- Brian Swanson has joined UAA's rock & pop division, becoming the agency's second new agent in a month.
- Swanson brings his full client roster with him, including Smash Mouth, Mike Skill of The Romantics, Mike Dawes, Mariachi Continental de San Diego, and comedian Eddie B.
- He joins from Paquin Artists Agency, following a 30+ year career that includes stints at Northstar Artists, Madison House, and Paradigm Talent Agency.
Universal Attractions Agency (UAA) has added veteran booking agent Brian Swanson to its rock & pop division. Swanson, based in Monterey, California, becomes the second agent to join UAA in the past month, following Trip Brown’s move from New Frontier Touring in June.
Swanson brings his roster to UAA, including Smash Mouth, Mike Skill of The Romantics, Mike Dawes, Mariachi Continental de San Diego, and comedian Eddie B. UAA says more roster additions will be announced soon.
UAA general manager Nick Martucci called Swanson exactly the kind of agent who makes the business better, someone built on organic growth, mentorship, and genuine artist relationships.
Swanson’s career spans more than 30 years in music. Before UAA, he was a senior agent at Paquin Artists Agency. He has also worked at Northstar Artists, Madison House, and Paradigm Talent Agency, plus label roles at EMI and Capitol. A Minnesota native, Swanson was the first talent buyer for Prince’s club Glam Slam North, which opened in 1989.
Combined, Swanson and Brown bring roughly 20 acts to UAA’s expanding rock & pop division. The moves are part of a broader wave of veteran agents switching shops this year, echoing Jeff Kolodny’s recent move to Cognition from Paradigm and Barbara Frum’s signing with WME.
Takeaways
UAA isn’t just adding names, it’s building a rock & pop bench with real depth. Two veteran agents in one month, each carrying decades of relationships and a ready-made client roster, is an aggressive expansion play, not a routine hire.
Swanson’s Prince connection and 30-year label-and-agency résumé also give UAA instant credibility on the West Coast to match Brown’s Nashville presence.
Does back-to-back agent poaching signal that UAA is preparing for a bigger acquisition or division launch? Will UAA’s rock & pop division start pulling talent away from mid-size agencies like Paquin Artists? Could this trigger a wider run of veteran agents changing shops before festival booking season ramps up?
