When COVID-19 shut the world down, it didn’t simply depart music fans with no hobby. Many concert-goers had been disconnected from the communities and areas the place they might really be themselves. Live music is at the core of Los Angeles, and the town was deeply deprived of the neighborhood created by concerts. Hollywood is full of iconic music venues like The Palladium, The Roxy, and The Fonda, but no one knew when or how stay music would return amidst the pandemic. Unfortunately, we knew it would be one of the final issues to return.
Located among Hollywood’s legendary stay music venues is NeueHouse, a personal work and social area for creators specializing in community, design, culture, and hospitality. NeueHouse’s Executive Director of Business Development, Casey Dolkas, turned a ardour venture into the protected return of reside music in Los Angeles. Back in the summertime of 2021, NeueHouse launched Sunset Sounds and hosted their first event with legendary artist Moby. Since then, the venue has hosted intimate reveals completely for its members featuring BANKS, Arlo Parks, Polo & Pan, Bob Moses and Bobby Gonz featuring a Q&A moderated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin. In gentle of its success, Billboard spoke with Dolkas and CEO Josh Wyatt concerning the inception of the project, the return of live music, and the future of Sunset Sounds.
BILLBOARD: What inspired you to create Sunset Sounds?
WYATT: Music is a core a half of our inventive DNA as a model and group. NeueHouse has at all times been a welcoming house to music business and to established and emerging talent. With our plentiful outside occasion and efficiency spaces, and a robust need to re-engage our members who had been locked up at house, Sunset Sounds was born in summer time 2021. At the time, most of the iconic music venues surrounding us in Hollywood have been shut. So, we wanted to assist the trade, artists and our neighborhood. Casey and the staff actually delivered on that mission.
Sunset Sounds
BILLBOARD: Tell us in regards to the process of planning and executing your first show. Who was the act? How did it go?
DOLKAS: It was actually serendipitous. Moby was interested in internet hosting a documentary premiere and album release celebration, so we reached out and he wanted to host it at NeueHouse. That was our first official Sunset Sounds occasion and it was incredible. Moby played an unforgettable acoustic set and since then we’ve been capable of spotlight icons like Moby, but additionally associate with emerging names from our close label pals like Capitol Records and Atlantic Records.
BILLBOARD: What are a few of your favourite Sunset Sounds moments since the project’s inception?
DOLKAS: We love to allow our neighborhood to discover new artists. When labels reach out seeking to partner with NeueHouse, we’re always interested in testing their rosters. A few favorites come to mind. First, Bob Moses because it was such a huge manufacturing. We hosted a rooftop present with their label Astrelwerks on the eve of the album launch. There were 450 guests and Amazon Live streamed the performance. Next, I would say BANKS because she is so wildly talented. She’s a good friend from faculty and we’ve been in a position to program occasions at NeueHouse for her album releases. Last, however not least, Arlo Parks. Seeing her progress in real- time proper before receiving two Grammy nominations was so rewarding. As music fans, we love supporting emerging acts and bringing that moment of discovery to our members.
Sunset Sounds
BILLBOARD: Tell us concerning the in-house content creation facet of the brand.
WYATT: We’re growing content material and an editorial platform via our common programming, events and member stories, and amplifying that through NeueJournal and our social media channels. Our in-house programming and creative teams curate all of the experiences and produce probably the most partaking content from artist interviews, behind the scenes content material, photo-shoots, to brief films. We are all about creativity and tradition, and storytelling is central to that.
BILLBOARD: Why ought to folks get involved with Sunset Sounds and NeueHouse?
DOLKAS: We’re massive on community, collaboration, and creativity. NeueHouse introduced reside music back safely at a time when people wanted it most. Fortunately, the challenge has taken off, and we are in a position to encourage our members whereas highlighting both icons emerging expertise. We hope to take this to all NeueHouse areas for our members, together with our new houses in Venice Beach, opening this fall and Miami, opening next 12 months.
WYATT: What Casey and the team have managed to achieve here is reflective of the range of particular person creators, brands, companies, industries, companions, and talent that type what we truly think about as a creative ecosystem.
Sunset Sounds
BILLBOARD: Where do you see Sunset Sounds in 5 years?
WYATT: We see the challenge persevering with to become bigger and higher when it comes to talent and the place else we will take it. In addition to our different NeueHouse locations, we eventually need to take this format into other international cities and to help and associate with other cultural platforms and venues given our creative network and rising international community.
Connect with NeueHouse right here and keep tuned for extra from Sunset Sounds.
This content was created in partnership with NeueHouse.
