Five Questions With Human Re Sources
“Where culture meets distribution” is a slogan adopted by J Erving’s Human Re Sources label, and the indie shop is now generating heat on both fronts thanks to RAYE’s huge single, "WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!," a Top 10 global smash on Spotify, and an auspicious new signing, revealed below.
We caught up with Erving and VP Marketing and Artist Development Sydney Lopes long enough for a quick Q&A.
“WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” is exploding. Say a bit about that and what’s next.
J Erving: I immediately think of RAYE’s gut instinct. She picked the single and felt very strongly about it, had a vision for how it would resonate—and it has. Album and tour are next.
Sydney Lopes: It’s been exciting to be part of, especially having seen how fans responded to the track when she first performed it at Glastonbury. In typical RAYE fashion, her exceptional songwriting and ear for live instrumentation combined to give the song a global presence. We’ll continue to follow her lead, knowing that the tour comes with a ton of creative opportunity.
What other acts are you developing and where are they in the development process?
Erving: Not a developing act, but we signed Jill Scott, which is a full-circle moment for me and a chance to work with one of my favorite artists.
Lopes: We also have Lekan and Storm Ford, who are bubbling up in the R&B space. Both ended the year on high notes. Dxledward, a dembow artist from New Hampshire, is our foray into the Latin space. We’ve also gone to West Africa the last couple of years to build momentum for SuperJazzclub, an artist collective out of Ghana that embodies musical innovation. They’ve got a real talent for storytelling and exude a lot of energy without trying too hard.
The Orchard's Gita Williams-Stecker, Lopes, Jill Scott and Erving walk the talk. Scott has announced that her first HRS album, To Whom This May Concern, will drop on Feb. 13. (Emma Callahan)
Tell me about the inner circle of HRS—who does what?
Erving: We all do everything. We’re a small team so we have to be Swiss Army knives. The leads have their respective lanes (marketing, product, A&R, creative), but we all work together.
Lopes: Jonelle Ahiligwo and Erica Wei are on the product side, tracking delivery details and managing our release strategy. Maxwell Adepoju, our head of A&R, has signed multiple acts (Swavay, Akia, Lakeyah) this year. He’s supported by Cory Erving, Lisa Voynovska and Phoenix Erving, who use our studios in L.A. and Atlanta. Kim Hall, our creative director, understands what it takes to tell a bespoke story, and Ali Aloulou, our senior marketing coordinator, helps craft how you see it all unfold digitally. Alicia Gunzelle manages J’s schedule and our events, which, as you can imagine, requires a certain level of mental fortitude. Every hand is pivotal.
In terms of the industry, what keeps you up at night?
Erving: AI keeps me up at night. But we also have a lot of opportunities now that artists are able to speak directly to consumers that we didn't have in the past—the gatekeepers don’t get to gatekeep the way they once did.
Lopes: I look at the doors opening in front of us and wonder how we apply that to our future, how we take what we’re learning now and make sure we make the structural changes to maintain it.
How do you unwind, assuming that’s possible?
Erving: Tito’s, golf and my kids, in no particular order.
Lopes: I like to work out my thoughts in a Barry’s class or with a G&T at Republique.
Team HRS (from left): Cory Erving, Lopes, J Erving, Kim Alex Hall, Jenso Plymouth, Jonelle Ahiligwo, Lisa Voynovska, Alicia Gunzelle, Maxwell Adepoju, Erica Wei, Ali Aloulou and Phoenix Erving (@JayWill)