Pulse Music Group co-CEOs Scott Cutler and Josh Abraham have tapped Ashley Calhoun as the company’s newest president. Calhoun will lead the company’s A&R team and oversee creative strategy for the publishing roster, a similar role to what she has already been doing as Pulse’s svp/head of creative for the last two years.
In 2020, Pulse Music Group’s previous president and head of creative Maria Egan departed the company after a seven year run to move to the role of Chief Music Officer at Splice (she now works as Global Head of Music and Events for Riot Games). Calhoun has acted as her replacement ever since and is known for her “consistent history of being at the forefront of signing talent early and then creating career-defining moments for them,” says Cutler and Abramson. “She’s a one-of-a-kind A&R executive.”
She first signed on to Pulse in 2015 as an A&R director after serving as creative director for Rondor Music Publishing (a division of UMPG). In her first week, she signed Starrah, one of this generation’s biggest songwriters. Within two years she progressed to the title of vice president of A&R.
“PULSE is synonymous with creative culture,” Calhoun explains. “When a writer walks on to our campus, they get right away that PULSE Music Group has built this creative sanctuary for our roster and a real community of great songwriters/producers to surround themselves with. Our company was founded by songwriters/producers so, from the top down, there’s a lot of relatability.”
The promotion is announced as Pulse Music Group holds stakes in the first, second and third ranking songs on the Billboard Hot 100 (“As It Was” co-written by Pulse signee Tyler Johnson, “First Class,” co-written by Angel Lopez, and “Wait For U ft. Drake and Tems,” co-written by FNZ and SPRINGBRK). During her tenure at Pulse, Calhoun has aided the careers of some of the most notable songwriters in the business, including signees like Kehlani, OZ (who topped both the Hot 100 Songwriter and Producer charts simultaneously in 2020), Starrah, FNZ, and many more.
“We have the best A&R team I think of any indie out there,” Calhoun adds. “I want to thank Scott and Josh for giving me the opportunity to lead the PULSE A&R team in the years ahead. It’s an incredible honor to work with the best of the best.”
