With “Carry On,” their first single already breaking records and creating milestones, as well as massive anticipation for Kenny Chesney’s Silver Sands Marina, HEY NOW Records is ready to start gearing up their creative approach to the music industry by expanding the label’s roster. Focusing on singular artists who speak to an audience that is looking for artists who express their lives, the search for just the right team has led to Los Angeles-based Dilan “Hef” Ames to serve as Vice President of Artist & Repertoire, while Texas native, Nashville-based Alyssa Ramsey joins as Director of Artist Development.
Ames, with over a decade of discovering, signing, and marketing emerging artists, has worked at diverse organizations, including Alamo Records, 10K Projects and the Elektra Music Group. Known for a relentless work ethic and an ability to recognize talent early, Ames will identify stand out qualities and build digital and social media planks to build momentum and create connection with an active fan base.
“‘Hef’ is less worried about the genre label than how people are responding to the songs,” says Kris Lamb, HEY NOW President and Co-Founder. “Based in Los Angeles, he’s relentless in searching the internet, talking to tastemakers and music lovers to find artists long before they break out. He is a big believer that getting involved early can accelerate the creative process, in addition to identifying the audience and growing the passion factor from the earliest moments.”
Ramsey, a University of Texas graduate with a Master of Arts in Music Business from the prestigious Berklee College of Music, emerges from the Texas music scene, where she worked at both Red 11 Music and Rodeo Austin. Relocating to Nashville, Ramsey worked at Anthem Entertainment, then aligned with Dallas Davidson’s Play It Again Music Group, where she served as day-to-day artist manager and Manager of Label Services. In that integrated capacity, she marshalled the careers of Dylan Marlowe and several emerging artists.
“In today’s fast response world, Alyssa’s diverse experience allows her to consider the best ways to develop talent from many perspectives,” Lamb explains. “She is a ninja who understands release strategies, artist branding, and how to track growth in a way that sustains forward movement.”
Given a commitment to lean, responsive artist development, HEY NOW is keeping its focus on their signings – and supporting those artists who join the roster. To maximize potential and embrace a broad reach, HEY NOW is also deploying two consultants who will work in tandem with Ames and Ramsey to make even more signings possible without sacrificing the artist development work necessary.
“There is so much talent out there, and you want to know that you’re taking a meaningful look at as many deserving artists as possible,” Lamb offers. “We also want to – once we identify who is a fit for HEY NOW – put our absolute, total efforts behind every single artist. By deploying consultants, that means once artists join HEY NOW, they get the full benefit of Alyssa and Hef; but it also means we have more eyes on the prize, creating the strongest possible roster.”
HEY NOW is a fully functional independent label, designed to super-serve artists with a unique and strong sense of who they are. HEY NOW seeks to apply a boutique philosophy to artist development by creating marketing, promotional and sales/streaming strategy that reflects each artist’s core values.
Dilan "Hef" Ames | Photo Credit: Zach Wesner
Alyssa Ramsey | Courtesy of HEY NOW Records
About Dilan “Hef” Ames, Vice President A&R
Ames is an experienced Los Angeles-based music executive, who got his start in the fast-moving world of sports journalism. Transferring that passion and quick reacting focus to identifying and finding artists across myriad (social media) platforms, his fans first approach to signing talent has seen him go from Artist Publishing Group as an intern to a full-time role at Alamo Records. From there, the decade-plus A&R veteran stepped into leadership roles at progressive independent 10K Projects and Elektra Music Group. Known for his insatiable work ethic, the ability to recognize talent early and create unique plans to deliver long-term careers, Ames is at the forefront of the next wave of A&R executives who understand each signing is unique and deserves individualized development protocols.
About Alyssa Ramsey, Director, Artist Development
Ramsey delivers a multi-dimensional approach to artist development that interweaves marketing, career development, brand reality, A&R and project management to maximize each artist’s strengths for the greatest possible impact. A Fort Worth native, she graduated from the University of Texas Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Advertising before earning her Master’s in Music Business from Berklee College of Music in Boston, taking her knowledge into the Texas music scene where she established her across-all-department vision at Red 11 Music and Rodeo Austin. Arriving in Nashville, the songwriter-obsessed executive worked at Anthem Entertainment before moving into an integrated day-to-day artist manager/Manager of Label Services at Play It Again Music Group, where she handled release strategy, branding and artist development for Dylan Marlowe, Slater Nalley and Faith Hopkins.