Cushla Aston is the founder and C.E.O of Aston Rd, a boutique artist management company who navigates the career of full time musicians Louis Baker and national treasure Julia Deans.
She has experience working as in communications, marketing and project management with demonstrable experience in ‘end-to-end’ project delivery, developing and implementing strategic communications and marketing plans, managing internal and external communications and crisis management experience. Cushla works confidently and efficiently in high pressure environments and has strong organizational capabilities. This extends to include working alongside high profile talent at an international and local level.
Cushla joined the New Zealand music industry proper in 2011 after returning from a decade of living and working in sales and marketing in the luxury drinks and hospitality sector in the UK. In that time, she has worked with notable New Zealand independent platinum selling acts such as Fat Freddy’s Drop, Kora and Trinity Roots.
In 2012 Cushla won ‘Upcoming Manager of the Year’ and was a finalist for ‘Manager of the Year’ in 2015. Cushla is an active participant in the New Zealand Music Industry, has been on the Executive Committee for the Music Managers Forum (MMF) for 6 years, has over 100 hours of artist mentoring hours and is a part-time Senior Lecturer at Massey University teaching Artist Development.
Collectively her clients have been winners and finalists in the APRA Silver Scrolls, NZ Music Critics Choice Awards and Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards. They have toured both nationally and internationally including territories such as the UK, Europe, Asia, Polynesia and Australia. Acting as her clients’ independent record label she has also helped them reach Top 10 debuts in the official New Zealand Album Charts.
In 2014 Cushla produced a series called Aston Rd Sessions, a nine-part series of filmed live shows featuring her artists. Aston Rd Sessions has received over 200,000 views to date and featured on board Air New Zealand international flights.