Ari Elkins, Joey McCarthy. Photo by Matt Shouse – Virgin Music Group announces a global distribution partnership with music curator and executive Ari Elkins and A&R executive Joey McCarthy for their new label Suede Records. Virgin Music Group will provide global distribution and marketing services for the label. Suede’s mission is to combine two strengths that rarely coexist: a direct line to the audience and the patience required to build artists who last.
“We were fans of Ari before we even got to sit together last year due to his online presence and knowledge of music and ‘what’s next,’ but after meeting we immediately knew that his passion for music discovery and engaging with digital audiences would be an amazing fit with our ethos at Virgin Music Group,” said Jacqueline Saturn, President of North America and EVP, Global Artist Relations, Virgin Music Group.
“Everything I’ve built has been about connecting artists with the audiences they deserve, whether that’s introducing someone to the world for the first time or helping an established artist reach a new generation of fans. Partnering with Jacqueline and the team at Virgin Music Group gives us the resources to do this on a larger scale,” said Elkins. “With Suede, we’re focused on artists with no ceiling and building their careers intentionally. We’re not chasing moments; we are developing artists that people will still care about decades from now.”
McCarthy adds: “I’ve spent my career at the intersection of branding and music, and Suede is where those worlds come together. It starts with taste—hearing the record before it moves and seeing the artist before the world does. At Suede, we’re truly in the trenches with our artists and their teams, shaping the music, building the creative, and ultimately connecting it with audiences. We’re excited to partner with Virgin Music Group, who share that same vision.”
Elkins has built a reputation as a leading tastemaker for a new generation, cultivating 3 million followers through his music discovery content, commentary, and playlists. Recognized by Rolling Stone and other outlets as an industry force, Elkins began his career at Warner Music Group and went on to build one of music’s most influential discovery platforms. He co-founded and ran an independent label in partnership with Avex Music Group before launching Suede Records. He has introduced emerging artists to global audiences at the earliest stages of their careers, and for Suede’s artists, that audience becomes a direct line to listeners from the moment their music is released—a head start most labels can’t offer.
McCarthy brings a decade of experience across A&R, marketing, and management. He began his career at adidas, developing brand campaigns rooted in audience and storytelling, before transitioning into A&R and later building the music division at management company Fourward (Chris Hemsworth, Jacob Elordi). McCarthy has signed and developed Grammy-nominated producers whose credits include Drake, H.E.R., Noah Kahan, and Avicii, collectively contributing to over 1 billion streams worldwide.
Suede operates with a genre-agnostic approach, prioritizing artists with strong identities, emotional depth, and cultural resonance. The label is designed to bring audiences into the process of building a modern-day independent record label.