Rebel of the Month: Jordan Tito.

We firmly believe that knowledge is useless unless it's shared – it's what gives it meaning and purpose and the only way to pave the way for change.

That's what our Rebel of the Month series is all about: shining the spotlight on our peers and industry Rebels who are making waves so that we can learn and be inspired by their captivating stories.

Following last month’s debut, we’re now giving centre stage to the absolute powerhouse that is Jordan Tito ✹ If you've got your finger on the pulse of the Australian music scene, chances are you've encountered Jordan' along the way. Not only is she an artist and tour manager, but she's also a jack-of-all-trades at various festivals and events and front-woman of alt-rock cuties Madura Green.

How did you start your journey to where you are today? 

There has only ever been one brief period in my life that I thought about living in a world outside of the music industry. When I was 8, I was obsessed with rollercoasters and the TV show CSI and thought I wanted to be a thrill ride designer or a crime scene investigator. Both dreams were all but crushed when I realised I needed to be good at science. 

My dreams were re-ignited when I was 15 years old and saw Slipknot play in the Jubilee Pavilion at the Adelaide Showgrounds. It was during the changeover after Machinehead’s set – I was in the middle of the mosh pit, fuelled with adrenalin – when I noticed the production crew move on stage and begin working. It was one of those ‘aha’ moments for me. Until then, I had never imagined working in a role in music outside of teaching and that moment changed my life – I wanted to be a roadie. 

From there, my journey began. I researched and was shocked to see how many different roles there were in music – I didn’t know where to begin so I put my hand up for anything and everything. I volunteered, emailed venues offering to do anything (including clean their toilets), attended as many shows as I could, played in shitty punk rock bands and networked. I worked on local shows, small festivals and made my way up to large touring festivals and arena events. 

Almost 15 years later, I’m living my dream and working full-time in the industry. I’ve worked in any and every role I could which includes being a tour manager, artist manager, merch slinger, meet & greeter, driver, flyer-er, venue manager, runner, artist liaison, event manager, backstage manager, mentor & coach and even a musician in my own band Madura Green. 

I now predominantly work in live music and touring and I love it. It’s been a challenging career, especially when the world was hit with COVID, but one that has been super rewarding. 

What are you most proud of in your career? 

At the start of 2021, I worked on a festival series called Summer Sounds. As one of the world's first COVID-safe festivals, crowds were placed into 6-people pods that were socially distanced and were delivered drinks via golf buggies. As the artist liaison, I worked with SA Health, SA Pathology, and SAPOL to create the initial framework that would allow for travel exemptions for artists travelling from quarantined states. Artists were tested upon arrival, quarantined in special accommodation and escorted by police to and from the airport, accommodation and show. On site, artists were masked and separated by groups or by states to abide by COVID restrictions. 

We were monitored closely every night, with the threat that any breach could cancel the entire festival period and subsequently, the jobs of hundreds of local creatives who worked to put the event on. Over 6 weeks we saw tens of thousands of attendees over 15 shows and on the last day of the festival, the South Australian government removed the interstate restrictions. 

During the same time and only a couple of kilometres down the road, stadiums were sold out with thousands of people for the tennis without any social distancing – it was a hard pill to swallow. 

It was one of the most difficult roles I’ve ever worked on but I am forever proud of the work we did in bringing live music back into the world when it felt like we had lost it forever. There's nothing like the feeling of watching a show, tour or festival that you’ve worked really hard on come alive. 

What's the biggest risk you've taken as a professional? 

Embracing the chaos and unknown by taking the plunge into freelancing full-time under TITO ENT. The security of full-time work and a weekly paycheck is nice BUT being my own boss, being able to say no to things I don’t believe in and exploring the world is even better.  

What inspires you to do what you do? 

Being passionate about live music and the experience is what keeps my flame alight. However, I wouldn’t be able to do it all without the support/fuel from my partner, family, friends and peers. 

Special shout out to Teenage Joans who keep me young and inspired every day as two of the most talented, intelligent and bad-ass women I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. I can’t wait to watch them take over the world. 

You’ve worn a lot of hats across your career, but is there any role that stands out as the most fulfilling?

I’m a gal who loves all my different hats – being open to anything that comes my way means that I’ve had so many incredible opportunities. I’ve toured with my bucket list bands, been overseas, worked on festivals with crowds of over 20,000 people and also played shows with my all time favourite bands. It’s been unreal.

What advice would you give yourself if you were starting out today?

Where do I start?! Be true to yourself, never settle for less than you deserve and trust your gut. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and try something new, always be open to learn and remember that experience is key. Find your people, don’t sacrifice your morals or work ethic, work hard but have fun and celebrate the wins.

Most importantly, prioritise your mental health and wellbeing and spending any time you can with your family and friends. 

Got any life hacks?

When you’re on the road, it’s quite often that you won’t get back into the hotel until after 1am and then have your alarm set for 5am. Whenever we’re getting less than 5 hours sleep, I tell myself that instead of getting a short sleep, I’m just getting an extra long nap – it sounds silly but I always wake up feeling more energised. 

You can get in touch with Jordan by shooting her a line at jordanleetito@gmail.com.