Sea Level provided North American management for Johnny Marr from mid-2012 through the end of 2013. During this period, The Smiths founder, guitarist and songwriter released his first solo album, The Messenger. The album was released on Sire in the US, and was universally acclaimed by the US media, with coverage in every major print and online outlet. Johnny undertook two successful tours of the US to promote the album, including a celebrated appearance at Coachella in 2013.