“I was so impressed by Nadin Brendel and her company Moutique. We worked together all over europe and her and her company became a key player in breaking BSS in Europe. I love and miss touring with her very much. Our business manager wishes everyone was like them. They kill for their bands and do it better then the rest.”
Kevin Drew / Broken Social Scene
“Moutique are on it! Professional, clear, speedy and with a strategic view that’s a real bonus to any manager or artist.”
Craig White / manager The Hidden Cameras May 2011
“Nadin and the entire team at Moutique continually impress me with their attention to detail and willingness to go the extra mile for an artist. Working with Moutique to book Jason Collett has been a wonderful and very productive relationship. He’s had his best European results to-date, and the level of service from your agency is really unmatched by other agencies in my experience.”
Kieran Roy / Arts & Crafts May 2011
“Peace of mind. Clear communication. Relaxed, personal…ultimately professional. Details.”
Adam Marvy / manager Do Make Say Think
“I’m someone who likes to get things done & structured well in advance of any show date. So making me very particular & some what high maintenance in the way I work & those small extra details that really matter…Moutique is the same!!! offering a smart, hands on pro-active overall view of touring & advance show production. For a promoter, their communication, advancing and overview is of the highest standard.”
Shaun Kendrick / production & show manager for All Tomorrows Parties May 2011
“I have known Nadin for many years now, have worked with her on several occasions. We share the same idealism, which I’m sad to say, has become a rarity in this business. Nadin and her company care about the artists they represent, are willing to go the extra mile. What’s more, they’ve got the know-how and contacts. I wish her nothing but the best. Keep it up Nadin! Bests, Jan”
Jan Schewe / Affairs Of The Heart May 2011
“Nadin is a tremendous agent, of course she takes care of the shows, routing, contracting, etc. perfectly. What separates her is the connection she makes to the bands she works with, we look forward to spending time with her when we tour the EU, and we’re proud to work with her!”
John Vanderslice May 2011
“Moutique got a high-end reputation around Europe. They are fast and very professional but still with a human touch.”
Kristoffer Ragnstam
“Nadin and her team are one of the most professional and foolproof agents we have had the pleasure of working with. All the boxes are ticked and she truly does fight for her artists, which is evident in the tours she programs and arranges. We are thrilled to have so many Canadians represented by her.”
Shain Shapiro / Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) May 2011
Moutique has given me peace of mind while touring eastern Europe so that I need only focus on performing. Their company is proof that you need not sacrifice being human and personal in order to be professional and successful. While so many go along with what’s already creating a buzz, Moutique is notorious for recognizing fresh talent that consequently go on to break in Europe.
Michelle / Chinawoman June 2011
“Nadin Brendel has been a part of almost every Broken Social Scene European tour, and was the first person to book us a club date in Europe. She has seen this band through all the highs and lows of a tumultuous career while maintaining consistency when it was most needed: Much love to Nadin Brendel.”
Brendan Canning / Broken Social Scene
“Dearest Nadin. Thank you thank you thank you thank you, for all of your help for those german shows. They were a full success. You were amazing and bands should feel lucky to work with you. The chocolate cake at the end was a brilliant move…such a kind gesture. Thank you for that. I hope to see you again along the way. So until then, be good, be cool, and stay kind. Very kindly.”
Munaf Rayani / Explosions In The Sky
“I am very happy with your agency and the result in each of our german shows. Vielen Dank. Your agency has a good energy to it.”
Howe Gelb / Giant Sand
“My name is Tegan Quin. I am in the band Tegan and Sara. We toured with Nadin Brendel in Europe last year and I think it is not an exaggeration to say that it was our best and most fun tour in Europe to date. We have been touring 10 years and it was the first time I felt as if we had someone with us who actually knew how to take care of a band. A good clean shower, dinner and an on time show are the most important things to me while on tour. All of these things were accessible with Nadin on tour with us tour managing. Plus she surprises you with chocolate cake and pizza on hard days where you feel like crying. That is something you can’t find in just any tour manager.”
Tegan Quin / Tegan & Sara
“I still remember when I first met Nadin in 2004 on a Broken Social Scene tour: I was impressed that such a young girl could handle so well, with such professionalism and care, such a huge task. I admire her and respect her since then, and I’m also happy to say we’re good friends.”
Carlos C. Carbonell / Sala Apolo Barcelona May 2011
“It is always fun to work with the ladies from Moutique! They do a great job and brought us a lot of our alltime favouite bands to Munich. Thanx to Nadin and crew. Go Go Go Moutique!”
Kiesi / Feierwerk Munich May 2011
“Nadin has been an absolute pleasure to work with. Without her help it really wouldn’t have been possible for Ra Ra Riot to make it back over to Europe.”
Josh Roth / manager Ra Ra Riot May 2011
“We’ve now been working together for almost ten years. Nadin has got a very good ear. She introduced me to bands like Broken Social Scene or Arcade Fire on a very early stage of those bands’ career. I think this speaks for itself.”
Thomas Zsifkovits, Frequency Festival May 2011
“Nadin, you are so young and fantastic, that everything is in your reach. Everythings in place. It’s on. I hope I’m around long enough to see your kids selling merch.”
Andrew Whiteman / Apostle Of Hustle
MOUTIQUE
A BOUTIQUE EUROPEAN BOOKING AGENCY
Moutique was conceived the way all great ventures are: through love, stamina, hardship, and adaptation. Moutique used to think it was simply enough to run a boutique booking agency based on passion and devotion to music. After a decade, they are still right about that. Love of music is the gut instinct – the guide – but love as a business practice requires something more solid to lean on in the tumult of a changing industry.
Since 2001, Nadin Brendel has been devoting her passion and experience to helping the industry evolve beyond the conventional grind. In 2004, with then-partner Daniel Kempf, she formed Mikrokultur, hand selecting and booking a small number of bands, focusing on quality instead of quantity. They were able to see the potential in new acts, helping lay the groundwork for career artists like Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, and Death Cab for Cutie. As a result, they were nominated for a LEA award in Talent Development in 2007. Brendel and Kempf made a concerted effort to keep their business and roster small, focusing their energy and resources on artists they were authentically excited about, and solidifying their reputable good taste.
When Brendel and Kempf amicably dissolved the partnership in 2008, there was opportunity for growth and reinvention. It was one thing to pick up new artists. The question became about endurance. How does one not just break bands but also cultivate careers? If career artists were the goal, Mikrokultur needed to become a career agency.
Brendel maintained her already successful roster and decided to grow the business, becoming a full-service international touring company. At the end of 2009, Brendel employed a tight circle of ladies hell-bent on more than just booking. They foresaw an independently-run booking agency also offering tour PR & marketing, production services, and travel booking. With a desire to be a visionary in a cutthroat industry, Mikrokultur became Moutique.
Moutique’s mission is immediate, honest, and accessible communication. Smaller bands are always given the extra attention and care needed for getting their careers off the ground. Moutique communicates honestly with their artists about expectations, strategy, and tangible goals. This honesty is also carried into business practices. After years of dealing with opaque tour budgets and show offers, Moutique values open, ongoing accountability when dealing with tour expenses and profitability.
Moutique chooses to work with quality likeminded companies to better serve their bands – from music lawyers, to graphic designers and writers, to the best agents and promoters in Europe and abroad. It is important that Moutique’s bands benefit directly from these relationships, even forging relationships of their own.
Moutique is driving a new generation of young, creative industry professionals. They strive to ensure a compelling live show experience for fans in an environment that complements the creativity of the artist, whether that is by booking in nonconventional venues or by strategic partnerships. It takes authenticity and innovation and Moutique is as fearless as their artists in changing the momentum of the big machine music industry.
Moutique leads by example, giving their bands the tools to make solid, informed decisions about their careers. They book tours and travel with the artist’s longevity and comfort in mind, ensuring musicians can keep touring consistently and in whatever capacity they choose.
Moutique is more than just a booking agency – they are career consultants. There is so much attention paid to detail, thanks to Brendel’s passion for good business and the fact that she is, well, German. Germans love their organization and procedures as much as their bratwurst. And Brendel is unashamed of that love.
