Aly gillani

Director/Founder/A&R - First Word Records

Biography:

Aly is the founder / A&R for Worldwide Awards Label of the Year First Word Records, home to Children Of Zeus, Amanda Whiting, Allysha Joy, Kaidi Tatham and many more. Originally a club promoter he ran seminal club nights Funky Mule and New Bohemia in his adopted city of Leeds for many years. Starting First Word in 2004, he is also an acclaimed DJ with regular gigs across Europe and a residency on Rinse FM. Aly is also the Artists & Labels Lead for Bandcamp, and host of the Bandcamp Selects Radio show.

Personal Statement:

Over my 25 years in independent music I’ve gained experience across a variety of aspects of the industry, including club promotion, DJing, radio, artist management, merch fulfilment, tour management and label management. These roles, coupled with my ‘day job’ as Artist and Label Outreach Lead at Bandcamp gives me a wide-ranging and unique perspective on the struggles that we face as an independent community. 

I’m a big believer in the power that diverse voices can bring to any organisation and would love to continue the work AIM is already doing to make our industry more representative at all levels. As a passionate advocate of indie music, I'd be honoured to serve on the AIM board and be part of shaping the future of our industry.