As Thirty Seconds to Mars Hits No. 1 on Alternative Radio, Full Stop’s Evan Winiker Arrives
Thirty Seconds to Mars is No. 1 at Alternative Radio this week with the track “Dangerous Night,” the second consecutive chart-topper in the format (following “Walk on Water”) for the rock band fronted by Jared Leto, with a peak audience of 11.1 million, according to Mediabase.
That Thirty Seconds’ recent success aligns with the arrival of manager Evan Winiker of Full Stop Management, the firm that’s home to Harry Styles, Meghan Trainor, Mark Ronson and Charli XCX, is apt considering both have fostered good will from the greater music industry over many years — Leto having stayed true to his vision for the group across multiple labels and a two-decades-long career, and Winiker from his time playing bass alongside hitmaker Jack Antonoff in the indie rock group Steel Train, which the New Jersey natives formed in 2002 (Winiker also appears on a Bleachers track and in a video by Antonoff’s band).
“There aren’t that many managers that can say they’ve been in an artists’ shoes or a similar situation,” Winiker tells Variety. “It’s definitely been an invaluable resource that I draw from everywhere from touring to music to merchandise. The artist’s connection with the fans is at the heart of it, I try to think about that in everything we do.”
Winiker first stepped into management at The Creed Company, Brandon Creed’s former firm whose client roster included Bruno Mars and Sara Bareilles. There, Winiker handled developing acts like Atlas Genius and Hunter Hunted and learned from Creed five key tenets: “Patience; respect; loyalty; perseverance; trust,” he says.
In 2017, Creed Co. merged with Full Stop, run by Jeffrey Azoff, and Winiker moved into the Azoff Music Group offices in Westwood taking on Thirty Seconds and dance music producer and DJ Nicky Romero. Winiker says Romero has offered one of the most gratifying moments of his career as a manager. “Watching Nicky return to Ultra’s Main Stage this year as one of the headliners was a special one.” As was helping Leto roll out the concept for the band’s new album “America,” a road show involving a conceptual through-line of art and music through Leto’s lens. Says Winiker: “The campaign was incredible, and to help bring Jared’s box concept to life in arenas and amphitheaters was really fulfilling.”
Winiker, who has appeared as a panelist at music industry confabs like South By Southwest, is looking to take on some pressing issues in the coming years, key among them: “Equality in the workplace,” he says. His view on streaming royalties, meanwhile, endorses that of Irving Azoff’s vocal take. Says Winiker: “We have come far but still have a ways to go. The way YouTube pays creators is archaic.”
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