Legendary Guitarist, Songwriter, and Producer Johnny Marr Partners with Epidemic Sound to Mentor the Next Generation of Artists

Three emerging Epidemic Sound artists will receive mentorship from Johnny Marr, including career guidance, songwriting feedback, and musicianship development

Stockholm, Sweden, November 21, 2024 – Today, Epidemic Sound announced a partnership with legendary guitarist, songwriter, and producer Johnny Marr. Starting in Q1 2025, Marr will mentor three emerging Epidemic Sound artists, providing invaluable guidance on career development, artistic growth, and release strategies within the evolving music industry landscape.

Marr, renowned for his innovative guitar work in The Smiths, Modest Mouse, and The Cribs, as well as numerous collaborations and a glittering solo career, brings a wealth of experience across multiple facets of the music industry. His versatility as a guitarist, singer-songwriter, producer, and film composer — through collaborations with Hans Zimmer for movies such as Inception and the James Bond film No Time Die, including the title track created with Billie Eilish — makes him an ideal mentor for Epidemic Sound artists navigating the complex modern music ecosystem.

“I’ve always been interested in new talent and try to be of help if I can with emerging artists finding their unique voice,” said Johnny Marr, guitarist, songwriter, and producer. “Epidemic Sound is a new kind of music company with its innovative platform opening up ways for emerging musicians to make a living, while distributing their work at scale to today’s online audience of viewers, fans, and listeners. In today’s challenging music environment, it’s crucial for artists to develop a diverse skill set and I’m excited to work with some talented individuals to help them navigate the industry while staying true to their vision.”

This partnership comes at a critical time for the music industry, with many artists facing challenges such as a struggling grassroots live scene and low remuneration. Marr’s mentorship will focus on guiding these artists to diversify their approach, exploring opportunities in sync licensing, collaborations, social media, and commercial releases.

“Johnny Marr’s extraordinary career and his ability to continually reinvent himself make him the perfect mentor for our artists. His insights will be invaluable in helping them develop the broad skill set needed to thrive in today’s music industry,” said John Cleary, Epidemic Sound’s Director of Global Music Recruitment. “We’re thrilled to have him on board and can’t wait to see the impact of this collaboration for our artists.”

Each mentee was selected for how their unique talent and goals aligned with Marr’s expertise, ensuring his mentorship would enhance their artistic growth and collaboration potential. The three Epidemic Sound artists selected for this program include:

• Rebecca Mardal: Mardal, a talented guitarist based in Sweden who began mastering her craft at just 11 years old, has built an impressive career with millions of streams from both her solo projects and collaborations. 
• Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen: Ditlevsen is a Swedish composer and multi-instrumentalist known for his orchestral-cinematic works, which have been featured globally in commercials, TV shows, documentaries, and trailers. His passion for both black metal and rock guitar showcases his versatile range across moods. 
• Kylie Dailey: Kylie Dailey’s songs make space to take a deep breath. Her citrus-tinged melodies are an invitation to lightness, channeling some of the best human feelings: hair blown by ocean wind, passing the guitar with your best friends, sharing that hard thing with someone you love. Paired with arrangements by partner Kevin Dailey (Garden Friend), Kylie Dailey’s songs glow with personal experience filtered through musical influences ranging from American folk music to African folk melodies.

After launching its music licensing solution in 2009, Epidemic Sound has seen the reach of its music grow exponentially, with 2.5 billion daily views on platforms like YouTube and TikTok providing a powerful distribution engine for its artists. Simultaneously, it has consistently developed its remuneration model — which now includes a 50/50 streaming royalty split, fixed fees per track, and a portion of a SEK 30 million Soundtrack Bonus — while offering freedom for artists to work non-exclusively on multiple projects at the same time, and facilitating creative collaborations with industry legends such as Richie Hawtin and now Johnny Marr.

The collaboration kicks off with the launch of a playlist where Johnny Marr has picked his favorite Epidemic Sound tracks.
 

About Johnny Marr

Widely regarded as the most influential guitarist of his generation, Johnny Marr’s impact on popular music cannot be overstated; from his time in The Smiths, The Pretenders, The The, Electronic, Modest Mouse, and The Cribs to his more recent solo releases and movie soundtrack work with Hans Zimmer, Johnny’s distinctive songwriting, production and guitar sound has been an integral part of the musical landscape for 40 years. In 2023, Marr released Marr’s Guitars, a beautifully curated photographic tribute to the instruments that have defined his distinctive sound and style. September 2024 brought the release of Boomslang, a powerful new work that continues his journey of sonic exploration, adding a fresh dimension to his storied career. His latest album, Spirit Power: The Best of Johnny Marr, captures the spirit and evolution of his career—a testament to his relentless creativity, genre-crossing musicality, and unwavering love of melody.