Meet Josh Giles of Small Fry, Inc in East Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Giles.

So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It’s a familiar story: Music has always been a passion of mine, but never a career… until two years ago. Prior to the past two years, I would wake up every morning, sit in traffic for over an hour, then slouch over my laptop in a small cubical, eat lunch at my desk, drink massive amounts of coffee to stay awake, scroll mindlessly through social media, then schlep my laptop back to my car and sit in traffic for over an hour to get home to an empty house. This was my MO for the past 15 years. The life of a project management consultant is not glamorous. It pays the bills but can end up costing you more. My life was pretty gray… the same routine each day then living for the short weekend. I fought it at first, but the money was too good to give up. The Golden Handcuffs had me locked down.
Then, some midlife crisis milestones started to occur. My father passed away and then a few years later, I got a divorce from my wife of seven years. Each of these events could have been a catalyst for me to shake things up professionally, but I guess I wasn’t ready. With each milestone, I thought maybe I would finally take the plunge, but I didn’t… at least not right away. It took me four more years. Four more years of schlepping that fucking laptop from East Atlanta to Dunwoody every day. Four more years of complaining to my friends/family about how I hate my job. Then, one day, I saw an opening. My project was ending and they didn’t have another project for me at the time. I decided that I would take an unpaid sabbatical for three months and come back in the new year, refreshed and invigorated. Well, I never made it back.

During my sabbatical, I saw one of my all-time favorite artists play in Athens. He goes by the stage name, The Kernal. He’s a country/Americana artist who wears his late father’s Grand Ole Opry red suit on stage and hardly ever shows his face in press photos. He also writes some of the most original music out there today. I was texting with some good friends after the show. One of them shared an article they found where The Kernal talked about not having a manager. The light bulb went off. I have always had a passion for music and I have a background in project management… why not combine the two? I found The Kernal’s email address online, we exchanged a few emails, and he agreed to take me on as his manager. And that’s how it all started.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The major struggle I have is the same one every artist/musician struggles with: making a sustainable career doing the thing you love. Music is an extremely hard industry to make a long-term career in. There is a lot of competition and the money is feast or (mostly) famine. It’s unpredictable and always changing. You have to be creative, look for opportunities, and stretch yourself (and savings account) thin without breaking, and just hope people take notice.
It’s hard enough for an artist to cover the expense of touring, pay the band members, pay themselves, and then pay me. This is the one thing that keeps me up at night.

Please tell us about Small Fry, Inc – what should we know?
I founded Small Fry, Inc, an artist management firm, in the spring of 2018. Small Fry was the name of my late father’s boat (his father’s boat before that). After my father’s death, we had to sell the family farm, where Small Fry lived on a ½ acre lake. We debated taking Small Fry with us but no one really had any room for it. So, we left it for the people who bought the land. I decided to name my company after the boat to pay homage to my father and help ease the regret of leaving the boat behind.

I am most passionate about my artists and the music/art they create. They amaze me each time I see them perform live. My artist roster includes:
The Kernal – Country/Americana act out of Jackson, TN
Slow Parade – Atlanta’s very own psych-folk collective
The Minks – A bluesy rock band from Nashville
C.H. Hooks – An author from Brunswick, GA who’s debut novel, Alligator Zoo-Park Magic, was featured on The Bitter Southerner’s summer reading list.

What sets me apart from others is my business/project management background coupled with my passion for music. I think a lot of people who come into artist management do it because a friend asked them too… at least in the beginning. I try to bring project management principles to artist management, which has surprisingly been well received.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Lots of people:
All the artists I work with: Joe Garner (aka The Kernal), Matthew Pendrick (Slow Parade), Nikki Barber (The Minks) and C.H. Hooks. They all entrusted me with their life’s work, and I don’t take that lightly.
My Love, Claire. She gives me support and peace of mind when I need it most. She is also a badass graphic designer, so that comes in handy a lot. I would be lost without her love and support.
All my friends who not only support me but support my artists as well.
And of course, my family… without them who knows where I would be?

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