My Music Row Story: WME’s Nate Towne

/by

Nate Towne

Nate Towne has dedicated over 19 years to the music industry. As a Partner at WME, he guides the daily touring, television, literary and sponsorship opportunities for several well-known artists including Brad Paisley, Brantley Gilbert, Brett Young, Casey Donahew, Chris Young, Colbie Caillat, Corey Kent, Dasha, Dylan Scott, Meghan Patrick and Scotty McCreery among others.

Towne’s exceptional expertise in the industry has earned him multiple accolades, including being recognized as a distinguished executive on both Billboard’s Country Power Players and MusicRow‘s InCharge lists, as well as being a two-time nominee for CMA’s prestigious Agent of the Year Award.

Photo: Courtesy of Towne

MusicRow: Where did you grow up? Where did you spend your childhood?

I grew up in a suburb of Minneapolis called Plymouth, Minnesota. Pretty normal suburban upbringing. Late eighties, early nineties—right when Billy Ray Cyrus broke—and that was really the start of my love of country music because of my parents.

Did you already want to work in that world, or were you just a fan?

I had no idea it could be a job. I always loved going to concerts, whether at the local arena or the state fair. But I didn’t realize there was a business behind it until high school. I got involved in the music department—choir, theater, the arts—and played a lot of music. I wound up managing or booking local bands or choir groups, whatever needed doing, and that gave me my first sense that maybe there was a real career there.

How did you actually start down that path?

Once I realized I loved music but wasn’t ever going to be good enough or interested enough to be on stage, I started looking at what came after high school. I found a few colleges that had actual music business programs—this was the early 2000s—and once I knew I could go to school for the business of music, I was sold. I researched every program I could find, visited as many as possible, and ended up at a small art school in central Illinois called Millikin University in Decatur. They had a music business program I dove into headfirst.

Photo: Courtesy of Towne

Tell me about college.

Those programs have come a long way since, but mine was a Bachelor of Music. I was learning copyright law, record labels and marketing, while also taking music theory, piano lessons, conducting. It was a mix of performance-related stuff with some business sprinkled in.

I stayed really active in extracurriculars. The big one was our student-run record label. I joined it and ended up running it my last couple years. We worked with student ensembles and bands: recording projects, releasing them, marketing them, selling them at events. That was my first real hands-on experience.

When it came time for an internship, I wanted to go back to Minneapolis. I found a small boutique booking agency that focused on acts for college campuses. That was my first look at the booking world. There were maybe four or five employees, and they threw me right in. I spent most of the summer cold-calling student activity boards to pitch our artists. Not my favorite part, but it was a crash course and a great learning experience.

Photo: Courtesy of Towne

Tell me about postgrad.

I set my sights on Nashville. Growing up in Minneapolis and then going to school in a small town, Nashville felt like an approachable city. It also lined up with my love of country music. Back then it was very much a country town, which appealed to me. I’d visited once while looking at schools and remembered falling in love with it.

I took my spring break and reached out to the Nashville Chamber of Commerce. They had a Music Row business directory with every company that was a member. It listed phone numbers and websites, so I started cold calling and submitting resumes, then came down for interviews.

William Morris was one of the places I connected with, along with a handful of others. A few companies even said that if I was interviewing at William Morris, they wanted to interview me too, which said a lot about the reputation of William Morris. When they offered me a job in the mailroom, that was enough. It got me to Nashville and gave me a place to start. I moved down the day after graduation.

What do you remember about your first day in the mailroom?

I had no idea what to expect. I showed up in a suit—I thought you dressed for the job you wanted—and then saw a guy in a Livestrong shirt, bracelets and jeans. I thought, “Alright, I like this place.” It was the music business.

Photo: Courtesy of Towne

The job was exactly what it sounded like: pushing a mail cart, setting up for meetings, stocking the fridge, doing dishes, getting coffee, whatever was needed. But you also got to know everyone. One of the best parts was meeting so many people from different places who were also brand new and didn’t know anyone. You instantly bonded. It was a great way to make friends and watch everyone grow from there.

What was next for you?

I stayed in the mailroom for a while, then moved into the contracts department. I think we were still issuing contracts by hand, even carbon copies at first.

From there I followed the typical agency path. I went to work for the agent Lane Wilson, who became an early mentor and is still a colleague and friend. After a year with him, I worked for another agent, Keith Miller, for a couple of years. He was booking the Northeast at the time. We book by sales territory, and an opening came up for the smaller venues in the Northeast. By then I’d been at the company about three and a half years. Between my experience with Keith and my understanding of the markets, I got the opportunity to take that on.

I started booking small theaters and clubs for the roster. The longer I was there, the more responsibility I was given—additional territories, larger venues, whatever came next. I eventually added Canada, booking much of our work there, and then moved over to the Midwest and Big Sky regions, handling arenas, amphitheaters, and larger festivals.

Photo: Courtesy of Towne

A number of years ago, Keith Miller retired from the Northeast, and I was able to step back in and take over that territory. All the while I was building my own roster of clients. The first one I started working with was Scotty McCreery around 2012, and I built from there.

Eventually I transitioned out of booking territories and moved into a more client-facing role, working with my roster and supporting the team that handles the Northeast. It’s more of a leadership position now, helping with challenges and guiding that group while still managing my clients.

How have you approached building your roster?

I’ve been lucky to partner with some incredible artists, some from the very beginning. Scotty McCreery was a couple of years post–American Idol. I started working with Dylan Scott right as he got his deal at Curb. I started with Corey Kent as “Wild as Her” was taking off. And then there are others I joined later, like Brad Paisley in 2018 or 2019 and Chris Young around that same time.

For me, I want to feel like I can bring real value to someone’s career. I love the music and the artistry, but I also want to add something that might be missing or bring a fresh perspective. If it’s a brand-new client, I ask myself: who are the first five or ten calls I can make to help move things forward? If it’s an established client, I look at what they’ve done before and think about how to approach things differently or refresh the strategy. If I feel I can be creative in that way, and they’re receptive, that’s when I’m excited to be involved.

Photo: Courtesy of Towne

What is your favorite part of what you do now?

In a world that moves fast and always wants the next new thing, there’s something powerful about the live experience. No matter how hard it is to get a show from an idea to actually happening—and there are plenty of challenges—nothing motivates me more than being at the venue. It can be a 100-cap club or a 20,000-seat arena. Seeing fans connect with an artist, hearing them sing along, watching that moment happen in real time… there’s nothing like it. It makes you want to work harder on their behalf.

You mentioned some earlier, but tell me about your mentors.

There have been a lot. Keith Miller, who I worked for a couple years, played a huge role. Those were formative years—learning what it’s like to be an agent in the trenches, what great deal-making looks like, what honesty and integrity look like. Many foundational lessons came from him.

I’ve also been fortunate to work with great leaders here. Greg Oswald for many years. Rob Beckham, who brought me onto the Brad Paisley and Chris Young teams. Lane, my first boss. And now our current leadership. I’m encouraged knowing that no matter how much experience I have, there’s always someone here who has been through something I haven’t. Being able to talk to people like Brian Jones, Becky Gardenhire, Jay Williams, Joey Lee—the list goes on. The people and the knowledge base here are a big part of why I’ve stayed so long.

What’s some of the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

One thing someone told me was that it isn’t just “who you know.” It’s also what you know. Doors can open, but if you can’t carry yourself with confidence or speak intelligently about what you’re doing, it won’t matter. That was a reminder to really understand the business—how to cut great deals and how to work with people.

Photo: Courtesy of Towne

Another piece of advice was that you’re responsible for your own growth. Whether you’re new or more seasoned, like I am now, growth is up to you. You have to put in the effort and the time.

When you look back over your career, what are you most proud of?

There are certainly artist milestones I’m proud to have been part of. Watching Brad Paisley headline the O2 in London at C2C. Seeing Dylan Scott play his first sold-out arena this past spring. Watching Scotty grow from theaters to small arenas and beyond. Those are memorable moments. They’re the artist’s success—maybe I had a small hand in it—but they’re still meaningful.

For me personally, I’m proud of leading and providing counsel with honesty and integrity. And I really treasure how long I’ve been able to work with many of my clients. That they continue to trust me year after year is something I never take for granted.

LB Cantrell
Latest posts by LB Cantrell (see all)