Nicole Banks (US)
Nicole Banks is a NJ-native who has worked in the music and live events' arena for
over two decades. An unabashed straight shooter with an intuitive understanding of
the industry and how to guide others, her success to date is very much self-made.
From nightclub promotions in Jersey to working as a talent scout at Sony Music in
2002, (back when CDs were a thing), via Dre Allen of Def Jam Records, she went
onto launching her own event production company, Nykety Splits Presents, in 2006.
Nicole spent many years organizing grassroots events in northern California
communities with little to no funding, working with groups like the Digital
Underground & the Black Panther Party, Eric Burdon and The Animals, the Wailers,
String Cheese Incident, Steve Kimock, Israel Vibration, RadioActive, Blackalicious
and Brazillian Girls to name a few. Here, her devotion to social impact and an eye for
places and people that are ready to shine also steered her toward philanthropic
work and founding of Ecomotion Mendocino – a block party to raise money and
awareness for school garden programs and education.
In 2012 a chance encounter with friend and artist, Nina Kraviz – along with a
committed meditation practice in the form of Bikram yoga – sparked a vision that
artist management was the next natural step. In 2013, New Kind Agency was born –
a modern mediumship for intuitively strategic artist management and event
production. It was created in response to an intuitive global need for a more honest
and socially responsible entertainment industry with well-being and a ‘can't be
bought or sold’ attitude at its core.
Comprising a team of creatives, entrepreneurs, educators, and advocates of social
change, the next-gen agency finds alternative funding solutions for projects and
events, and also educates artists how to avoid common contract pitfalls when
negotiating with major players.
“I am spiritual by nature and practical by necessity, with the drive and focus to hustle
when needed. This, I think, has been key in attracting some of the amazing artists that
have come into my life.” -NB
Nicole was instrumental in relaunching the career of DJ Deeon and one of his most
successful releases ‘Freak Like Me’ on Defected Records and Ministry of Sound. To
date, she has also worked with dance music artists and influencers including Ray
Barney, Claude Von Stroke, DJ Slugo, Rivva Starr, Parris Mitchell, Groove Armada,
Jesse Saunders, John Digweed, Solomun, Dave Clarke, and Spanish duo Lopezhouse
amongst others
Fast-forward to the present this agency is currently expanding to cover an array of
music genres — alongside motivational speakers, healers, and educators.
Nicole and her New Kind Agency have raised the bar with a forward-thinking,
holistic mindset and a no bullshit approach to business, over the years developing a
new set of standards for the entertainment and media business. Everything they
have been working towards is right on time, as the industry – and the world – is
ready to embrace change.
“Ultimately it comes down to a shared understanding that what we came here to do is
bigger than just ourselves and the stages on which we perform.” - NB