About The A&R Department

The A&R Department is a company of musicians, songwriters, producers, designers, photographers, artists and music industry business professionals who are passionate about Australian music, and offer comprehensive solutions for music artists, management companies and labels of all genres, in every aspect of their projects - from songwriting, production and studio assistance, to branding, marketing and distribution.

We understand the need for invention and innovation in the modern music industry, and understand the needs of musicians and the creative process. No two artists are the same, so we develop close relationships with our clients to construct service packages and campaigns that deliver on their individual requirements.

We assist artists in all stages of project development and release. Our artist development services allow artists to define their identity, sonic direction, music and brand. Our branding services allow artists to define their image, artwork and aesthetic, and build a cohesive package to match the music. Our digital marketing and distribution services promotes the completed package through new media and traditional channels, to get the music out there in the right way, at the right time, to the right people.

To assist us achieve the best possible outcomes for our artists, we draw on our strong partnerships with Australia's leading producers, engineers, studios, video directors, graphic designers, photographers and webmasters. Our artists are able to share and learn invaluable information and knowledge that will empower them to reach their full potential and achieve and exceed their goals in the music industry.

Matt O'Connor, Owner & Managing Director of The A&R Department, is a music industry veteran with over 20 years experience in the international music scene. Matt is a musician, songwriter and producer, who over his career has written, produced and done A&R work on numerous top ten chart hits right across Australasia. Matt has worked with and developed some of the biggest acts in Australian music over the past two decades, building an enviable reputation for discovering, nurturing, and developing exciting new talent from Australia and New Zealand.

Matt has a finely honed ear for modern music - identifying what makes a song stand out, and what makes an artist unique. Matt believes that every artist has great ideas, and by focusing on these positives and building on them, Matt has helped countless independent and mainstream acts reach their full potential and achieve and exceed their goals in the music industry.

Throughout his career Matt has worked across many musical genres including rock, indie, r&b, hip hop and dance. In the 1990s, Matt founded Mo Brown Productions, which quickly became the pre-eminent Hip-Hop and R&B label in Australia, and is credited with single-handedly reviving the Hip-Hop and R&B scene in this country. Matt continues to have a strong passion for urban music, and has worked with artists such as Savage, Deceptikonz, and Fast Crew, as well as numerous Australian hip hop artists through the Straight from the Art compilation.

In 2002 Matt was recruited to Warner Music Australia as A&R Manager, due to his unrivalled A&R track record and uncanny ability to discover exciting new artists. While at Warner Matt worked to develop and release some of the most popular and successful mainstream Australian artists of the past seven years.

In 2007, having achieved monumental mainstream success and developed a formidable reputation, Matt left Warner Records to form The A&R Department. Free from major label constraints, Matt has been able to devote himself entirely to his passion for independent Australian music, sharing what he has learned from over twenty years in the music industry, and empowering independent artists to make great music and to get it heard. Matt's dedication to independent music through the A&R Department has struck a chord with a large number of Australian artists, who continue to turn to the A&R Department for comprehensive artist development, marketing and distribution solutions. Some of the artists Matt and the A&R Department has worked with recently include Sparkadia, The Beautiful Girls, Thirsty Merc, The Fumes, Shihad, Mia Dyson, Ash Grunwald, Epicure, Fast Crew and Cog.

Greg has a record company career spanning 20 years, working most of this period for WEA Records / Warner Music Australia .

Greg was the 'connection' between the record companies priority releases and the Retail Sector. During his career he worked tirelessly to successfully transform record company commitment and investment in an artist into real sales of units at the retail level.

Greg works closely with all of the independent and national retailers, providing comprehensive support for artist promotion, marketing and striving for the best possible store profile and awareness for our physical product.