradigm.

“Certainly I want to make a difference here, there’s a lot of young and upcoming agents and I hope that they can draw from my knowledge and experience,” he said.

He considers APA to be a “boutique agency where everyone can focus on their clients instead of volume, volume, volume,” he said. In recent years, Paradigm has grown at a rapid pace with acquisitions and mergers of firms like Little Big Man, AM Only and Windish.

“Everyone wants to be bigger,” he said. “Consolidation is the trend in the music business, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but APA gives me the chance to focus on the artists I work with while being surrounded by some really great people.”

Fore more, visit Amplify at www.ampthemag.com.