What does it take to discover Jeff Buckley but then your boss says "he has no charisma"? How do you stand up to Tommy Mottola when he tries to intimidate you with an East River "walk and talk"? And what happens when Madonna becomes your roommate and starts throwing out all your "unhealthy" food? Kate Hyman knows.

As one of the first female A&R executives at major labels, Kate has shaped music history through her work with the Flaming Lips, Moby, the Cranberries, Aimee Mann, and countless others. In this riveting conversation, she pulls back the curtain on the music industry's male power structure and how she navigated it with unflinching honesty.<

Kate's journey from archaeology student to A&R powerhouse wasn't planned. Growing up partly in England with a father who ran a major film studio, she found emotional salvation in music—especially darker, lyrical artists like Leonard Cohen and Neil Young. After being fired as a receptionist who couldn't type, she was surprisingly rehired for A&R when executives noticed she was always listening to exciting new music no one else had discovered.

Her talent-spotting approach is refreshingly pure in today's data-driven world: "I would put something on, and either the hair on my arms would stand up and I'd get this incredible feeling in my stomach and heart—and that was that." This instinct-first methodology led her to champion artists others dismissed, including turning down major label opportunities when executives couldn't see an artist's potential.

Through her Big Ears Music Consultancy, Kate now helps artists navigate the industry independently, providing the kind of hands-on development that's vanished from major labels. "There's no A&R left at labels—just researchers," she observes. "These young artists really want help with their songs, with making them better, with finding the right producer."

Listen in for candid stories about living with Madonna ("the worst roommate"), knocking on Marianne Faithfull's door to land a job, and why the music industry's gender dynamics remain challenging despite progress. Kate's unforgettable insights will change how you hear music and understand the creative forces that bring it to life.

https://www.bigearsmusicconsultancy.com

https://www.instagram.com/kate.hyman1

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Thanks to Anne Tello for her vocals on the theme song and to our sponsor 'Heard City'.