As one of the most respected artist managers in the game, this week’s TMT guest knows the music industry inside out, from the grassroots circuit to the glitziest awards show. @sb3management founder and CEO @sumit.k.bothra looks after artists including PJ Harvey, Katie Melua and The Boxer Rebellion and has forged his own unique path through the biz, from starting in an a cappella group, via stints at labels, being MD of ATC and setting up his own company. He also reveals what you do when Jay Kay of Jamiroquai asks you to read his palm… It’s essential listening, so tune in!
In this week’s episode of Sad Song Queens, Laura and Lindsay are joined by Nathan Nicholson, lead singer of the indie rock band The Boxer Rebellion, to discuss the band’s heartfelt song “Here I Am.” Nathan shares the story behind writing the track, reflects on coping with grief after the passing of his father shortly afterward, and opens up about how touring can be a double-edged sword.
#theboxerrebellion, #hereiam, #sadsongs, #musicpodcasts, #musicsupervisors
Our 7th studio album The Second I’m Asleep is out NOW.
THANK YOU to all of you who have shown so much love and support for the new music so far, everyone who has pre-ordered the album, and everyone who came out to see us on tour. Here’s a photo from last night with our beloved crowd in London.
Please listen, comment, repost, and share!
Much love. TBR x
📸:
@rycoxofficial@theampersandrew@adamdockerphoto@davidkennedynorth_@amij4y
This year's International Women's Day with @annalapwoodorgan at the Royal Albert Hall was something else.
Anna, who was the first woman in Oxford University's 560 year history to be awarded an organ scholarship, lit up the great hall with such power on that epic instrument, bringing together @jessgillamsax , @rusandapanfili , and the incredible Pembroke College Girls' Choir.
Thank you to everyone who came and made the room what it was. And to Anna, thank you for spreading the most stunning and smart girl energy.
📸 @fmarshallphoto
The second single “Hidden Meanings” from our forthcoming album ‘The Second I’m Asleep’ is out now.
Thank you all for the overwhelmingly kind comments on this very special and deeply reflective piece of music. Lyrically, it speaks to a realisation, that perhaps the pain and suffering in one’s life was not caused by another, but might actually have been the result of self-sabotaging moments.
“When it was good, did all I could
To wreck it all
All that was left, only regret
I can’t undo
I see hidden meanings
Follow me around
Like I’ve been burning down
My own house”
Thank you to Rees Broomfield, Billy Bush, and Kevin Grainger for the exceptional sonics, and to Adam Docker for creating the music video which is available to watch in full on YouTube. Please like, comment, repost, and share. x
Thank you to our artists and partners for an epic 2025. Here are some highlights....
PJ Harvey finished her 2-year, 74 date tour supporting her Grammy-nominated album 'I Inside the Old Year Dying' with 8 shows in Australia and Japan. She also won her first BAFTA Award for her score of Apple TV’s Bad Sisters, co-composed with Tim Phillips.
Katie Melua signed a new publishing deal with 3000 Years. She and her band enjoyed a beautiful summer of shows including two nationally televised performances in Poland and Lithuania. She and her manager Sumit Bothra spoke at the Mastering the Music Business Conference in Bucharest and at Spotify’s Mental Health & Songwriting event with Music Minds Matter. Her charity work included performances at the Nordoff and Robbins Christmas Carol Concert (raising £50,000) and a secret show at London’s Ronnie Scott's, raising a further £5,000 for Pathways into Music. We closed the year with a nationally televised appearance at Westminster Abbey for Royal Carols, at the invitation of HRH Catherine, Princess of Wales, alongside Dan Smith, Griff, Kate Winslet and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Nathan Nicholson's songs achieved 300 million global streams - doubling our previous year’s success - with songs featuring his vocals surpassing 100 million streams and 20 million listeners worldwide. A standout moment was his collaboration with Dom Dolla on 'No Room for a Saint' for Apple Studios’ F1 movie, nominated for a Best Soundtrack Grammy Award.
The Boxer Rebellion mastered their 7th album 'The Second I’m Asleep' and returned to the stage with sold-out shows including London’s KOKO, and a Main Stage appearance at Pinkpop Festival in front of 50,000 fans.
Huge thanks to all of our musicians, crew, teams and partners. Special thanks to our live agents Neil Warnock of United Talent Agency, Alex Bruford and Colin Keenan of ROAM, and Marsha Vlasic of Independent Artist Group. PJ Harvey is co-managed by Sumit Bothra of SB3 and Brian Message of ATC Management.
Check out the speakers from our recent Mental Health & Songwriting event with @musicmindsmatter in London, sharing their top tips for balancing creativity and mental health via Heart & Soul, a mental health initiative developed to provide support and promote deep knowledge about emotional well-being 🧡
SB3 Clients The Boxer Rebellion have announced a 10-date tour of select venues across the UK and Europe for next March. With a brand new album on the horizon, 2026 already feels like a big year for the guys.
March 2026
14 – Saint Lukes, Glasgow, UK
15 – Band On The Wall, Manchester, UK
16 – Thekla, Bristol, UK
18 – Maassilo, Rotterdam, NL
19 – De Oosterpoort, Groningen, NL
20 – Metropol, Berlin, DE
21 – Fabrik, Hamburg, DE
23 – Paradiso, Amsterdam, NL
24 – Victorie, Alkmaar, NL
26 – Electric Brixton, London, UK
SB3 client, singer and songwriter Katie Melua and her manager Sumit Bothra spoke at the 10th Edition of the Mastering the Music Business conference in Bucharest, Romania this summer. It was a hugely warm, inspiring, and thought-provoking conference, and despite the country’s extraordinarily challenging history, Romania has emerged as a hotbed of talent. It is now one of the fastest growing music markets in the world. Labels, publishers, agents, promoters and managers are working hard to build a local economy that is allowing homegrown talent to enjoy sustainable success. There is, of course, so much more work to be done. More venues, more artist development, more funding, but the things you cannot buy - passion, perseverance, and determination - the Romanian people have in abundance!
The one key takeaway - invest in homegrown talent and your creative industries will THRIVE!
A huge thanks to Anca Lupes, Carina Sava, the wider MMB Team and all those who made MMB10 such a huge success.
The Boxer Rebellion are a masterclass in band survival. Having remained fiercely independent throughout their careers, their story is one of resilience, perseverance, and extreme love for the craft. The boys were privileged to play just ahead of Biffy Clyro and Muse at this year’s Pinkpop Festival in The Netherlands. Here’s a short clip of their triumphant return to this festival’s main stage on June 22, where they played to an adoring crowd of 40,000 people (who also took a moment to celebrate drummer Piers Hewitt’s birthday).
New music coming soon….
#livemusic #festivals #artistmanagement #theboxerrebellion
Whenever Katie Melua tours internationally we try, wherever possible, to engage with local musical cultures. Given we have shows on the horizon in the gorgeous country of Lithuania, she recently collaborated with local recording artist Martynas Levickis. Martynas is a virtuosic accordionist, who started playing music at the age of 3, and is a world-renowned ambassador for his instrument.
Martynas and Katie decided to create their own special version of “Wonderful Life” which they performed in the Vilnius University Library, the oldest academic library in Lithuania. Enjoy this short clip taken from the full length performance video on YouTube. #lithuania
Glastonbury Festival, 2024.
PJ Harvey and her band headline the Pyramid Stage during the “I Inside the Old Year Dying” tour.
PJ Harvey is co-managed by Sumit Bothra of SB3 and Brian Message of ATC Management
