Cushla Aston

Cushla Aston (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Pikiao, Pākehā) is an artist manager, educator, mentor, and creative strategist with more than 15 years’ experience in Aotearoa’s music industry.

Founder of Aston Rd and current manager of Louis Baker, Cushla has worked alongside artists including Fat Freddy’s Drop, Trinity Roots, Julia Deans, Tama Waipara, Estère, Lord Echo, Brockaflower, and Cornerstone Roots. Her expertise spans artist management, release strategy, touring, marketing, funding, and long-term career development.

Alongside her management work, Cushla teaches Artist Development at Massey University’s School of Music and Creative Media Production. She has extensive mentoring experience, supporting artists independently, through MMF Aotearoa mentoring programmes, and previously mentoring Te Māngai Pāho-funded artists through the planning and delivery of their release campaigns.

Cushla has also contributed to the wider sector through leadership and governance roles, previously serving as Chair of MMF Aotearoa, a long-serving Executive Committee member, and a Board Member of Independent Music New Zealand (IMNZ). Her wider experience includes producing for arts festivals, designing professional development initiatives, and facilitating workshops that support artists and the creative sector.

As a mentor, Cushla brings strategic insight, practical industry knowledge, and a strong commitment to helping artists gain clarity, make informed decisions, and build sustainable careers on their own terms. She is passionate about demystifying the music industry and helping artists develop the knowledge, confidence, and business skills.

Matthew Harvey

Matt Harvey first became known as a disruptor alongside Evan Short as Concord Dawn, making noise, pushing boundaries, winning awards, and getting up to mischief while releasing on the worlds leading drum and bass labels, with tracks featured in sets of DJs around the globe.

As well as DJing and releasing their own music, they championed artists including Shapeshifter, Bulletproof, State of Mind, Camo and Krooked and Pendulum on their imprints and shone a light on new producers.

After hundreds upon hundreds of shows during 20 years of touring North America, Australasia, Asia, Russia and Europe, including a 10-year stint living in Vienna, Matt moved back to Southeast Auckland in 2016 with his young family for a cup of tea and a lie-down. He quickly transitioned from being a self-managed artist to managing local legends Shapeshifter and then Kora, and now with a roster that includes Jon Toogood and upcoming young talents Nick Dow and Flaxxies.

His company Southeast focuses on the unique artists that can create magic live on stage, being unafraid to challenge the status quo, and honesty and truth both in music and in business.

Matt can mentor on: LIVE, SUSTAINABLE CAREERS, INNOVATION, MANAGEMENT, STRATEGY, HOW TO SMELL A RAT

Paula Yeoman

Paula Yeoman is the co-owner and co-director of NicNak Media alongside Nicole Thomas.

NicNak specialises in artist management and entertainment publicity, and recently launched a new media initiative, Lil Sister, for emerging acts. NicNak also runs a boutique record label for a small roster of Aotearoa artists.

Before establishing NicNak Media, Paula worked as a journalist, with more than 20+ years’ experience in NZ and the UK. She now fronts the management arm of NicNak and is across the day-to-day management of Theia (and Theia’s te reo Māori project TE KAAHU), Paige, Nganeko and TOI. She also works closely with many other NZ artists as a mentor with MMF.

Paula and Nicole are two-time recipients of MMF awards – in 2017, they won the award for ‘Emerging Manager of the Year’ and in 2021, they won ‘Manager of the Year’.

Paula is involved in the day-to-day management of the artists on the NicNak roster and is able to assist in all areas relating to management including pairing artists with writers, producers, engineers, photographers, videographers; helping with funding applications; budgeting; strategy and planning for new releases; touring; branding, developing assets (bios, press shots); social media and creating content.