For Simon Cahill, the intersection of music and technology has never just been work – it’s been a lifelong obsession.
From tinkering with VCRs as a kid to helping launch SXSW Sydney, he’s built a career that reflects the same passions that once kept him glued to Saturday morning music shows.
“I’ve come from a history of music and technology, and those two things are an intersection,” Cahill explained to Mediaweek’s Newsmakers.
“As a young kid, my parents owned a TV and video repair business. So on Saturday mornings I would sit there as my dad would be soldering together the first VCRs, whilst I’d be watching music shows and being obsessed with music and technology.”
From festivals to record labels
That early fascination quickly spilled into his professional life.
In the 1990s, Cahill was immersed in Brisbane’s music scene, working at festivals like Livid while promoting and managing dance parties with acts such as Fatboy Slim and Sasha & Digweed. By 2000, he had moved to Sydney, taking on A&R at Sony Music.
“Discovering culture and getting it to audience, right? Connecting that culture and audience piece,” he said.
At Warner Music Group, Cahill became senior vice president of commercial media and audience, where he spotted early shifts in discovery.
“My job there was to bring together the technology piece that no one else in the business was gonna dive hands into, so social media and streaming. It was very much at a time where these pieces were new, not fully understood, but we could see what was happening.”
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That path ultimately brought him to SXSW Sydney, where he now serves as co-managing director alongside Jonny Whyman. The role, he says, brings together everything that has driven him since childhood.
“For me, who always wanted to be closer to technology, this is a dream job. The room is filled with over a thousand speakers who are talking about what’s next in all of their fields. That’s what I think is truly special about the event,” said Cahill.
Now, he’s helping cement SXSW Sydney as one of NSW’s “foundation events” alongside Vivid and Mardi Gras – and, in the process, has turned his hobby into a career-defining role.
For the full conversation with Cahill – including how he sees podcasting, creators and the next wave of media – check out Mediaweek’s Newsmakers.