Industry Insider: New Motor Records General Manager Joelle May Discusses Her Career

It may seem obvious, but it’s also easier said than done to find leadership like Joelle May to steer the ship at your organization. Just recently launched under Red Boot Entertainment Group Inc., New Motor Records is a new rebranded label formerly known as Sakamoto Music. While Sakamoto was more rooted in country music, New Motor is a multi-genre imprint with a clearly invested commitment to artist development.

Entrusted to carry that vision forward into a new era is General Manager Joelle May. May is an industry veteran who brings 20 years of experience from across the music business. She has spearheaded national tours and overseen global publicity campaigns. And it has not gone unnoticed, as May was recently nominated for “Business Professional of the Year” (BCCMA, 2025). That’s in addition to her nomination for “Entrepreneur of the Year” (Women in Music Canada, 2024). She has a grand vision for New Motor, intent on honouring the legacy of Sakamoto Music, while also expanding the horizons of the label and ensuring people know that it is a top imprint for young, emerging talent.

We are lucky enough to have May join us today for our Industry Insider interview to discuss the music business, the evolving role of live music, current challenges she sees for young artists, and much more.

Joelle May, New Motor Records General Manager, photo courtesy of New Motor Records

What’s your advice to new artists considering whether to sign with a major label or stay independent?

Joelle May: “Chances are, a label will be able to help you more than you’ll be able to help yourself, or at the very least, having a team around you will help you go further. But that said, as a new artist, the responsibility is on you to develop yourself to the point where a label may be interested.

“Some artists can handle the business side better than others, so the decision to sign or stay independent may be affected by that aspect, but ultimately, I would say that it’s in an artist’s best interest to sign with a label, because a label’s ultimate goal is to grow the career of an artist. Creative differences, deal structures, and all the potential pitfalls that artists worry about aside, having a team of people who are all moving towards the same goal will get you there faster than one person trying to handle all the aspects of the business.”

What’s one hard truth about the music industry that no one prepares you for when you first enter it?

“When I first entered the industry many years ago, bright-eyed and motivated as a publicist, no one told me really anything about it (laughs)! It was sort of a jump in and figure it out scenario, and I think that’s true for most artists as well. There are a few college or tech school programs that teach about how the industry works, but most of them are more focused on production or composition, so the business itself is a challenge that is mostly mastered through experience.

“The hard truth of that is that often, artists or industry people have to make mistakes to learn. When I was a publicist, I had artists asking me for publishing deals, not really understanding that they were wildly different aspects of the business. In my role now operating a label, I make sure to explain everything I can about a deal to the artist, answer any questions, and be transparent throughout the entire process.”

How do you see the role of live performances evolving in a post-pandemic world?

“I’ve seen how live performances are evolving into ‘experiences,’ or the live world is trying to get the most money they can out of one show by posing it as a memory-building experience, and for global superstars.

“Ok, I get it. But at the same time, I see it as coming at the expense of the erosion of the seeding ground markets for growing new talent, and I think that has to change. Live music is an emotional experience, whether it’s 50,000 people and ten different selfie stations for ‘the ‘gram’ or a local band playing in a dank warehouse to 150 sweaty fans and friends. Or a person with a guitar on a stool in a coffee shop, for that matter.

“The big difference? The local show costs a lot less, the fandom contributes to building something real (and the band’s bottom line, buy a t-shirt!), and you get the benefit of community building in real life with real people!

“Can people be convinced? Hopefully yes, as these things do tend to happen in cycles and when grassroots movements die out, new ones will inevitably grow. Or maybe I’m just optimistic!”

How do you balance the commercial side of the industry with your passion for the music itself?

“For me, the lifelong passion I have had for music is absolutely bolstered by my activity in the industry. I sincerely enjoy everything that goes into helping artists achieve their potential and spreading their music as far and wide as I can. People sometimes say, ‘Oh, that’s too commercial,’ as if that’s a judgement of sound or vibe of a song. But the truth is, the root of that word is commerce, and if people are buying what you’re selling, that’s a good thing!

“That said, I very much look forward to diversifying the types of music New Motor Records releases. I have a wide variety of tastes. And while it’s a careful balance between passion and profit, there’s a market for everything, and I’m up for discovery.”

Joelle May, New Motor Records General Manager, photo courtesy of New Motor Records

What’s the most valuable long-term professional relationship you’ve built over your career, and how did you maintain it? What advice would you give for cultivating lasting relationships in the industry?

“This is going to sound cliché, and it probably is, but work hard, play hard, be a good person, and the relationships will happen. I’ve been in this industry long enough that some of my most valuable professional relationships have ended due to the other party passing away, but short enough that the potential is there for me to form more of those relationships and continue to grow. When I was fresh and new on the scene, I met a couple of older industry guys who were thankfully not creeps (actually, one of them was kind of a creep), and they gave me an opportunity to rise to my potential.

“I landed a contract that I probably had no business landing with the experience under my belt, but the clutch part is, I was able to accomplish and exceed the goals set out in front of me. There’s a saying about projecting yourself as what you want to be, and I believe that to be true, but you also have to have the walk to back up the talk.

“So, to sum up my advice, shine with confidence, but without overestimating your own abilities. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, but definitely bite off the very most you can chew. Oh, and the two older industry guys? One was the wonderful Louis Meyers, who was a founder of SXSW and someone I worked under at Folk Alliance International, and the creep was the infamous impresario Kim Fowley, who actually was the one to introduce me to Louis.”

What’s the biggest challenge in breaking through the noise of today’s saturated music market?

“The noise and saturation are the challenge! Maybe more people need to have a dream of being a plumber instead of a rock star? But if you are a rock star (or a country star or pop star), I think perhaps the biggest challenge is all the other content you have to maintain to get the attention of fans. A lot of work goes into crafting the brand and marketing for a project, but it doesn’t create a guarantee. It might not work out how you planned, but if you really know what you’re doing, you’ll have planned contingencies too.

“The music industry is a risky business, so if you’re adverse to risk, choose another vocation. But when something does crack the surface, it’s the best feeling in the world! A milestone reached is a milestone celebrated no matter what, even if it’s not a #1 radio hit, or a viral TikTok, or a billion streams, though it sure is nice when those things happen too.”

In retrospect, how much of your success do you attribute to hard work, and how much to being in the right place at the right time? Can artists manufacture their own luck, or is it mostly out of their control?

“Artists can manufacture their own luck just as much as artists can implode their careers or be their own worst enemies. I’ve seen examples of both! Personally, I have worked really hard in this industry to get where I am today, and I believe hard work is absolutely necessary, but I’m also aware of the moments where I was in the right place at the right time and was able to pursue the opportunities that came from it. We don’t all get those opportunities, of course, but we also don’t all go out to seek them, which I definitely recommend.

“Hubris and naivety can actually be helpful when you’re starting out, but it’s best when those traits mature into confidence and wisdom. I always encourage artists to get out there as much as possible; attend events/conferences, write with other artists, go to shows, networking events… because you can create the best music in the world in your bedroom on a laptop in theory. But if you haven’t got an audience or a community to share it with, you’re missing out on the business part of the music business.”

Do you think streaming algorithms have helped or harmed the discoverability of new music?

“This is something that I think, at its base concept, is a good thing, though I make no claims about how it’s employed in every case. I have personally discovered many new artists through streaming platforms recommending music to me, so overall, I’ve had a positive experience. One could take issue with the fact that when you go down a genre path, the discovery is limited to only what fits in that box, and I don’t know anyone whose musical tastes are limited to just ‘yacht rock’ or ‘rank wave,’ for example.

“But the reality is, despite the fact that 30 years ago radio stations played a wider variety of ‘rock,’ so to speak, music has always been separated by genres, and we as consumers have always had the option to seek out whatever genre we’re feeling like at the time. Streaming actually makes that easier, not harder.”

Joelle May, New Motor Records General Manager, photo courtesy of New Motor Records

Do you think the traditional idea of an ‘album cycle’ is still relevant, or has the way artists release music completely changed?

“I would like to think that the album cycle is still relevant, but honestly, I think it’s very situational these days. It used to be that you would need an album’s worth of music to make the cost of going into the studio worthwhile, but these days, tracks can be produced individually for decent rates, with minimal time spent in the actual studio. Ultimately, I think the times have handed this decision over from economics to creative direction, which is a good thing. Releasing singles, you have the option to pick a new direction for each song, while putting together an album, you want some sort of cohesiveness tying the music together.

“Many artists choose to release a series of singles only to tie them together into an album, and I think that’s a good way to do things as well. The fact that there are no hard and fast rules in this domain anymore opens up the door for more creativity from artists. I love an album, I love a concept album, and I love a single, and all have their place.”

How do you feel about the rise of virtual artists (like AI avatars) who don’t exist in the physical world? Could they disrupt the industry?

“I’m going to be completely honest and say, I really dislike it. I wish no one had ever thought of it. And truly, AI can’t replace human emotion and the soul that an artist puts into a song. AI can be a really good thing with the right applications, but it needs to stay the heck out of creative industries.

“A long time ago, I saw a meme that mentioned wanting AI to do the things we don’t want to, like the laundry and getting groceries, not the things we do want to do, like creating art. I honestly don’t understand why we’d want to forego that joy of creation and the industries that are built around the celebration of that joy. Ok, I do, it’s because of the almighty dollar, hence why AI music is flooding platforms right this minute, but let’s use AI to create efficiencies in business, not in creative.

“And while the whole thing is worrying for a label that prides itself on growing music made by people, I have to keep hope that music fans can feel the difference, and want to see and know the actual people who are making the music they love.”