Billboard – August 10, 2019

(C. Jardin) #1

22 BILLBOARD | AUGUST 10 , 2 019


S


INGING DID NOT COME


naturally to Ryan Press, son of


longtime Temptations tenor


Ron Tyson. “I tried,” recalls


Press with a laugh. “Some teachers lied


to me and said I sounded good. But that


talent skipped over me.”


What Press does have, however, is


the ability to find, sign and connect


songwriters, producers and artists. The


Philadelphia native launched his publishing


career in 2006 as a consultant at Notting


Hill, then spent the past decade at Warner


Chappell Music in a succession of A&R


roles, working with writers and producers


like Rihanna, DJ Khaled, Meek Mill,


Mike WiLL Made-It, Tay Keith, Ross


Golan and PartyNextDoor.


Now, as Press marks six months since


being named president of A&R, U.S.,


at Warner Chappell, where he oversees


everything outside of Nashville, he’s living


up to his track record by acquiring several


high-demand signees. He has already


signed producer Turbo, Stone Temple


Pilots and 2019 breakthrough artist Lizzo


to join a substantial songwriter roster


that includes twenty one pilots, Justin


Tranter, Julia Michaels, Katy Perry,


Saweetie and Portugal. The Man.


Press credits former Warner Chappell


chairman/CEO Jon Platt, and current


co-chairmen Carianne Marshall and


Guy Moot, with “recognizing something


in me that maybe I didn’t know in


myself ” when it comes to his leadership


role. “He told me that I’ve made it to


a certain point in A&R, but if I wanted


to have a career for the next 20 years, I


needed to develop a skill set as a leader,”


says Press, sitting in his sunlit Los


Angeles office. “I’m not looking at this as


having big shoes to fill — I’m just trying to


create my own path.”


Since taking on your new role, has the


adjustment period been what you


expected?


The biggest thing I had to digest was


that there was no more looking to


another person for the yes or no. It’s


on me. The training wheels are off.


I’m also being judged on whether I


can develop other executives the same


way I’ve proven myself in developing


songwriters. Instinctively, I want to


A&R everything and still be 2009


Ryan. But the focus now is making sure


I’m bringing up other people. From a


leadership standpoint, with any meeting


I take, I always rotate in someone from


my team to provide another perspective


and make sure they’re being exposed


to experiences that will prepare them


to be leaders when it’s their shot. It’s


about keeping different energy with me,


whether younger or older, a different set


BY GAIL MITCHELL


PHOTOGRAPHED BY ERIK UMPHERY


Ryan Press


The longtime A&R rep on work ethic, diversity and competition


FROM THE DESK OF


PRESIDENT OF A&R, U.S., WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC


“This was a beautiful


moment that I’ll cherish


t h e r e s t o f my l i f e , ” s ay s


Press, photographed


J u l y 3 0 a t Wa r n e r


Chappell Music in Los


Angeles, about the photo


next to his desk. “Nipsey


Hussle, [Marathon


Agency partner] Steve


‘Steve-O’ Carless, my


brother Damion and I


were talking about doing


more together and how


happy we were for Nip’s


Grammy nomination.”

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