Anders Rahm and Cort Lawrence of Raw Cereal on Why Brands Should Let Artists Take the Lead

'Come in with curiosity, not control'

Anders and Cort are co-founders and partners of global creative and production studio Raw Cereal. 

We spent two minutes with them to learn more about their backgrounds, their creative inspirations and recent work they’ve admired. 

Anders and Cort, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

• Anders: I grew up in Sussex, Wis., where the farms met the suburbs, surrounded by woods and lakes. Now I live on the west side of L.A. and love being near the ocean and the mountains and being tied into one of the most creative places on the planet.
• Cort: I was born and raised in Highlands Ranch, Colo. But I truly grew up on the road, touring the world with large concert productions. Being in dozens of countries and immersed in different cultures of live entertainment shaped how I think about design and audience connection. Today, I live in Pittsburgh, but I work globally.

Your earliest musical memory.

• Anders: I remember jamming to “Bohemian Rhapsody” in the car with my dad at an early age, dancing to the movie Rock a Doodle in the living room, my first CD player and the Backstreet Boys…
• Cort: The Powerline concert scene in A Goofy Movie. Even as a kid, it made me feel something—and Disney always knew how to translate the feeling of a concert into a story. Moments like that showed me how powerful live visuals can be.

Your favorite band/musicians today.

• Anders: Lately, I’ve been really into House/EDM/IDM music. Ben Bohmer, Jan Blomqvist, Tinlicker, Four Tet. Last year was more indie and alternative oriented with my top artists being The Smile, Wilco and Audioslave.
• Cort: Goo Goo Dolls and My Chemical Romance. Their music hits an emotional nerve.

One of your favorite projects you’ve ever worked on.

• Anders: Tours and projects for Calvin Harris. My personal visual style and taste can really shine when working with him. Our job is to be stylistically agnostic and support all styles of art and music so it’s nice when a project so closely aligns to my personal goals.
• Cort: Morgan Wallen’s stadium tour is a standout. We designed it to feel intimate, even in huge spaces—something that makes people want to come back, to relive a moment or catch what they missed. That balance between scale and emotion is what I love most about this work.

A recent project you’re proud of.

• Anders: Jennie from BLACKPINK and her The Ruby Experience tour. The video content we produced really encompassed the goal of the creative team. We were able to elevate our work in a way that’s not always possible.
• Cort: Morgan Wallen’s Sand In My Boots music festival. It was a new venture with a lot of energy behind it. I got to design a beautiful stage and contribute across both stages creatively.

Someone else’s work, in music or beyond, that you admired lately.

• Anders: Avie Sheck. I’ve been working with him closely and it’s amazing to be a part of something in the early stages. I also get a lot of inspiration from art and I’ve been loving Taylor from @weopen. He exposes his audience to so many styles and gives a lot of great insight.
• Cort: I take a lot of inspiration from art and architecture, and I admire film production designers like Nathan Crowley. His ability to create cinematic worlds that feel immersive, intentional and bold is something I try to channel in live show environments.

A book, movie or TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring. 

• Anders: Book: Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace has been a godsend for insight into growing creative teams.
• Cort: The Super Bowl. It’s a masterclass in top-tier design, direction and cultural impact. It’s one of the few events where creativity is showcased at the highest level in real time.

An artist you admire outside the world of music.

• Anders: Hayao Miyazaki, Gerhard Richter and Es Devlin are some names that come to mind.
• Cort: I’m drawn to architects and fashion designers such as Chris Precht and Yohji Yamamoto—people who use structure and material to tell emotional stories.

Your favorite fictional character.

• Anders: Neo from The Matrix. I love the concept of enlightenment through spiritual growth and consciousness expansion. Similarly but more absurdly, Malachi Constant from the Vonnegut book The Sirens of Titan. The humility gained along the journey of Malachi is to die for.
• Cort: Tony Stark. He’s a builder, a visionary and a creative problem solver. He constantly reinvents and never loses sight of what matters.

How musicians should approach working with brands.

• Anders: With strong boundaries. Unless it’s just to play a show for a paycheck.
• Cort: Lyrics and music carry layers of meaning that brands can’t always access without collaboration. The best partnerships are the ones where the artist’s voice leads and the brand supports—not the other way around.

How brands should approach working with musicians.

• Anders: Thoughtfully and with an open mind. Brands often want to imprint too much. Just being there is enough, let the artists art.
• Cort: Come in with curiosity, not control. Musicians connect with audiences through authenticity. If you want that connection to carry over, the brand has to respect the story the artist is already telling and look for ways to enhance it.

A mentor who helped you navigate the industry.

• Anders: Tom Nunan has been a huge support for me as a business owner in a creative field. He’s an EP and ex TV studio exec. His insight on how to manage creative teams and negotiations has been invaluable. 
• Cort: My late uncle was one of the most influential mentors I’ve had. He was an exceptional leader—someone who created success through clarity, trust and a steady presence.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in music.

• Anders: Working in Neurotech. I’m interested in consciousness, its interaction with technology and reality. Or maybe a monk. Same thing, right?
• Cort: I’d still be designing—architecture, fashion, experiences. Creating spaces where people feel something. That intersection between creativity and structure is where I feel most at home.