Role Model leaves Best Friends Music Management after success of 'Kansas Anymore'

It has been confirmed that singer‑songwriter Tucker Pillsbury, better known as Role Model, has ended his professional relationship with Best Friends Music Management. This move follows the release of his second studio album, Kansas Anymore, in July 2024; which marked a shift from his earlier electronic pop toward more stripped‑back, folk‑tinged songwriting.

Having worked with co‑founders Danny Rukasin and Brandon Goodman, who also manage artists such as Bishop Briggs and Mimi Webb; Pillsbury’s choice to part ways suggests he’s looking for a management setup that aligns with where he is creatively today.

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Role Model parts ways with longtime management

Role Model joined Best Friends Music Management early in his major‑label career, shortly after signing with Interscope Records in 2018. Over the past several years, Danny Rukasin and Brandon Goodman guided him from his debut EPs, Arizona in the Summer, Oh, How Perfect and Our Little Angel, through his 2022 album Rx and onto Kansas Anymore.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the split with Rukasin comes as Pillsbury approaches a new phase in his career, one in which he hopes to explore different creative partnerships without the confines of his previous team. No further details about his next management plans have been shared publicly.

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‘Kansas Anymore’ marks a turning point

Upon its release in July 2024, Kansas Anymore adopted a more acoustic‑driven palette, weaving in banjo, slide guitar and raw, introspective lyrics.

In a recent interview with NYLON, Pillsbury reflected,

“This is the first album where people are like, ‘It’s the most I’ve learned about you.’”

Highlighting how the record doubled as both a personal diary and a creative statement.

Tracks such as “Look at That Woman” and “Frances” showcase a newfound intimacy, while songs like “Superglue” reveal his willingness to lean into vulnerability. The shift in sound and subject matter drew attention from new listeners and long‑time followers; helping him reach several million monthly listeners on streaming platforms.

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Extensive touring and festival appearances

Following the album’s debut, Role Model launched the second leg of his No Place Like Tour, wrapping up the North American dates on April 10, 2025, in Seattle. He’s slated to play major festivals this summer, among them Governors Ball and Bonnaroo, before joining Gracie Abrams on select dates of her The Secret of Us deluxe tour.

Reflecting on life on the road in a PEOPLE profile, he joked,

“I’m just excited to hear all the girlies screaming the songs,”

adding that touring has helped him “figure out how to be more musical” on stage.

His booking is handled by Wasserman, a team he’s credited with helping translate his studio work into engaging live performances.

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Looking ahead to the next chapter

With the management change now official and a busy few months of touring ahead, Role Model appears poised to redefine both his sound and his professional framework. While details of his new representation remain under wraps, the timing signals a desire to match his artistic growth with fresh strategic support.

As Pillsbury himself put it in NYLON, “All of my music taste came from either me plugging my iPod into my brother’s computer, or from skate videos. That era was very cool,”

Suggesting that inspiration can come from unexpected places, and perhaps so, too, can the next phase of his career.

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Role Model’s decision to depart from Best Friends Music Management comes at a moment when Kansas Anymore has broadened his musical identity and touring profile. By stepping away from a team that aided the launch of his major‑label journey, he’s signalling a readiness to pursue new creative avenues and partnerships tailored to his evolving vision.

In doing so, he opens a fresh chapter, one that may well shape the next era of his work, both in the studio and on the road.