whiskas (Sam Nicholls)

Director / Founder

Samuel Nicholls or whiskas as he is mainly known in the music industry, is a Senior Lecturer in Music at Leeds Beckett University, founding the BA Music Industries Management course. He initiated the Music:Leeds project in 2017, before establishing the emerging talent programme Launchpad and building Music:Local as a vehicle to connect and support local music sectors more broadly. Previously, whiskas has run a music venue and live promotions company, founded the Dance To The Radio record label, was guitarist in the band ¡Forward, Russia! and has worked as an appointed advisor for organisations such as Yorkshire Festival, Leeds 2023 Artistic Programme, PRS Foundation and Yorkshire Sound Women Network.

Tony Ereira

Director

Tony runs Come Play With Me and is a Director of Clue Records, Music:Leeds and Music Local. He also teaches 'Business Leadership & Ethics' at Leeds College Of Music. 

Come Play With Me CIC (CPWM) exists to support people in Yorkshire into sustainable careers within music. It is best known as a ‘7” singles club’ and music magazine but also runs a series of events / interventions to create, and signpost to opportunities within music careers.  CPWM is funded by Arts Council England and Youth Music. It is also a PRS Foundation Talent Development Partner.



Lins Wilson

Project Co-ordinator

Lins has written, recorded and toured internationally for many bands. Her band, Magick Mountain, have received support from Festival Republic/PRSf’s ‘ReBalance’, Help Musicians ‘Do It Differently’, ‘Launchpad’ and ‘Launchpad+’. Having co-founded arts collective Buffalo, she creates immersive audio-visual installations and composes cello-led soundscapes in collaboration with Jon Foulger. She was awarded ACE’s ‘Developing Your Creative Practise’ fund in 2020 and continues to develop her non-traditional cello music. To support her artistic career, Lins works as a creative producer/project coordinator, having delivered large-scale events and projects for Music:Leeds/Music Local, Lord Whitney and Transform theatre festival; plus production work on music videos for Nikki Minaj, Corinne Bailey Rae, Will Young and Pulled Apart By Horses.

Nicole Raymond

Project Co-ordinator

A storyteller in her own right, Nicole is devoted to developing her unique practice as a DJ & Turntablist, sound artist/composer, producer, tutor, sound engineer and radio presenter. She is also a strong advocate for diverse representation in the music industry, especially within the DJ and music production realms, and musician wellbeing/mental health. Nicole has also performed at many festivals, supported other artists and can be found gigging in West Yorkshire solo and as a part of two bands: The Belgrave House Band and TC and the Groove Family. Having played on other radio stations such as Demon FM, Sable Radio, Worldwide FM and Balamii, Nicole can be found presenting each week on BBC Radio Leeds as well as being a project coordinator for Music:Leeds/Music Local.

Claire Hamilton

Project Co-ordinator

Claire is a newer face to the local industry. She grew up in North Yorkshire and started her journey with NYMAZ, helping to organise their Make Music Day festival, Rural Fest. With a background in radio presenting, music journalism, communications and events, she has since gone on to co-found Bloom Sessions, a youth-led not for profit which aims to encourage and celebrate underrepresented creatives in Yorkshire. With funding from the likes of Youth Music and Leeds Inspired, they’ve been able to host online sessions as well as in person gigs, and have thus far supported at least 16 creatives since October 2020. She’s looking forward to building on this experience and further contributing to the diverse creative landscape int’ North.

Jon Foulger

Project Co-ordinator

Jon (he/him) has nearly 20 years experience as a recording and touring artist in Europe and the US as well as experience as a producer and co-producer alongside the likes of James Ford (Gorillaz, Arctic Monkeys), Jim Abbiss (Adele) and James Kenosha (Pulled Apart By Horses, Dinosaur Pile Up).

Jon is passionate about the craft and discipline of songwriting and creative technique and has written music for TV and film, including original material for campaigns by Walter Presents, BBC, Channel 4 and EA Sports. He has guest lectured in songwriting at Leeds Beckett University and has written with a variety of artists.

Jon currently works as a sound installation designer and has completed projects in collaboration with the University of Sheffield, Selina Thompson Ltd. (an interdisciplinary company creating installations, theatre shows, workshops and radio work), Purple Patch Arts (specialists in innovative, inclusive, creative learning experiences for people with learning disabilities and the professionals who support them), Leeds City Council, Lord Whitney (an innovative artist-led studio creating immersive experiences), and artist and early years specialist Stephanie Jefferies.

At Music Local Jon co-ordinates the Launchpad application and reviewing process and links selected artists and projects up with relevant advisors and funding support.

Emily Marlow

Project Co-ordinator

Emily Marlow (she/her) is a creative producer and programmer, based in the North of England, working across music, art and film events and projects. With a special focus on equity, diversity and inclusion, Emily is passionate about supporting local creative communities and platforming marginalised people through her work.As part of the Music Local team, Emily leads the events programme, delivering conferences, gigs, workshops and industry socials to connect, inspire and empower people working in music across Yorkshire.Previously, Emily has been part of the Come Play With Me team, as their Diversity Projects Coordinator, was a founding member of Girl Gang Leeds, a non-profit set up to create fun, safe and empowering spaces for women and people of marginalised genders, and has worked with freelance clients such as Leeds 2023, Sheaf St and Wow Festival.