Power 50 - #14: Colin Daniels

2017 started off with a bang for Colin Daniels as it was announced that [PIAS] had acquired Inertia Music, in what was described as a “strategic partnership”. “Both companies have a similar approach to the industry so it feels very natural to be part of [PIAS] family,” Daniels told The Music at the time. “It’s been our plan to ensure we can provide a worldwide solution (when needed) for our Australian labels and artists. Partnering with [PIAS] also means Inertia can remain, always, an independent label.”

For the Inertia Chief Executive, it was just the start of a big 12 months for the company. In September the company restructured, moving forward with three core divisions – Label Services (including production and distribution), Inertia Label Group (acquisition and marketing of artists) and Strategy (including nance and royalties). Then there was huge news personally for Daniels in October, as [PIAS] announced he was now taking on the expanded role of Regional Managing Director for North America, Australia and Asia, where he will split his time between the US and Australia, focusing on growing the [PIAS] North America operations and emerging music markets in Asia. The only setback for the year came when one of Inertia’s biggest artists, Sia, announced she had signed a worldwide deal with Atlantic, ending a long association with her and the company.

Inertia found themselves connected to over half of the 2017 shortlist for the Australian Music Prize. There were releases in the past 12 months from revered indie music gureheads like Slowdive and Ride, noted electronic acts Asgeir and Bonobo, buzzing newcomers (and recent Laneway visitors) Shame and Dream Wife, plus the incomparable Bjork. Locally, there have been strong albums from Ali Barter and Hockey Dad.

The company was also on the forefront of the marriage equality movement, with their artist Bec Sandridge releasing her queer declaration to people who’ve questioned her sexuality or blindly steered her towards heterosexual relationships I’ll Never Want A BF just before the vote, and they were also one of the driving forces behind the Thirty Days Of Yes mixtape featuring Hockey Dad, The Jezabels, Jen Cloher & Courtney Barnett and more to promote a yes vote, with 100 percent of the pro ts going to LGBTQI+ youth organisations Minus18 and Twenty10.