Features
Stuart Vallans Turns Marshall Live Agency Into Trust Artists
Stuart Vallans, who’s been heading the Marshall Live Agency since its formation almost four years ago, has gone solo, and opened the brand-new boutique agency Trust Artists [stylized TRUST. Artists].
Vallans is bringing the roster he built at Marshall with him, including The Meffs, Gallus, Cucamaras, Hotel Lux, Snake Eyes, Carsick, Aiko, and more. Trust Artists is based in Nottingham, UK, and focused on building their careers across the UK and Europe.
Pollstar got an idea of Vallans’ business philosophy when interviewing him for the Marshall Live Agency launch at the start of 2021. He had worked at a booking agency for the better part of ten years before joining Marshall. During that time, he strongly felt that looking after the artists, as well as promoters and the support staff, should be the main priority.
Vallans is focused on making sure that the right deals are in place not only for the artists he represents but also for the promoters and wider live community, something that will have a knock on affect for many years to come. “It comes to a point where your judgements start getting skewed by the financial aspect, rather than what’s best for the bands and artists,” he explained, adding that it was never about the money for him.
Now, commenting on his vision for Trust Artists, he said, “My vision for TRUST. spans back nearly two decades, having worked with many incredible artists and many, many talented industry professionals, I’ve always wanted to do things my own way. The new agency is being built using the model of many of my friends’ European boutique agencies; working with a smaller roster of bands, but having tighter relationships with them. I personally believe there is always a better way of doing things, a much more agile way of booking shows, something I will be working on at TRUST. to further all my artists’ careers.”
The Meffs, one of his clients, commented, “From day one of being our agent, Stu got behind The Meffs and everything we stand for. We’re a team. Nothing has ever been too much trouble and no opportunity has ever been too big to fight for. Stu’s famous phrase is ‘let me dig in’ and we never have doubt that he’s going to DIG! Trust is the core value that bands need from an agency, and it’s guaranteed with this diamond.”