With a juggernaut team of top talent, Monte and Avery Lipman have taken Republic Records to new heights.
In 2023, the company was named Billboard’s #1 record label for the third year in a row – with a commanding 13% market share of all albums released in the last 18 months. Their talent roster includes luminaries from across the music spectrum: Taylor Swift, Drake, Morgan Wallen, Nicki Minaj, Post Malone, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Stevie Wonder, Lil Wayne, Pearl Jam and more.
It’s easy to understand why some of the world’s most creative, talented and sought-after music artists are drawn to Republic, helmed by co-founders and brothers Monte and Avery Lipman.
We met on a gray day in Republic’s industrial-chic office space high above Midtown Manhattan’s bustling streets. Monte, Republic’s chairman and CEO, is intense and magnetic – speaking softly but assuredly. Avery, the label’s president and COO, is a bit more gregarious: a close listener and a deep thinker. Both exude a warmth that radiates confidence and thoughtful consideration.
The Lipmans’ offices overflow with industry and philanthropic awards (the MTV “Moonmen” stand taller than the rest), album covers, gold records, photos with some of the biggest stars on the planet and a veritable music store of autographed instruments (does that guitar say “Taylor Swift?”).
How did Monte and Avery journey from UAlbany’s Colonial Quad to these lofty heights? The answer requires a rewind to the series of life experiences that helped shape who they are and the hitmakers they would become.
The Lipmans’ backstory is a tale of hippie parents, an exploding television, angry punk rockers, fortuitous firings, tuneful anarchists and – at pivotal junctures – a willingness to take big swings. Ultimately, it’s a story about love for music and respect for artists, anchored and underscored by the deep bonds of brotherhood.
On a basic level, record labels help artists promote and distribute their music to fans, but it generally goes much deeper than that. A top label like Republic views the relationship as a strategic alliance – working with artists to help them plan and achieve their goals. That can involve creative consultation on the music itself, facilitating production of music or music videos, providing promotional and publicity support, and ensuring placement on major streaming platforms, as well as in online and brick and mortar stores.
Monte explained Republic’s philosophy this way: “We serve as custodians for the artist community, and we protect their rights and livelihoods in addition to producing, promoting and marketing the artists.”
Or, as quoted in a 2021 issue of Billboard, Monte once heard his young son telling a friend that “Taylor Swift works for my Daddy.” Monte quickly corrected that notion: “Kids, just so we’re clear, Daddy works for Taylor Swift.”
.jpg)
Avery does not share the same nostalgia for The Grateful Dead and other jam bands that some of his contemporary friends have. For him, the hippie brand hits a little too close to home.
“We had an unconventional childhood – our parents were hippies,” said Avery. “Have you seen pictures of hippies hitchhiking with little kids holding cardboard signs for, like, a ride to San Francisco? That was us!”
In fact, the brothers recently learned that they attended the original Woodstock concert in 1969. They were there, with Monte age 5 and Avery age 3, the day the gates were crashed.
Whether their attendance at one of the most iconic music festivals had an impact on them is unclear, but their transient early years certainly did. The boys first grew up in Brooklyn, but when their parents divorced, they moved with their mom to Boulder, CO, spent time in Malibu, CA, and settled back in Montclair, NJ, for their high school years.
“Avery and I learned to rely on each other,” noted Monte. “And we had to entertain ourselves.” This was especially true after the untimely demise of a beloved household appliance.
“It was 1976 and this was the height of TV sitcoms, water cooler moments and ‘Happy Days.’ And there are only three major networks. So essentially, the entire nation was dialed in,” recalled Monte. “And in that moment, our television blew up! I mean literally: fire, sparks, the whole thing.”
The boys were living with their father in Malibu at the time, and suddenly Fonzie and all things TV went up in smoke.
“Our dad took it as a sign from a higher power that we were watching too much TV. So he never replaced it!” said Monte. “All we had was the radio, a turntable and some of his albums.”
In what he acknowledged was “almost like a throwback” lifestyle, the kids would come home from school, do their homework and then just sit in front of the radio and listen to music.
“If you listen to the radio that often, you hear the different rotations on what's popular. And from the intros, you get to know the bands,” said Monte. “We would listen to Casey Kasem and make our own rankings.”
Both acknowledged that this TV-deprived ordeal clearly helped shape their appreciation for music and their keen understanding of what makes a hit — a hit.
Monte: Beastie Boys “Licensed to Ill”
Avery: Amy Winehouse “Back to Black”
The Republic Records roster includes:
Despite their age gap, the Lipman brothers arrived at UAlbany together – Avery as a freshman and Monte as a junior transfer.
“We chose UAlbany because it was a really good school and they had lots of financial aid,” explained Monte. “And we both wanted to play football.”
Monte and Avery made the team and played for the legendary Bob Ford. They also channeled their love for music into roles on UAlbany's radio station, WCDB, as well as the concert planning committee and the campus record store. Both spoke fondly of their years at the University, and they still maintain friendships with fellow alumni.
Monte recalled two noteworthy stories from his days on the concert planning board – one was a missed opportunity and the other a near disaster.
When planning the University’s Mayfest concert, Monte lobbied for “this girl who’s really blowing up” – an artist he’d seen on American Bandstand. However, he couldn’t convince his fellow committee members to take a chance on the up-and-comer. That artist’s name was Madonna. The planning committee opted instead for Kid Creole and the Coconuts.
“Yeah, that — was probably a miss,” emphasized Avery.
Monte also remembered an event that could’ve ended his music career before it even began. He and a friend went rogue from what the concert committee wanted and booked punk rockers Black Flag for a campus concert, but one of the students in attendance decided to douse the band with a cup of water. That’s when Henry Rollins, Black Flag’s infamously angry lead singer, leapt into the crowd and started to choke the student.
“I thought that was it for me!” said Monte. Thankfully, a quick flick of the lights restored order, and the concert resumed. (Which is so punk rock.)
Monte: The Beatles “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
Avery: Cheap Trick “Live at Budokan”
The Lipmans emphasized the extraordinary value of these extracurricular experiences in college – including how to handle adversity and to work as part of a team – not only for them and their careers, but for any college student.
“These experiences encouraged us to expand our minds,” said Monte. “They’re just as important as the academic experience.”
Avery noted that now, when he looks at a resume from someone applying to Republic, he often skips down to first see the applicant’s hobbies and other interests.
“We like interesting people who are passionate about something, people who are curious,” said Avery. “It’s a really good quality because it's very transferable into what we do.”
It was that passion, formed in childhood and fostered at UAlbany, that led the Lipmans to pursue careers in the music business.
“If we started our own company, we couldn’t get fired”
“I had three jobs in the industry, and I got fired from all of them,” laughed Monte, who quickly admitted “It wasn’t them, it was me.” Fresh out of school with little real-world experience, Monte was often frustrated that his ideas and opinions weren’t being considered by his supervisors.
“I learned a lot of valuable lessons from each job. I took notes and I thought that if I ever have a leadership role, I would do it differently,” said Monte. “I would emphasize straight talk, transparency, trust, loyalty and listening to multiple opinions.”
Two years after Monte entered the business, Avery followed suit – earning positions as an assistant to acclaimed producer/executive Clive Davis at Arista Records and as a director of business administration at Sony Music International.
Building on their experiences, both good and bad, the two decided to take their careers into their own hands in 1995 by forming Republic Records. Though only a mile or so from their current offices, their original headquarters was a world away – inside a cramped basement apartment on New York’s Upper East Side.
“We had a passion, and we thought we could make a difference,” said Monte. “And, besides, if we started our own company, we couldn’t get fired.”
Republic’s first official signee was a bro-humor rap-rock band called Bloodhound Gang, but the new label was having difficulty getting any traction with other artists. By 1997, the Lipmans had started their Chapter 11 paperwork when the Bloodhound Gang’s single “Fire Water Burn” unexpectedly blew up on LA’s famed KROQ radio station. The surge in sales was enough to keep the business afloat.
Later that year, Monte and Avery heard the demo tape for a new record “Tubthumping” from Chumbawamba, an anarchist British rock band – and they instantly recognized its hit potential. The problem: Other labels had heard it, too, and there was growing interest across the industry.
The Lipmans learned that Chumbawamba would soon be attending an anarchy-themed rally in a small town in Germany. If Republic was going to win the artist, they had to act quickly.
“We had no money, but we booked tickets to Germany,” said Avery. “We didn’t even know where we were going. We asked around and someone pointed us in the right direction. Then we met the band for lunch the next day.”
The Lipmans’ hearts sank when they learned that Chumbawamba was being heavily courted by other labels, who were making big money promises that Republic couldn’t match. But this was the first of many times that the duo’s gift for understanding the goals of each artist would win the day.
“They were anarchists, and they wanted to abolish all currency,” noted Avery. “So it really wasn’t about the money for them. They just wanted to share their music.”
“And they appreciated that we went to them and really listened to them,” added Monte. “That’s why they signed with us.”
“Tubthumping” didn’t just become a hit, it was a global megahit in 1997 – reaching #2 in the UK, #1 in Australia and Canada, and #6 in the US – and the album sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. Moreover, the single’s ubiquitous chorus is still used in movie trailers, commercials and other promos today.
One could argue that the lyrics of that chorus are a perfect mantra for Republic and its co-founders: “I get knocked down, but I get up again. You are never gonna keep me down.”
The music industry is all about momentum. The Chumbawamba signing begat more signings and success. Over the next three decades, Republic gradually grew their influence, forged relationships and alliances with other labels, and assembled a stunning galaxy of stars.
The music industry is also about constant change, and the Lipmans have shown an amazing ability to adapt and thrive through it – from the era of physical products like cassettes and CDs to digital purchases (RIP iPod) to the current age of streaming platforms like Spotify … not to mention a minor vinyl record renaissance.
As Monte said, “The way we discover, collect, trade and share music … that changes in every generation. But the impact music has on our soul, on our being, hasn’t changed.”
The other thing that hasn’t changed is Republic’s ability to connect with artists on more than a business level. Monte and Avery always begin by understanding each artist’s perspective: their goals, concerns and priorities. Then they decide whether Republic can bring value to that relationship.
“Our job is not to decide good or bad – we meet highly talented people all the time,” noted Monte. “It’s about can we make a difference for them? Can we help them realize their potential?”
And sometimes even the hitmakers miss. Years ago, they met with a promising male singer-songwriter, but they weren’t sure what they could do for him. So he left without signing. That singer was Ed Sheeran, who went on to global superstardom. “In this business, you’re going to make bad decisions along the way, but you learn to recover quickly,” noted Monte.
Finding and cultivating new talent is one of the great joys of the Lipmans’ job.
“I love discovery,” said Avery. “It’s fascinating to see how a song or an artist can create passion among listeners. And to see that passion travel regionally, nationally and internationally.”
As a recent example, Mercury/Republic artist Noah Kahan has gone from playing small venues in Vermont to headlining large arenas around the world – seemingly in a matter of months. In reality, Kahan’s success has been years in the making, a combination of the artist’s outstanding talent plus Republic’s personalized support and advocacy.
That personal connection is the Lipmans’ secret ingredient, and why so many top artists both choose and stay with them.
“Neither one of us plays an instrument, and neither one of us can sing,” explained Monte. “But our love of music and our sense of responsibility toward the music is what drives us. For so many people, music is like breathing, it’s water, it’s healing. That’s true for us, too.”
UAlbany Magazine welcomes your comments and we encourage a respectful and on-topic dialogue. Comments that violate our guidelines will be removed.
