Steven Braines, co-founder of HE.SHE.THEY and a working artist manager, joins the Naughty Parrot Podcast for a raw, funny and unfiltered conversation about inclusive nightlife, class, and building a brand without diluting what you believe in.

From growing HE.SHE.THEY into a 25-country movement to living life as his drag alter-ego Sandra, Steven shares behind-the-scenes stories, industry home truths, and what it actually costs, financially and mentally, to build something real in music.

In this episode we cover:

– The real economics of artist management (what managers actually take home)
– Building HE.SHE.THEY from a fashion label to a global inclusive party brand
– Drag queen Sandra, and using comedy to talk about hard topics
– Class, privilege and trust funds in the music industry
– Campaigning against Keir Starmer to be Newham's next MP
– ADHD, hyperfocus and getting medicated (or not).

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

– Why diluting your values to avoid controversy doesn't actually work
– The real math behind what an artist manager takes home
– How to get noticed without being annoying (the follow-up email rule)
– Why ”just be nice” is the actual long-term industry currency
– The hidden cost of a music career for people without family money
– How Sandra, his drag character, became a way to talk about hard topics through comedy
– What running for Green Party council taught him about PR and storytelling
– Managing ADHD, hyperfocus, and burnout without losing the plate-spinning

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – Intro: meeting SteveN Braines, HE.SHE.THEY co-founder

00:52 – Why the brand talks politics openly

04:52 – Building a genuinely inclusive brand, not a gatekept one

07:16 – Safer spaces vs. universal spaces

11:32 – Origin story: HE.SHE.THEY started as a fashion label

14:16 – The lockdown pivot: community, livestreams, Web3

16:45 – Growing to 25 countries and the DMs that show the impact

19:44 – Steve's own journey with queerness and not fitting the mould

24:06 – Failing on purpose: screenwriting, drag, wrestling

26:53 – Breaking into artist management

29:19 – What artist managers actually earn

33:22 – How to actually get noticed: the follow-up email

35:40 – Why ”just be nice” is the real industry currency

40:34 – Trust funds, privilege and the ”scales of justice”

46:16 – Class, access and the hidden cost of a music career

51:21 – Meet Sandra: the drag character born in lockdown

57:01 – Comedy as a way in to talk about diversity

1:00:55 – Running for the Green Party

1:06:52 – Partying with balance: sobriety, steam rooms, anxiety

1:15:36 – Escaping the spotlight: wrestling, comedy, Reiki

1:18:49 – ADHD, hyperfocus and the medication debate

1:21:31 – Artists to watch / shoutouts

1:24:26 – Quick-fire round

1:29:27 – Final quick-fire questions

1:31:10 – Echo Note tradition & sign-off

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Follow Steven Braines Instagram: @stevenbraines

Follow HE.SHE.THEY: @he.she.they

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RIJ.: instagram.com/rijmusic_

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