In the latest edition of Music Week we proudly present this year’s expanded Music Week Women In Music Awards Roll Of Honour. Here we speak to Lesley Bleakley, director of catalogue & archive at Beggars Group...
How do you feel about joining the Roll Of Honour?
“I’m very happy and very proud to be alongside all these wonderful women who have done, and continue to do amazing work, inside and outside of our industry. A career in music can feel like the impossible dream for all young people, especially young women. My kids think I got it just for being in the industry for such a long time, I’m hoping that isn’t the case! I hope my inclusion, along with every inductee, can help inspire and show what can be achieved. Be yourself, be true to yourself, work hard and you will succeed, and don’t let anyone or anything stand in your way.”
How do you reflect on your early years in the biz?
“It has been, and continues to be, an exciting journey, full of interesting people. Back in the day, I couldn’t get a job from answering adverts, so I decided I had to learn to type to get on the books at a music recruitment agency. I’ll be honest, I resented it, because I did not want to be a secretary – and doing a typing test at that agency was a nightmare – but computers and touch typing are a winning combination. It got me my first job as the office junior! Then, it was up to me to prove myself. I wish I had been more confident when I was younger, it would have helped with the excessive anxiety I carried. On the other hand, it fuelled my ambition and drive.”
Did you have a mentor at that stage?
“Martin Mills [Beggars chairman] and Nigel Bolt [former Beggars CFO], for giving me opportunities and support. Martin has been there at my best and worst times, he never judged me and trusted me to do the right thing, which I think is a remarkable trait. Martin believed I could move to America and set up the business, and I did. Nigel was such a good friend to me and his support, particularly through the tough times in the early New York days, was invaluable. Now I have to give the biggest shout out to Craig McNeil, my colleague at Beggars. He is just the best and has really been a huge support since I moved back from Vietnam in 2014! However old you get, I don’t think you ever stop needing a mentor, the challenges change, but support is still needed.”
What’s your biggest achievement so far?
“Moving to New York and setting up Beggars USA was a life-changing time. We bought 50% of Matador Records and the integration was particularly challenging – as you’d expect when merging two labels – but that move really established Beggars as a thriving and successful independent group in the US. I’m not sure if any other UK label had managed that before. Our US office only had eight employees at the time, so to move into another label’s HQ with four times the staff did have various teething problems – but we worked it out. We learned a lot from Matador, and I like to think they have learned a lot from us. Doing karaoke with Dizzee Rascal in Korea Town in New York was a highlight from those days.”
Showing your emotions when you love something shouldn’t be frowned upon
Lesley Bleakley
What advice would you offer young female execs?
“Don’t take it personally. It doesn’t work for every situation of course, but honestly it really is the best advice I have. I wish I had taken it on those oh so many occasions when I stayed up all night worrying about what a pissed off manager or artist had just said to me. It wasn’t me, it was the situation. This industry is fun, creative and hard in lots of ways, but we are lucky to be doing what we do, getting up in the morning and not dreading going into work is a wonderful thing. I have always tried to keep up with technology. I approach catalogue marketing with a young eye and we treat each release with the same care, attention and creativity as we do with current artists.”
What’s the best advice you’ve ever had?
“Don’t take it personally – I might have just mentioned that! I’m emotional, passionate and unfiltered, which can be a good thing, sometimes not so good. Emotion and sensitivity go hand in hand, but I’ve learned not to be embarrassed. I’m not suggesting bursting into floods of tears at every given opportunity is appropriate, but showing your emotions when you love something shouldn’t be frowned upon. It’s all a balance. When I stop caring about music it will be time to retire to Vietnam and do something else.”
What’s been the biggest lesson you’ll take away from 2020?
“While we haven’t been able to release the amount of physical catalogue I would have liked, our digital numbers have been great. You realise just how important our catalogue tracks are to people, especially in these tough times. To a number of my relatives – not my parents I must add – me working in the music industry was seen as frivolous. This pandemic has shown me and others, I hope, how important music is to people. I’m proud of what I do.”
PHOTO: Louise Haywood-Schiefer
