From Major Label Marketing to Independent Consultancy: How Alison Lamb Built Project Allies

After more than a decade working in marketing across independent labels, distribution companies and management teams, Alison Lamb made the leap into self employment in 2023 with the launch of Project Allies. Her decision came at a pivotal moment, both in her own career and in the wider industry, as more artists and management teams began turning to independent labels and distribution companies to self-release their music, taking on greater responsibility for their own campaigns along the way.

Drawing on her experience across labels, distro's and management companies, Alison set herself up as an independent product manager, someone who could step into campaigns with a clear understanding of the practicalities of releasing music from a label's perspective, while also appreciating the pressures artists and managers face in today's market. Since founding Project Allies, she has worked across a range of campaigns spanning different genres and release strategies, including Nina Nesbitt's number 1 UK folk album "Mountain Music" and Peter Doherty's UK top 10 release.

Below, Alison shares what led her to go independent, the campaign moments she's most proud of, and her advice for other women in the music industry considering building their own consultancy.

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Q: What led you to launch Project Allies after over a decade in the music industry, and what gap were you looking to fill for labels and managers?

For a number of years I’d had in the back of my mind that one day I’d love to work for myself and in 2023 I found myself in a bit of a turning point in my career where I knew that if I didn’t take the plunge then, I never would. It was at a time when more and more artists / management teams were looking to self-release releases via independent labels and distribution companies and having spent my career working in marketing at independent labels / distro’s and management companies I felt I was very well versed in being able to set myself up as an independent product manager - someone who could jump in on campaign’s and understand the nuances of the practicalities of setting up releases from a label point of view, but also with the understanding of the pressures and challenges that artists and managers are facing in today's market, with more responsibilities falling back on to them.

Q: You've worked on chart-topping releases like Nina Nesbitt's #1 UK folk album "Mountain Music" and Peter Doherty's UK top 10 release - what's a campaign moment you're especially proud of?

Within my tenure as part of Project Allies I have had the real joy of being able to work with a number of different artists and their teams and a variety of different distribution / label teams. I am particularly proud to date of having worked across the Nina Nesbitt ‘Mountain Music’ campaign which was released via Nina’s newly launched own label Appletree Records with partner’s FUGA. The campaign was hugely creative - being driven by a hugely engaged artist and bunch of brilliant industry executives and minds! When deciding to set up on my own, the option of being open to work on a variety of different campaigns across different genres was hugely appealing and something I’m still not taking for granted. 

Q: What advice would you give other women looking to go independent and build their own consultancy in the music industry?

I would hugely advocate for ensuring you have a couple of retainers locked in for certain number of months before initially taking the plunge, this means you can get to grips with being independent and getting into a rhythm without having to worry about where your first pay checks are coming from! I’d also very much say that you can never rest on your laurels - you have to continually be pitching yourself and seeking future work. I’ve found even the smallest conversations today can lead to future work so keep being at networking events and meeting new people has been hugely important and will continue to be. Having an active music network and community which I can built throughout my career to date has also been hugely beneficial - not just for support in bringing in new business and helping with word of mouth about my new venture, but for lending an ear through the rocky times and navigating the realities of self employment. I’m lucky to have a solid group of people around me. 

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