The Tinderbox Team
The three practitioners at Tinderbox have over 50 years experience working across many areas of the music industry. They are well placed to nurture and guide upcoming artists whilst also providing them with the skills to maintain a fulfilling and successful career in a highly competitive industry.
Artist Development
Suzi Ireland
Suzi’s work has taken her across many areas of the UK music industry, including artist management, A&R, journalism, event management, artist promotion and development. She is now part of Liquid Management where she looks after new artists Nuha Ruby Ra, Charlotte OC, CLT DRP and Pawprints. She is also label manager for The Liquid Label.
Throughout her 18 years working in music education, Suzi has mentored many artists and bands through their first releases, as well as coached young music executives into their first professional roles. She has also curated and managed stages at festivals including Glastonbury, Victorious, YNOT, Truck, The Great Escape and 2000Trees.
Funding Guidance
Lucy Sheehan
Lucy is fundraiser and development professional with ten years experience across the charity sector, with a track record raising funds up to six figures and generating investment for major cultural heritage sites and large capital projects. She has worked as a freelance grants writer and fundraising manager for projects including music education and access, and most recently national youth mental health charity Stop.Breathe.Think.
Lucy is an experienced and working musician, having recorded and toured internationally since 2011, releasing music with the rock band Projector and as a solo electronic artist O Hell. Lucy also tours as a session bassist and singer. She is the co-founder of DJ collective DFWU and has worked as a music journalist, radio DJ and promoter.
Production
Ben Hampson
Ben Hampson is a Brighton based producer, mixer, engineer, multi-instrumentalist and writer with over 20 years experience.
Starting as an assistant and engineer working daily with artists such as Noel Gallagher, Bloc Party, Genesis, Status Quo and Editors, he quickly moved on to become a producer, engineer and mixer in his own right, working directly with independent artists such as Blood Red Shoes, Tigercub, Ditz, Lambrini Girls, Noisettes and Sea Power.
Ben also runs the AA Sessions, a collaborative music writing and recording project bringing together different members of bands such as Blood Red Shoes, Our Girl, Tigercub/Nancy, Nadine Shah, Ciel & Arxx. He lectured for five years on the production degree at BIMM Brighton and tours with bands such as Projector, O Hell and AA sessions (Amazon Live, 2000Trees, Scala, Electric Ballroom)
Tinderbox productions are based and will be recorded at Ben’s studio Agricultural Audio.
