23 PR (or Twnty Three) expands its presence in the United States with the appointment of James Rainis as head of U.S. public relations, Billboard can exclusively reveal.

The independent comms and artist management firm recruits Rainis from Shore Fire Media, where he worked on campaigns for the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Bon Iver, Ghostface Killah, Oneohtrix Point Never, and PJ Morton, over a nine-year stint.

Founded in 2014 by Melody Forghani, 23 PR is based in Sydney, Australia and represents a diverse roster of talent, including RAYE, Little Simz, Obongjayar, KAYTRAMINÉ, Caroline Polachek, Skepta, and Joji.

In 2019, Amanda Perlstein, formerly of Stones Throw, Partisan, Shore Fire, and Big Hassle, launched 23 PR U.S. With Perlstein at the helm, the American arm secured relationships with Logic100o, CLIP, Baird, Luna Li, Haviah Mighty, and others, and works in tandem with HQ to offer tailored U.S.-only, Australia-only, and, when required, joint campaigns.

“Melody and Amanda have built a formidable press operation both in Australia and the U.S. while always honoring the vision and goals of the musicians they represent,” comments Rains in a statement. “I’m thrilled to join the team and to expand 23’s U.S. operations, all while working with a diverse roster of artists on the bleeding edge of music today.”

Adds Perlstein: “Melody and I are thrilled to welcome James to our U.S. team. We can’t wait to see where he takes the company next with his keen eye for spotting talent early, extensive knowledge of music, and a commitment to developing an inclusive company culture.”

Since the U.S. division opened for business, the indie firm has brought acts like Kucka, Maple Glider, altopalo, Sunset Rollercoaster, MAY-A to the “global stage” reps say.

A statement from the company reads, “Our love of music is at the center of every campaign through the promotion and protection of artists and their stories.”