Celebrity Name: Meltt
New Company: Ground Control Touring
Primary Agents: Merrick Jarmulowicz & Andrew Ellis
Department: Booking / Touring
Territory: North America
- Vancouver psych-rock four-piece Meltt has signed with Ground Control Touring for North American booking representation, with agents Merrick Jarmulowicz and Andrew Ellis leading the booking.
- The band continues its existing representation with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and management through Snake Charmer.
- Meltt’s 2023 album Eternal Embers via Nettwerk Music Group earned wide critical praise, and the band is set for a Europe and UK tour in May 2026, including an appearance at Dot to Dot Festival in Bristol.
- Ground Control Touring has been on an active signing streak in 2026, recently adding Dan Reeder and Peggy Reeder to its roster.
Meltt, the Vancouver-based alternative psych-rock band made up of Chris Smith, Jamie Turner, James Porter, and Ian Winkler, has signed with Ground Control Touring for North American booking representation. Agents Merrick Jarmulowicz and Andrew Ellis will lead the band’s bookings at the boutique agency.
The signing is a transition from the band’s previous booking home at Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Meltt continues its long-standing management relationship with Snake Charmer.
Known for blending psychedelic guitars, swelling synths, and ethereal vocals, Meltt released their critically acclaimed second album Eternal Embers via Nettwerk Music Group in September 2023.
The record built on the momentum from their 2019 debut Swim Slowly, for which they also dropped an expanded edition in late 2024. The band is now gearing up for a Europe and UK tour in May 2026, including a booked slot at the Dot to Dot Festival in Bristol.
On the agency side, Ground Control Touring, a Los Angeles-based independent boutique agency founded in 2000, has been steadily growing its indie and alternative roster.
The agency recently signed both Dan Reeder and Peggy Reeder to similar representation deals, signaling a deliberate push into the indie and alternative artist space.
Takeaways
This deal makes a lot of sense on paper. Meltt is coming off a strong album cycle, riding a growing international fanbase, and heading into a European tour, which means now is exactly the right time to lock in dedicated booking infrastructure for North America.
Moving from a major like CAA to a boutique agency like GCT often signals an artist wants more hands-on attention and a curated approach to touring, which GCT is well known for.
The retention of Snake Charmer for management and CAA for broader representation also tells a broader story. Meltt isn’t blowing up their team, they’re upgrading a specific piece of it. That’s a mature, strategic move.
GCT landing a psychedelic indie act with international traction also speaks to the agency’s ambition to diversify beyond its Americana roots.
Will Ground Control Touring’s boutique approach unlock more curated, high-profile North American tour opportunities for Meltt? Could this signing pave the way for Meltt to headline major North American indie festivals in the near future?
