About Positive Subversion

Positive Subversion is a partnership between Motive Unknown and Siofra McComb, former head of international sales and marketing at independent label and distributor !K7. Positive Subversion has already signed hip-hop duo Run The Jewels and LA label Innovative Leisure as its first clients.

The new company will offer support to artist managers who are increasingly shouldering the traditional responsibilities of a label, and to independent labels finding they need extra support that comes with years of international marketing expertise.

“Managers are taking on more and more, but often lack the hands-on resource to manage the minutiae of a release campaign. We have also seen that taking on permanent staff in this space doesn’t make good sense due to the cyclical nature of campaigns,” said Motive Unknown Managing Director Darren Hemmings. “Working with a consultancy is the optimal one, and Positive Subversion seeks to fill that gap.”

Motive Unknown and McComb had previously collaborated on projects for Run The Jewels and labels Daptone and Mass Appeal. When McComb approached Hemmings with an idea to revisit working together, they realised they had both been eyeing up the same gap in the market.

“As the market evolves, managers and labels need modular solutions to make the most out of arising opportunities,” said McComb. “Positive Subversion offers them maximum flexibility to build the teams they need, making it possible for them to stay agile in an industry that changes at breakneck speed. We want to help them maintain independence and keep control over their creative output.”

Siofra McComb

“As the market evolves, managers and labels need modular solutions to make the most out of arising opportunities,” says McComb. “Positive Subversion offers them maximum flexibility to build the teams they need, making it possible for them to stay agile in an industry that changes at breakneck speed. We want to help them maintain independence and keep control over their creative output.” 

“I’d like to think that at Motive Unknown we have built a strong name for delivering the best solutions for our clients; ones that often dare to think differently and engage with new ways of working,” added Hemmings. “Positive Subversion is built in that same image; we are looking to deliver that same smart, forward-thinking offering of maximum value to our clients.”

Siofra McComb

Hemmings and McComb are available for interviews about Positive Subversion’s launch, and on an ongoing basis for comment on music industry and digital marketing trends.

About Motive Unknown

Formed in 2011, Motive Unknown is a strategic marketing consultancy working with artists & managers, record labels and other music, and music-related companies. The senior management team comprises Directors Tom Packer and Matt Cheetham in addition to MD Darren Hemmings. Growing to a 9 person team, its recent clients have included the Spice Girls, Robbie Williams, Run The Jewels, Moby, Underworld and more. Label clients include Partisan, Warp Records, Platoon, LuckyMe, Lex and Fat Possum among others.

About Siofra McComb

Síofra McComb is the Director of Positive Subversion, a newly formed company specialising in project management and marketing consultancy for independently minded artists and labels. Prior to forming the company she was Head of International Sales & Marketing at !K7 Music, a board member for the Association of Independent Music (AIM), and has worked as a label manager for London based label services company The Other Hand and as a publicist. Some of the campaigns she’s worked include releases by Run The Jewels, DJ Shadow, BADBADNOTGOOD, Peggy Gou, Nick Waterhouse, J Dilla, Tricky and more.