Industry Mums – Jess Keeley

Broadcaster and mother Jane Gazzo continues her series asking women to describe their triumphs and challenges as working mothers in the Australian music industry.

Artist manager Jess Keeley has been working internationally for 10 years managing the careers of developing artists, established names and pop icons. She recently returned to Australia to launch her management company Music She Wrote, which focuses on building sustainable international careers for Australian talent.

Jess currently lives in Sydney with her husband and two children.

Describe your current job.

It’s kind of like being a mother. I manage the careers of music artists and songwriters, and it’s a lot of caretaking. Parents make incredible managers because we juggle personalities and negotiate every single day.

What is your earliest musical memory?

My family used to play that freeze game statues a LOT, so many of my memories are songs stopping abruptly and learning how to balance in a cool pose. We mostly did this to Fleetwood Mac and a song called 'Legs' by ZZ Top. Those lyrics have not aged well.

First record you bought?

That I bought myself would have to be Rise by Daryl Braithwaite. Also I got into hair metal for a while and bought a Poison cassingle.

First concert you went to?

Daryl Braithwaite. He came off the stage and stood in the crowd to sing a song and I was amazed that he was allowed to do that.

How were you raised?

In what felt like a very freaky household for the time. I’m one of seven children and my parents weren’t (still aren’t) ‘married’. My dad had long Willie Nelson hair and my mum’s cut was a black version of Annie Lennox’s. We were vegetarian and drove a Kombie. In hindsight those were superficial things that didn’t necessarily reflect politics or other associated cliches. We mostly just loved hanging out together, and still do.

What were your mother’s morals and values?

Empathy, selflessness, kindness and love.

Do you have an example of her displaying this/these from when you grew up?

I have endless examples of just how genuinely nice my mum is as a person. She put so much effort into being a mother that it’s hard to place one moment above others. Her patience for people (and her children) taught me how to compartmentalise my own needs and to really be present for another person.

Was there a time when you and your mother didn’t see eye to eye?

We never fought! It’s kind of amazing when I reflect on it. She avoids confrontation by getting in front of it (and just being nice), so there were no moments where I ‘hated’ her. I was ‘allowed’ to do everything and had to be self-sufficient very early. It’s helped me as an adult but also meant I often don’t allow myself to ask for help or explore my vulnerability. I just get on with it.

What teachings/values/morals from your mother have you taken and/or implemented into your own family?

Patience and tolerance for each other and sticking with it when things get tough. Also speaking with my children as small humans, no baby voices, euphemisms or third person.

Most embarrassing childhood family moment or happiest family childhood memory. Or both!

When I worked on triple j I used to tell these stories about my childhood on the breakfast show. I still can’t believe I divulged that as a 20-year-old (with younger siblings). We had regular family games night that featured a version of the blindfolded ‘Marco Polo’ game but in our lounge room. We called it “Lambies”, the person ‘it’ wore a St Kilda Football scarf around their eyes and tried to catch the rest of us who ran around ‘bahhing’. This story works for both ‘embarrassing’ and ‘happiest’.

When did you know you wanted to work/be part of the music industry?

I don’t think I ever knew, I just did it. I do feel we put so much pressure on young people to find a passion and sometimes it’s circumstance or opportunity which creates that for you. I’ve always said yes to everything and this led me on a path to more and more music opportunities.

What was your first industry job?

When I was 18 I hosted an ABC TV children’s show called Couch Potato. What a crazy thing to do out of high school.

Were there any female mentors you felt you could call upon when you started out or did you have to navigate your own path?

I’ve often felt this question is hard because yes I did find women who could be there for me but until I really knew they were mentors I didn’t use them in the right way. I’ve had so many women be supportive, and give me opportunities to learn and be myself, but it’s only as I’ve gotten older I’ve realised how special that was. Mentors, tell your mentees they’re mentees!

Were there women you looked up to at any time in your life who wasn’t your mum?

Definitely, and they changed all the time. From a next door neighbour, to dead authors, to Courtney Love and Joan Kirner.

Did you always know you wanted children?

I did, but I also reconciled with the idea that I might not have them. I was very practical about if/when, and when I did decide to have children it was 100% planned and wanted. That’s not always the way and I’m lucky.

Did you worry about how you would make motherhood and the music industry work?

Yes, I started apologising almost immediately. I’ve had a very difficult time with having children/working as a manager. I detailed why in a piece for Music Business Worldwide.

Since these experiences I’ve thought deeply about how I’ve created part of my own discrimination. Women are told to ‘do it all’ and that being a mother won’t hold you back. And it’s true. Being pregnant/having children doesn’t hold you back in terms of what you’re capable of. What does hold us back is the patriarchal idea of what a ‘mother’ is now able to achieve, and the decisions made as a result which are out of your control.

Birthing people and new parents should be respected and given time to repair. I thought by not taking the time I deserved I would prove that women could do both. I did that and got fired anyway.

As mother’s, there is an expectation in society and/or the workplace that you just have to get on with it and deliver. What kind of pressure has this placed on you?

For me this pressure manifested itself in the post-partum period with both my children. I didn’t take formal leave with either of them, as someone who is effectively self-employed in management it’s very difficult to have someone cover you. I was also trying to over compensate for what I thought may be a preconception that I couldn’t carry on and do the job. Ironically, with both kids, it was during this time that two separate clients chose to fire me.

Did you ever feel inadequate?

I have never felt inadequate. Other people have obviously felt that I was inadequate but I feel this has to come down to the social preconception we have about mothers and parenting sitting alongside work. I have felt guilt, or a sense of my dual responsibilities and really wanting to fulfil both to the best of my energy, but I have always known that even with a reduced schedule of actual work time I was worth employing. Our expectations around work commitment are rarely to do with the job performance, and all to do with preconceived notions about commitment.

Have you taken steps to ensure this doesn’t happen now?

I’ve certainly gone in to new relationships and work environments with a very clear expectation around what my family commitments are. This has been helpful in giving me the confidence that all parties understand what they’re getting, and I can try to avoid the self-imposed guilt I have felt about not being available.

Was there a time when it fell apart? Or felt like it was going to?

I will admit that taking a nine week old baby to a show in Las Vegas was a super big mistake and I made the wrong call. My second bub is a very different personality to my first and it really showed me that these little people are still needy humans (in tiny form). He is not into being a backstage baby, so lucky for him the pandemic struck and he’s been to no further shows!

What can the music industry do to facilitate working mums in the industry?

We can make an effort to talk about family during job interviews, in a positive way. We can encourage having children around our work spaces and accommodate shifting schedules. As employees of the music industry we do this all the time for work reasons - we shift our personal lives to fit around show times, artist promo schedules and tours. We miss weddings because there’s a festival to play! So it’s time this works both ways, to allow our excellent workers who decide to have children to continue to be excellent workers who happen to now have children. We can hire working mothers and stop our in-person work days at 3pm to allow people to pick their kids up. Men need to make an effort to discuss their own childcare responsibilities with their co-workers.

Since having your children, what has been your proudest moment?

The responses I’ve had to being honest about my situation have been really rewarding. I’m proud of the confidence I have in being with my children in a work environment and both working/mothering at the same time. I’m proud of my kids for being so trusting and unafraid of musicians and rough looking roadies.

‘We’re not like other mothers’ – how would you explain this quote to a non-musical/non artistic member of society?

I think being a mother on tour is definitely a unique perspective. My first baby was on tour at seven weeks old, slept in dressing rooms and grew up travelling. The rock and roll life isn’t for everyone, and isn’t conducive to having a traditional set up as a family. Kids actually love being on the road and get used to that day to day like any other. You definitely can’t stick to a routine though, and need to be comfortable with your children being exposed to more adult situations than they would in a non-music/tour household.

Artist Paloma Faith this year stated ‘The music industry is unfriendly to mothers?’ Do you agree or disagree?

AGREE. But the world is unfriendly to mothers in general. I don’t believe as women we acknowledge that we have our own unconscious bias towards mothers in the workplace. Like all things in the patriarchy, it’s entrenched in our social make up and parenting (particularly mothering) is seen as being incredibly mundane and daggy. It is absolutely that, but also Patti Smith is a mother. Mothering is a life experience and the richness it can provide in your output to the world should be championed. Like all jobs which are predominately done by women (teachers, child care, nursing) we are under (or not) paid, and these valuable skills are vastly under appreciated.

How do you balance your time with the needs of your children?

Sometimes well, sometimes terribly. I’ve never been someone who is good with a routine, my kids were on planes or backstage or just in my bed from when they were born. Each day might present a new challenge so I take it as it comes. I try to be there with my kids and not be distracted, so I find the time to do a lot of the emailing/life admin after they’re in bed. There’s an efficiency which comes from being a parent; it’s why we’re such good workers, and things which used to take me an hour are done in 10 minutes now.

What do you do to take time out for yourself?

I find this just another thing I’m not accomplishing – I actually don’t take conscious time out for myself. I mean I exercise occasionally, and scroll on my phone, but I think the idea of time out is incongruous. To make these experiences compatible with a non-routine life I find time to do things which make my life more exciting, or interesting, with and without my kids. I do always drink coffee by myself though. You can’t have a great coffee experience with the constant background noise of “I’m still hungry…”

Best piece of advice given to you?

Don’t be afraid of life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jane Gazzo
Jane Gazzo is a broadcaster, TV presenter, music journalist and published author who began her career in radio, aged 16. Since then, she has presented nationally on Triple M and Triple J as well as BBC Radio 6 in the UK and has hosted television shows such as Recovery on ABC TV. She spent eight years as a presenter on Foxtel's Channel V, where she reported from music festivals, red carpet events and hosted live TV shows, interviewing some of the biggest and best names in the music world.

In 2018 Jane became Chair of the Australian Music Vault Advisory Group and in 2020 she hosted ABC-TV's flagship music show THE SOUND and co-founded the popular Facebook site Sound As Ever (Australia Indie 90-99).