Women’s History Month Spotlight: Sanj Satish

To wrap up Women’s History Month and Off The Record’s series on women in the music industry, I got the privilege of interviewing a creative powerhouse on an all-female led management team based in Los Angeles. Not only does she know what it takes to be a woman behind the scenes in the music industry, she is also actively shaping the future of music as we know it by championing women’s voices both on stage and off. This is artist manager, and my friend, Sanjana (Sanj) Satish.

Sanj and Bree backstage for Nessa Barrett. Photo by Kristen Jan Wong

Sanj got her start in music at age fourteen. No, she wasn’t managing artists, consulting on creative visions, or involved in the A&R process yet, but she was finding her foundational passion for the industry through community and shows. “My true start in music came from being a fangirl. Going to my favorite artists' shows was always such a powerful and moving experience – I've known since I was 14 that I wanted to play a part in making other fans feel that connection too”. (Sanj and I actually met for the first time at a One Direction club night in LA while both of us were visiting the city, and we happened to find out that we went to the same university and the rest is history; so fangirling runs deep for the both of us.)

This early interest in music has carried Sanj throughout her entire career, including her time in college. Graduating from Indiana University with a degree in marketing, Sanj cut her teeth in the music industry by “getting involved in any and all ways [she] could by booking shows/music events for the school and finding local artists” at IU. It was pretty much a done deal from there; Sanj was going to be in the industry, no matter what it took. “After a lot of cold DMS, calls, and emails to managers, marketers, label reps, etc. I found my way to LA working my first full time job as a day-to-day manager”, she tells me about how she landed in Los Angeles starting out in music. From there she found the connections and people that have gotten her to where she is now; involved in managing artists like Nessa Barrett and helping front the woman-led management team Madhouse Projects.

Photo by Bryce Glenn

Sanj’s current role as artist manager with Madhouse entails a lot from “representing an artist across all of their business verticals including the music making/A&R process to project and campaign rollouts, and to overall helping them tell their story/creative vision for their music and brand”. Founded by Bree Shepherd in 2024, Madhouse is “a music company specializing in forward-thinking artist management, disruptive fan-focused digital strategy & world-building creative” said via their site. Sanj joined Bree in 2024 shortly after Madhouse was founded, and has now found herself surrounded by empowering and like-minded people – “after spending 2.5 years being the only woman on my team in a previous role, I realized how important it is to have the camaraderie and understanding that only comes from other women in the workplace. Given how involved management is (work life balance is a constant struggle), it is so empowering to be on a team that understands the boundaries and struggles, and is so passionate about supporting and uplifting other women in the space too”. 

Cil on stage at Madison Square Garden taken by Sanj

It’s safe to say Sanj has taken off running from her time as a day-to-day manager; now either helping with or fully managing artists like Cil and Nessa Barrett. Her time with these artists has been nothing short of astonishing. When asked what her favorite memory or achievement from her career has been so far, Sanj takes us on a trip down memory lane at none other than Madison Square Garden. “A moment I will never forget is when my artist, Cil, opened for Stevie Nicks at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Growing up in New Jersey, I’ve seen probably over 20 shows there and it was always my favorite home venue. I’d spent years wondering what it looked like backstage, and what it would feel like to see people connect with something I’d worked on, so returning to work a show there was definitely a core memory for little fangirl Sanj”. 

Sanj has come a long way. From finding her passion in her teenage years to fully working alongside artists’ with their creative visions, she has carved out her space in the industry beautifully. But it hasn’t come without its trials and tribulations, seeing as men still have the stronghold in a number of positions in the music industry (stats found via Amplify Her Voice). “I’d say the biggest struggle has been imposter syndrome”, she details. “Music is still an incredibly male dominated industry, so there are a lot of rooms I enter where I am the only woman, POC, or person in my 20s and it gets hard in moments to remember these are rooms I’m meant to be and take space in. Over time though, this has definitely lessened and I’m realizing the power we all hold in our confidence, and to lean on letting my work speak for itself always”.

Regardless of how the industry currently stands, the future is bright for women in music. There are now countless examples of women and people like Sanj owning their place at the table they earned in the music industry. Sanj cites “the absolute domination of the pop girls in 2024” and “so many new and impactful communities for women in music” as examples as to what she sees for the future of women in the industry. “It’s been very exciting to see the incredible wave of female empowerment in music…I’m very hopeful that we will collectively continue to demand space and attention in the field, whether on the artist or industry front. At the end of the day, female fangirls have always been the ones driving culture and pop culture/media and I think we are at a point where that is finally getting recognized and rewarded rather than stigmatized, the future is absolutely female, and I am rooting for every single one of us”.

You can keep up with Sanj and Madhouse via their instagrams, as well as keeping a close eye on the artists they work with to further support women in music!

Sanj and the team with Nessa backstage at Brooklyn Paramount.

Both BTS photos for Nessa taken by Kristen Jan Wong