After a 12-year run representing some of Nashville’s most high-profile artists at the Big Machine Label Group, Jake Basden is exiting that familiar role to join Sandbox Entertainment Group in the role of president.
At Sandbox, the company led by manager-producer Jason Owen, Basden will be working with a roster of artists that includes Kacey Musgraves, Kate Hudson (the “Glass Onions” star whose debut album is due this year), Kelsea Ballerini, Dan + Shay, Faith Hill, Midland and Little Big Town.
“Jake is the sort of star executive who recognizes this is not a business of boxes and lanes,” Owen, Sandbox’s founder and CEO, said in a statement. “He is beloved by all and brings elevation to everything he touches. From conceptualizing events to executing campaigns, there’s no one (comparable) whose vision can see a project from conception through to not just success, but the highest awards recognition for whatever arena they’re in. Sandbox’s incredible team was formed as an entertainment firm whether it meant movies, television, touring or career direction. Jake excels in all of those spaces.
“And let’s face it,” Owen added, “he survived mydearfriend Scott Borchetta for12years, so there is nothing he can’t do.”
Midland is one artist that will carry over from his previous gig, as that band is signed to Big Machine. In a long stint at BMLG that culminated in his being named senior VP of global communications in 2017, Basden was a key figure in Thomas Rhett rising from newcomer to an arena headliner with 20 No. 1 singles, and also worked on marketing and publicity for projects by Steven Tyler, Sheryl Crow, Glen Campbell, Carly Pearce, Tim McGraw, Florida Georgia Line, Lady A, Jennifer Nettles, Cheap Trick and, obviously, one-time label flagship artist Taylor Swift.
At Sandbox, he’ll be involved in a more expansive portfolio of projects beyond just the music sphere, as Owen’s company has moved extensively into media ranging from television, like Fox’s recent “Monarch,” to Broadway, where Sandbox has the musical comedy “Shucked” going into previews in March.
“There is so much more to a successful launch, whether it’san artist’s project, a Broadway show or long-term development,” said Basden in a statement. “Perception can define reality,but you have to back it up with solid strategy and execution. … The opportunity Jason has provided allows me to both stretch and take topflight people, TV and motion picture platforms to new places. That thrills me because I believe that marketing done as a well-thought-out strategy yields exponential returns. The Sandbox team is comprised of the highest caliber executives whom I have long admired, and I am grateful for the opportunity to join them.”
Among the plaudits Basden racked up during his time at Big Machine was being honored at one of PRWeek’s “40 Under 40” in 2019 and being named the same publication’s Young PR Professional of the Year.
After graduating from the University of Oklahoma, Basden landed his first position in the entertainment industry in New York with a four-year job at Ogilvy Public Relations, moving on to a three-year position as director of media relations at Edelman, also in New York, working with Fortune 500 companies and in the sports and entertainment division. In 2011, about five years into Big Machine’s tenure as a new Nashville powerhouse, Borchetta brought him in to lead publicity for the label group, bumping him up to senior VP six years later, where he focused on “corporate and crisis communications” in the consumer and business press, as well as staying hands-on with some of the label group’s talent.
Prior to revealing his new position, Basden announced his conciliatory exit from Big Machine on Jan. 17 with an announcement that included effusive praise from Borchetta, leaving an interval before revealing what his next step would be. “Something I learned during my years in New York is don’t ever stop growing and reaching for new challenges,” Basden said at that time. “The culture at Big Machine always encouraged me to aggressively go in new directions.”
