Music Soup, a joint venture with Interscope and Darkroom, has rapidly developed into a label focused on emerging artists who may not yet fit comfortably within a major-label structure. Founded in February 2022 by Sean Lewow and Max Motley, the company’s rise matters because it illustrates how younger A&R executives are using digital scouting, personal networks and flexible label models to identify and develop talent early.

Lewow’s lifelong determination to engage with music led through college radio and a management company, while Motley built a following of more than 200,000 on TikTok after struggling to find live-music work during the pandemic. Both later worked in artist scouting for Darkroom founder Justin Lubliner and Interscope chief John Janick before launching Music Soup; its roster includes Vincent Mason, Katherine Li, Waylon Wyatt, Wisp and hey, nothing. Janick attributed the label’s early results to the founders’ creative instincts, work ethic and artists’ trust in them.