Power 50 - #43: Johann Ponniah

The visionary behind I OH YOU, Johann Ponniah, has managed to keep grounded while mastering not only the creative side of the industry but the technical side of it too.

Amid a hectic release schedule in 2017 he has dropped some exciting new endeavours. DZ Deathrays already claimed #4 on ARIA Charts with Bloody Lovely, while new music from DMA’s, CCD, Jack River and RBCF is on the horizon.

Ponniah and I OH YOU’s Scott Armstrong expanded the record label, launching a management arm called Converge Management with four exciting signings, including The Belligerents, Konstantin Kersting, Lewis Stephenson and Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever.

He also took on a stage at Laneway Festival, the Block Party, which provides another platform for emerging artists. With Violent Soho a crown jewel band on the I Oh You roster, guitarist James Tidswell launched his own label this past year, seeing Ponniah’s DIY and community-based attitude extend even further.