Carlos De Los Santos

Head of A&R - Submarine Cat Records

Biography:

As Head of A&R at Submarine Cat, I’ve helped define the roster, vision, and direction of the label from the ground up. Working closely with independent artists and their teams on a daily basis, shaping their creative strategies and approaches for sustainable careers, has given me valuable insight into the challenges they face. I’ve become a strong believer that community is vital to overcoming them. I’d like to bring that perspective to the AIM Board: to help foster greater connection, transparency, and support across the independent sector, and to champion sustainable, artist-focused growth.

Personal Statement:

Community is at the forefront of my work at Submarine Cat, and I believe it to be one of the greatest strengths of the independent sector. Over the past five years, I’ve been involved in every aspect of releasing music independently - from distribution, creative direction and digital marketing to retail strategy, label management and A&R. In my experience, breakthrough artists value one thing above all else: being part of a scene. It’s our mission as independents to show leadership and purpose in fostering the scenes where artists truly thrive. I want to help bring focus to those communities and encourage deeper collaboration between indie labels.

With every artist that places their trust in a small label comes a real sense of responsibility. Part of that responsibility is to stay alert and act on the bigger challenges shaping our landscape - from the rise of AI and the decline of human tastemakers to the financial pressures on touring. I aim to bring a fresh, artist-focused, fiercely independent perspective to these issues, alongside a strong willingness to learn and to represent the shared values that make independent music such a vital and resilient force.