BMG Australia makes first move, inks two global deals

The freshly-formed BMG Australia has announced its first global signings, Chris Ross and Myles Heskett of Wolfmother and Chris Cheney of The Living End.

The Berlin-based BMG, the fifth largest music company in the world, launched in Australia in March as a stand-alone. Highly-regarded A&R executive Heath Johns is the company’s Managing Director, based in Sydney.

As the former Director of A&R at Universal Music Publishing Australia, Johns signed up publishing for acts including The Veronicas, The Bamboos, Wave Racer, Gang of Youths and Guy Sebastian, along with BMG Australia’s latest signings Wolfmother and The Living End.

BMG now represents the Living End’s ARIA #4-charting seventh album Shift globally, but will represent the multi-platinum band’s entire catalogue in 2019 when the band’s publishing agreement with Universal ceases. BMG’s deal will include hits Prisoner of Society, West End Riot, All Torn Down and the 2009 APRA ‘Song of the Year’ White Noise.

The worldwide deal with Chris Cheney includes the master synchronization rights for The Living End’s debut album and their multi-platinum sophomore album Roll On, limited to their homeland Australia and to New Zealand.

Johns said of the signing: “ Now based in LA, we are excited about Chris’ international prospects as a songwriter for outside projects and also his impending solo work.”

Johns first signed Wolfmother to Universal after witnessing their first ever gig at Sydney’s Vic on the Park in 2004. BMG’s global deal with Wolfmother founding members Chris Ross and Myles Heskett includes the band’s 5xPlatinum self-titled debut album. The record sold over 1.5 million copies and includes Grammy winning song Woman, along with global hits Joker and the Thief, Dimension, White Unicorn and Love Train. The record’s tracks have been synched to films including the Hangover trilogy, Planet of the Apes, Madagascar, 500 Days of Summer, Fantastic 4, Shrek, and Jackass.

“I could not be more proud to have Chris and Myles sign this new deal with BMG Australia. It is an iconic Australian catalogue with enduring global appeal, to now represent the majority share of this seminal LP on an international basis is an honour,” said Heath Johns.

“We are incredibly excited to join the BMG family. We look forward to the new experiences and opportunities that being part of BMG will bring!” added Chris Ross and Myles Heskett.

As a global company, BMG represents over 2 million songs and recordings, including the catalogues of Chrysalis, Dreyfus, Bug, Virgin, Mute, Sanctuary, Primary Wave, Skint/Loaded Infectious, Union Square, Vagrant, Rise Records and Talpa Music.