<\/p>\n
UNIFIED Music Group<\/a><\/strong>, the Melbourne<\/strong>-headquartered independent multi-service music company, has expanded into New Zealand.<\/p>\n The Australian indie has appointed Matt Harvey<\/strong> to the role of Senior Artist Manager, in a move that brings his existing roster \u2014 including Shapeshifter<\/strong>, Daily J<\/strong>, Mim Jensen<\/strong>, Spell<\/strong> and former Shihad<\/strong> frontman Jon Toogood<\/strong> \u2014 under the UNIFIED umbrella. Harvey<\/strong>\u2018s day-to-day manager Mandy Keighley<\/strong> joins UNIFIED alongside him.<\/p>\n The hire, announced on Thursday (May 7), marks UNIFIED<\/strong>\u2018s first formal foothold in the New Zealand market.\u00a0The company, led by founder and CEO Jaddan Comerford<\/strong>, said in a statement that the appointment \u201csignals a long-term commitment to the New Zealand music industry.\u201d<\/p>\n Auckland-based Harvey<\/strong> first rose to international attention as a founding member of New Zealand drum and bass act Concord<\/a> Dawn<\/strong>, which he co-founded with Evan Short<\/strong> in 1999.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s incredibly exciting to join an organisation that invests in its people and embraces unconventional thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n Matt Harvey<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n He spent 10 years<\/strong> based in Vienna touring the global club circuit before returning to Auckland<\/strong> in 2016<\/strong>, where he transitioned from self-managed artist into management through his own company, Southeast<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s incredibly exciting to join an organisation that invests in its people and embraces unconventional thinking,\u201d said Harvey<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cManagers are essential to an artist\u2019s team, and supporting managers is one of the most effective ways to support our artists.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not just an exciting step for me personally; it\u2019s an opportunity to become part of the long-term infrastructure that supports artists in New Zealand<\/strong>, helping local music resonate far beyond its place of origin.\u201d<\/p>\n The integration of Harvey<\/strong>\u2018s clients into UNIFIED<\/strong> brings a roster of established New Zealand acts into the company\u2019s trans-Tasman network.<\/p>\n Drum and bass group Shapeshifter<\/strong> are currently marking the 20th anniversary<\/strong> of their album Soulstice<\/em> with a reissue and live shows. Indie act Daily J<\/strong> are set to release new single Space Cowboy<\/em> on Friday (May 15) via UNIFIED\u2019s distribution arm Community Music<\/strong>, ahead of dates in Western Australia and a tour through Canada<\/strong>, the UK<\/strong> and Europe<\/strong> in September.<\/p>\n Indie-rock artist Mim Jensen<\/strong> will tour New Zealand following the release of her new EP, The Muse<\/em>.<\/p>\n M\u0101ori producer and DJ Spell<\/strong> is preparing to release new music, while ex-Shihad<\/strong> frontman Jon Toogood<\/strong> \u2014 whose Wellington<\/strong>-formed rock band concluded its 36-year run with the Loud Forever<\/em> farewell tour earlier this year \u2014 has further projects planned for later in 2026.<\/p>\n \u201cUNIFIED<\/strong> has had a profound impact on the Australian music industry by championing great people and artist careers.\u201d<\/p>\n Ash Hills<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Ash Hills<\/strong>, General Manager of UNIFIED Artist Management AU\/NZ<\/strong>, said: \u201cAt the core of why we are so excited to be working with Matt and Mandy is the shared idea that great music knows no borders.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUNIFIED<\/strong> has had a profound impact on the Australian music industry by championing great people and artist careers, and we are thrilled to connect with the team who shares those same values in New Zealand.\u201d<\/p>\n Founded by Comerford<\/strong> in 2011<\/strong>, UNIFIED<\/strong> spans artist management, recorded music, publishing, live events and merchandise, with offices across Melbourne<\/strong>, Sydney<\/strong>, Los Angeles <\/strong>and\u00a0London<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Its broader management roster includes Vance Joy<\/strong>, Ocean Alley<\/strong>, The Amity Affliction<\/strong>, Dan Sultan<\/strong> and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The New Zealand expansion follows a sequence of international moves by the Melbourne<\/strong> firm. In August 2025, UNIFIED<\/strong> formed a joint venture<\/a> with India-based 7Entertainment<\/strong> and STARtist Management<\/strong>, operating across live touring, artist management and recorded music between the two markets.<\/p>\n In October 2024, UNIFIED<\/strong> relaunched its distribution arm Community Music<\/a> with an AUD $10 million<\/strong> (USD $6.8m<\/strong>) commitment to support Australian artists building global careers, alongside a services partnership with Downtown-owned FUGA<\/a>.<\/p>\n UNIFIED<\/strong> said it would continue to \u201cexplore further opportunities to engage with the New Zealand industry\u201d through Harvey<\/strong>\u2018s leadership, with further investment expected across the territory.Music Business Worldwide<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.musicbusinessworldwide.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" UNIFIED Music Group, the Melbourne-headquartered independent multi-service music company, has expanded into New Zealand. The Australian indie has appointed Matt Harvey to the role of Senior Artist Manager, in a move that brings his existing roster \u2014 including Shapeshifter, Daily J, Mim Jensen, Spell and former Shihad frontman Jon Toogood \u2014 under the UNIFIED umbrella. 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