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Warner Chappell Music France MD Matthieu Tessier talks A&R culture

Matthieu Tessier, Managing Director of Warner Chappell Music France, has spoken to Headliner about his illustrious career in the industry so far, the art of leadership in business, and how his approach to A&R has driven the company to one of its most successful periods.

At the time of this interview we're closing in on the end of 2024. How are things for you at this time of year?

Like everywhere else, it’s a very important quarter for the music industry, and for publishing in particular. There's important releases every week and we’re also busy on the deal side. We’ve just renewed our publishing deal with multi-platinum singer-songwriter Angele. 

We’ve been working with Angele for seven years, and we’re very excited about her new album that will be coming out at the end of the calendar. Werenoi’s last album Pyramide 2 finished as the best selling record of 2024, and SCH’s last album JVLIVS 3 – Ad Finem was released in week 50, and had the best first-week debut for a rap album in 2024. These are a few examples of the exciting successes we’ve had over the last quarter.

it’s a very important quarter for the music industry, and for publishing in particular.

How did your life in music and music publishing begin?

It started very early with a passion for music. I didn't go to a business school and back then, there was no real school in France to study the music business. So, I started by managing a band from my town, which is 200 kilometers south of Paris. I learned about independence by touring with the band, booking shows and taking charge of the merchandising. 

Later on, I did a six-month course to learn how things work properly. It was like a school with music business people teaching and explaining the industry. After that I started as a trainee at Universal Music Publishing in 2005. I was the assistant to four A&R managers. It was just basic stuff, serving coffees and helping the department. Then I started to go to shows. 

I had my first job on the recording side at an indie label in France as a talent scout. My job was to be out every night and go to shows in Paris, and the morning after, go back and talk to our team and explain what I'd discovered.

So I started like this, and very early on Caroline Molko, who was Warner Chappell’s previous MD, heard about me and asked for a meeting. She told me she wanted a junior A&R manager who has an indie background and understood underground culture. So, I joined Warner Chappell in 2007 as a junior A&R manager.

At that time the record industry was in a crisis, so I used the A&R publisher role as a place to sign artists early, and most of the time, be the first partner they had. This way, I learned how to be around an artist who doesn't have another partner, and how to play a role in the development of their career. I worked very early on with Orelsan who is now probably the most important male rapper and singer-songwriter in France. 

It was 18 years ago that I started working with him and he’s still signed to Warner Chappell. I became Head of A&R in September 2016, and a few months later, I signed an early contract with female singer-songwriter Aya Nakamura and a copublishing deal with Angèle, who have both since become female icons of the Afro and Pop Francophone scene. Later on, the previous MD decided to leave the company and helped me to learn the role, and Guy Moot gave me the chance to become Managing Director of Warner Chappell Music France in January 2021.

algorithms can often push you towards profiles that sound a bit like what is working at the moment i.e. what is on top of the charts.

How important is it to you to build a relationship with an artist or songwriter from the ground up?

It's central to my philosophy, and I consider it the most exciting part of the job. Helping the artist to build up his or her repertoire, find their appropriate image, set up their timeline and build up their team is an incredible source of fulfillment. I think that by being there very early, you develop a special closeness. You will never get the same relationship with an artist that you discover or sign when the career is already at the top and the development is done.

Is it more difficult to work that way? Are you relying more on instinct than data?

Yes, while it definitely helps in some cases, I don’t think signings can be made based solely on data. I think that data and algorithms can often push you towards profiles that sound a bit like what is working at the moment i.e. what is on top of the charts. And in my experience, the biggest successes I've contributed to have come with talents who were very different from what was working at the moment.

the biggest successes I've contributed to have come with talents who were very different from what was working at the moment.

What are some of the other guiding principles that have driven your success?

I have a passion for lyrics. It could be anything from French traditional to rap, I've always paid particular attention to the lyrics and that’s key in France - you can like a song for the melody but you will stay for the lyrics.

And, I've always tried to be careful not to oversign. I think that the market can push you to sign a lot to increase the possibility of having many successes. One key to success for me is to double check and be very careful about each artist and songwriter you sign.

Tell us about your approach to leadership. What’s your strategy to prolonging success when an artist is performing very well, and conversely, what is your approach when an act you had high hopes for isn’t achieving what you expected? How do you reverse a negative trend?

With successful artists it’s often a matter of refreshing the team; renewing the people around; always considering that a new project is a new challenge. Always change the routine. I think that an artist always has to have a new angle, a new vision, and always challenge themselves. You always have to learn, and this is also true for an A&R person and a Managing Director. I believe it is also an area where you’re always learning from somebody younger than you. There is always something to learn from the new generation.

On the other hand, regarding artists where what you expect is not happening, it all depends on the artist and on their destiny. I consider myself as a source of help and a source of advice, recommendations or suggestions. But it really depends on the situation and circumstances around that particular artist.

You will never get the same relationship with an artist that you discover or sign when the career is already at the top and the development is done.

What are some of your highlights from 2024?

The highlight for 2024 I would say is the singer-songwriters we've been able to renew, because we are in a market that changes a lot and moves very fast. So, being able to renew our deals with singer-songwriters who are top French artists is a sign of stability and trust.

Also, receiving Publisher of the Year at the SACEM Grand Prix ceremony. That was an incredibly proud moment for all of us.