Rising Stars: Meet Autumn Johnson

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Autumn Johnson.

Hi Autumn, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I’ve loved music ever since I was a kid. I remember dissecting lyrics and reading every word of the CD case and liner notes. I loved reading the “thank you” sections to see what the artist was about. But I think the biggest thing I took with me into adulthood was that I always had this strong sense that music is not merely entertainment; it is shaping hearts and minds.

This sentiment was echoed to me throughout my years at Belmont University studying the music business. I remember my professor Dan Keen saying to us that “music publishers are the curators of culture.” At the same time, I was inspired by artists like Lacey Sturm (former lead singer of Flyleaf) and Twenty-One Pilots, who were driven by a desire to make music that makes people think and that gives hope to people who struggle with doubts and insecurities, depression, and anxiety.

Because of this core belief, I found myself drawn to the intersection of faith and creativity. At Belmont, I produced Christian Showcase, specifically with the vision of putting artists on the stage who created faith-inspired music for people beyond the walls of a church. Echoing the sentiments of Jon Foreman, I wanted to blur the artificial line between sacred and secular that we’ve placed in our modern minds when it comes to entertainment. One of the artists who performed in that show had this dark/alternative vibe, similar to Twenty One Pilots. She blew the judges away and far surpassed my own expectations. Up until this point, I knew I loved the music industry, but I still didn’t know which area I wanted to pursue. Everything captured my attention, and I found myself drawn in every direction.

Shortly after the showcase, I started managing this artist, who, at the time, went by the name Cypress & Co. but is currently known as CYPRSS. I remember a specific moment early on when I was up late into the night working on something for her, and I wasn’t tired at all. I was fueled by how much I loved spending my time working on her career, and I realized that I wanted to do artist management. I remember procrastinating on school work so I could find opportunities for Cypress & Co. After months of booking shows and slowly building a fanbase, her song “Underworld” took off in October 2019. The song delves deep into themes of depression and anxiety and feeling trapped “in the underworld.”

It was featured on the Pop Song Professor YouTube channel, and the fans of that channel were obsessed. They all started following her on her channels and platforms and streaming all her other songs. “Underworld” went on to get many more features and placements and ended up hitting a million streams in 2 years, and it’s still going strong even without any marketing efforts. But beyond all the streams and metrics, we saw comments and messages from new fans who were pouring their hearts out about their struggles and how much “Underworld” meant to them. I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of for the rest of my life.

Pop Song Professor video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHY7HijVvic
Underworld: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vga9sRhhFik

Unfortunately, the pandemic hit soon after and upended all our lives in different ways. But I will always be proud of what we accomplished together. Having that opportunity taught me so much about the wild ride of artist management, and I’ve been able to take all of that into future endeavors with artists across genres.

I continued to align myself with artists who had a mental health focus. I worked with the Alternative artist MNERVA and brought him from ground zero to headlining Exit/In. The first single from his EP “Invincible” was a tribute to his friend who lost his battle with depression. He ends every show with his song “The Interview,” reminding people that “it’ll get better than this.”

During the pandemic, when I had graduated from college but hadn’t found a job in the industry, I had to get creative with my pursuit of a career in music. I started a house show series with some friends, and I basically played the role of a promoter on a much smaller scale. We ended up creating a cool community among the artists and the people who came to see the show. New partnerships and collaborations formed from our shows and that’s something I’m really proud of. We were able to provide a space for smaller artists to perform while venues were opening back up.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think one of the biggest hurdles I have had to overcome in the last few years is imposter syndrome and a lack of self-confidence. I never felt like I truly belonged in the rooms I was in, and I considered any successes I had a fluke or a stroke of luck.

As I was about to graduate college, I was terrified about what kind of job I would land and if I would even get one. Then the pandemic hit, and suddenly, my whole industry was shut down for the foreseeable future, and I had no idea if I would ever have a career in music. I had to just take life one day at a time and figure it out as I went. But there were so many moments that I felt hopeless, and every door I knocked on was just going to be closed in my face. I remember working with independent artists during this time, encouraging them to keep going and telling them their hard work would pay off, even while I was struggling to believe that for myself.

As each year passed, I watched a new batch of graduates enter the workforce, and I felt like I was falling behind. People around me were landing jobs at companies I wanted to work at, and I was still struggling to find something. There were a lot of very dark, very low moments where I felt like there was no way forward. Everything changed in the summer of 2022 when I finally landed a job in music, and it was far more than I ever expected for an entry-level job in music.

And through that job, I grew in confidence and was able to overcome my imposter syndrome (for the most part). It took me two years to find my footing in the music industry. For some people, it takes way longer, and for others, it happens faster. But everyone’s journey is different, and you are exactly where you are supposed to be.

Community was so important in helping me persevere through the pandemic and other life challenges. I have a strong support system of friends, and I have people in the music industry who are like mentors to me and who I know have my back. I learned just how strong that support system of friends and mentors was as unexpected twists and turns came up.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Because I have spent so much time working with independent artists who have limited resources, I’ve developed skills in a lot of areas and worn a lot of hats. I tend to gravitate a lot toward live events and marketing because the former is about creating a powerful and meaningful experience for people, and the latter is just making it as easy as possible for people to discover the music they need to hear.

I’m not about scoring a viral moment. I’m about building a sustainable career for artists. Social media and digital marketing play an important role in that discovery process, but it’s inseparable from the live show. When an artist delivers a powerful live experience, people will keep coming back to it and bring their friends along, too. At the end of the day, I love counseling creatives and helping them focus on the right things.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I am a Third Culture Kid, meaning I spent the majority of my childhood outside of the US (my home country).

I’ve been in Nashville since 2016, so I’ve lived here longer than I have anywhere else in the US, and in a couple of years, I will have lived here longer than anywhere else. So, although I’m not a Nashville native, it really has become home to me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musicalowl12/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/autumn-johnson-151684114/