Q: What should a small label look for in an artist? Are there any financial arrangements small labels should avoid making with artists – and of course, if so, what are they?

Spend as little as you can acquiring the music and as much as you can promoting the music. If I tell an artist I have £1000 - would they prefer I gave it to them instead of promoting their album, the sensible artist should say, "spend it on the promo". It is hard enough for small labels - work with artists you like, with whom their is a mutual respect, and who appreciate the time and effort you are putting in to trying to get their music known. Or get ready to embrace heartache.

Q: How important are contracts for a small label?

Very. They can be as basic as a few lines on a page but it's a point of reference so everyone knows where the stand, eg who owns the record and for how long? Are we talking about a licensing arrangement or a recording deal? Geoff Travis told me his first agreement with The Smiths was just a couple of bits of A4 paper but it was a legally binding document.

Q: What are your favorite releases on Shoeshine? Of which releases are you most proud?

I released "Roll On John" by Greenwich Village bluegrass/folk artist John Herald and that was a labour of love. Alex Chilton turned me on to his music. A great, great character - now sadly missed by a lot of people. That was his first album in 16 years. Michael Shelley "Half Empty" is a great guitar/pop rock album. Songs like Rollecoaster an Think With Your Heart make me green with envy. Laura Cantrell "Not The Tremblin' Kind" was a very important record. It was quite a breakthrough for me and the most successful thing I'd done at that point. Laura singing her own song "Queen Of The Coast" made me weep. And her take on Amy Allison's "The Whiskey Makes You Sweeter" is jaw dropping. The Beauty Shop are a great band too. John Hoeffleur is a special talent. Check out the song "Paper Hearts For Josie" if you don't believe me. Amy Rigby "Don't Ever Change" is an amazing song too.

Q: What led you to get involved in management?

I licensed The Beauty Shop on to another label but wanted to keep working with them so I offered to manage. I guess I had already done some of the stuff over and above what a label does so it wasn't exactly strange new territory. And if a manager has had some experience as a songwriter/musician/label, that's got to be a good thing: they know what can expect - and what they should not expect - of the people with whom they have to interact. I hooked up with Camera Obscura at a good time. They had been around for a while and never had a manager and yet they were getting ready to make a wonderful album with producer Jari Haapalainen so I was able to help get them organised and plan a strategy from there.

Q: What is a day in the life of a music manager like? What aspects of your bands’ careers do you look after?

A typical day might depend on whether they are on tour or not or whether there is a release campaign looming or whatever. Camera Obscura are quite unusual in that they do not have a UK label so there is more slack for me to take up there. In general I suppose I field enquiries, I check in with agents, promo people, distributors, etc. I pester the band to update their site and MySpace. I try to keep the band and everyone involved with them in the loop so any developments - good reviews, new shows, etc - all help to add to the story and make 'the team' feel a sense of progress. I try and be proactive and think up ways to move things forward.

Q: What should other aspiring managers look for in a band? What important contractual issues should a manager look out for, or what red flags should they be wary about when considering getting involved with managing an artist.

Look for a band that you are passionate about or in whom you can see real value. And make sure they understand your role and why you get paid. Try not to spend your own money - especially when there is nothing in sight for you to commission on. Being a manager can be quite thankless. More like a goalkeeper than a goalscorer. So play with a team that knows what you are worth. And get a management contract that states clearly for all to see what you should do and how you should be paid for that work. Handshake agreements can be quickly forgotten when money enters the equation.

Q: What bands are working with now? Are you interested in adding even more bands?

I am managing and co-producing a band from Glasgow called Attic Lights. Melodies, harmonies, guitars and beards. It's been fun making a new album with them (I don't get to produce very often) and some big labels are sniffing around. I think I am about to get a whole lot busier.

Q: What other projects are you working on at the moment?