New Signings & Team-Ups: September 7
KILLING HEIDI BACK AT PREMIER ARTISTS
Killing Heidi are back on Premier Artists’ roster, the agency announces.
Twenty years ago the band from regional Victoria were discovered on triple j Unearthed, following up two years later with their debut album Reflector which went 4 x platinum, won four ARIAs and landed them a global deal.
Jess and Ella Hooper re-banded for the 20th anniversary of the Queensland Music Festival in November 2016, following up with a national metro tour and soon a national regional run.
“What Killing Heidi’s music meant and still means to the people that shared that amazing time with us really blows me away,” says Ella who went on to create a media career as well as continuing to perform.
“I meet so many people, especially young women, who tell me how Killing Heidi inspired them to be themselves, back themselves or even start a band, and I’m completely honoured that it had that effect on people.
HOPELESS’ ATLANTIC CROSSING
Hopeless Records have signed Sydney trio Stand Atlantic and scheduled October 26 as the release of their debut album Skinny Dipping as the first release through the label.
The band released an EP Sidewinder in 2017.
Following international tours with the likes of New Found Glory, Neck Deep and State Champs they were nominated for Best International Breakthrough Band at the 2018 Heavy Music Awards and included in Kerrang!’s Hottest Bands of 2018.
Singer/guitarist Bonnie Fraser describes new single Lavender Bones as being “about suppressing how you feel to benefit someone else and ultimately putting yourself second.”
BIG MACHINE CRANKS UP LADY ANTEBELLUM
US country act Lady Antebellum have joined the ranks of Taylor Swift, Florida Georgia Line and Rascal Flatts at the Big Machine Label Group.
They were previously with Universal Music Group’s Capitol Nashville, with whom they released seven albums, scored seven Grammys (one of them for smash hits Need You Now) and saw their debut album peak at #2 on the US pop charts.
BMLG president/CEO Scott Borchetta said: “Lady Antebellum is the consummate vocal group.
“Hillary [Scott], Charles [Kelley] and Dave [Haywood] have a special chemistry that only the greatest bands of all time have and what you see is what they sing — and it’s the sort of thing no label can create, only magnify.
“I am delighted that we get to assist them in writing the next chapter in their extraordinary career.”
VIVID SYDNEY OPENS EOI
Vivid Sydney 2019 has opened applications for expressions of interest from musicians, artists and innovators. For more information, head to the Vivid Sydney website.
NMA USES BEATS BY DR. DRE HEADPHONES
Beats By Dr. Dre and the National Basketball Association signed an agreement to exclusively use headphones.
The marketing and merchandising deal will also see a new marketing avenue for Apple-supported artists.
The Beats brand will be exposed a the sporting league’s games, the draft, and U.S. national team exhibition tours.
SECOND BIRDHOUSE BRINGS IN PARTNERS
After an eight-month hiatus, Melbourne outfit Birdhouse are bursting back with their second annual mini-fest ‘BIRDFEST #2’ at the Gasometer on October 6.
This time around, Birdhouse has partnered with PLUS1, a live music initiative which partners artists with high impact non-profits working in the most pressing global cause areas.
$1 per ticket will be going to ‘Minus18’, a national organisation for LGBTIQ youth, smashing homophobia, biphobia and transphobia through events, resources and workshops.
Another partner is brewing company Young Henry’s.
Jamie O’Sullivan, manager of Birdhouse says, “Having a close loved-one currently go through some difficult times as a queer trans person has really opened my eyes, so I thought the least we could do is show our support while sharing the stage with some of Melbourne’s most exciting artists!
“We’ve made a conscious effort to have a diverse line-up, which in the past we may have unknowingly been naive about when booking shows.”
HOW 18 NSW ACTS, FIRMS, GOT TO BIGSOUND …
Create NSW reported how 18 musicians, bands and their managers from across the state made it to Brisbane’s BIGSOUND to showcase their music and expand their networks, thanks to funding from the NSW government.
The 2018 Opportunity Development Grants program, administered by MusicNSW, saw these recipients being supported:
Arse (Sydney Metro)
BlackSide Management (Sydney Metro)
Caitlin McGregor (Sydney Metro)
Charlie Collins (Sydney Metro)
Claudine Michael (Sydney Metro)
Future Classic (Sydney Metro)
Grace Pitts (Sydney Metro)
Honeymoon Artists (Sydney Metro)
Nardine Gharsa (Western Sydney)
Olympia Henshaw (Sydney Metro)
Pirra (Sydney Metro)
Raave Tapes (Regional NSW)
Rachel Maria Cox (Regional NSW)
Rhyan Clapham (Sydney Metro)
Rich Amevor (Western Sydney)
Sunscreen (Sydney Metro)
Tiny Monster (Sydney Metro)
TOTTY (Regional NSW)
In addition, SCABZ, Rich Amevor and TOTTY also received funding to participate in tours., including SCABZ (on Skeggs tour), Rich Amevor (opening for Tkay Maidza) and TOTTY with Hockey Dad.
In the 2018 Opportunity Development Grants round, a total of $50,050 was shared 19 recipients from across regional NSW, Western Sydney and metropolitan areas.
…AND A WA MANAGER
The inaugural Tapped by Otherside 2018 WA Band Manager Grant from Otherside Brewing Co allowed WA manager Kelsie Miller to head to Brisvegas to find opportunities for the band she manages, Great Gable.
The $3500 grant covered her flights, accommodation and tickets to attend the four-day conference.
THE OCEAN GETS RELEASE VIA WILD THING
Australian prog-rock management & booking agency Wild Thing’s newly launched record label Wild Thing Records has concluded its second signing, the first being Circles.
It’s for the Australian and New Zealand November 2 release of German prog-metal outfit The Ocean’s eighth studio record Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic.
Wild Thing founder and CEO Eli Chamravi, whose company also runs PROGFEST, said, “I’ve worked with the band for many years regarding touring, and couldn’t be happier to extend our relationship to a label capacity as well”.
KING GIZZARD & LIZARD WIZARD REISSUING FIVE
Flightless Records is re-releasing King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s first 5 titles from their back catalogue on November 2.
They are Willoughby’s Beach, 12 Bar Bruise, Eyes Like The Sky, Float Along – Fill Your Lungs and Oddments.
They are will all be reissued on 12″ vinyl for the first time with re-imagined artwork, packaging, liner notes and wax colours.
ULTRA EXPANDS PRESENCE IN CHINA
Ultra Music Festival continues to expand its global presence with the announcement of Ultra China Beijing’s inaugural lineup.
Ultra Beijing stages on September 15 & 16 with headliners Zedd, DJ Snake and Axwell Λ Ingrosso.
It will have the RESISTANCE stage for underground acts and the Ultra Park Stage devoted to Chinese EDM acts.
ETIHAD STADIUM GETS CONNECTED
Dentsu Aegis Network sports and lifestyle marketing and operations business, MKTG extended for a further six years its deal with Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium (now known as Marvel Stadium) to get more connected.
MKTG take ownership of all connected stadium technology including 1,500 IPTV screens and the in-stadium connectivity including stadium app and assets associated with the Wi-Fi network.
When the AFL took over the stadium and sold the venue’s naming rights to Disney’s Marvel, the Victorian government chipped in$225 million to redevelop the venue and the surrounding precinct.
FOURPLAY MAKE STAND ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Australian indie string quartet FourPlay call for urgent action against climate change in the video for new single Wish.
It was shot by award-winning film director and writer Heidi Lee Douglas (Defendant 5, Little Lamb, Devil Woman).
She explains, “We combined narrative and symbolic elements drawn from singer/songwriter Tim Hollo’s personal story of what inspired the song.
“His daughter’s anxieties about growing up in a world affected by climate change are embodied powerfully by actor/dancer Marigold Pazar.
“By the end of the song her character has found the courage and strength to lead us into the future.”
FourPlay are doing six shows in Victoria, NSW and Qld between September 14 and 23. Click here for more information.
MGM COMES ON BOARD WITH MUSIC: COUNT US IN
Sydney-based distributor MGM (Metropolitan Groove Merchants) has come on board with association Music Australia and its Music: Count Us In program.
For the first time in the campaign’s history, its program song (this one is titled One Song) is available to download and stream online.
“Music Australia has been running this program now for quite some time,” said Mark Bolton, general manager of MGM.
“We thought that making the song more widely available would be advantageous for the Music: Count Us In program.”
The song was written back in March by five winning students of the national songwriting competition along with program ambassador John Foreman and 2018 program mentor, Justine Clarke.
It was recorded in April by students from The Arts Unit and The Talent Development Project.
PICK YOUR PROJECT
Pick My Project is a Victorian-first community grants initiative, with at least $1 million in funding available in each metro and regional area.
Voting closes shortly at the Pick My Project website. Voters can only support three projects within their community and which serve the Victorian music community.
Initiatives include the eco-conscious (e.g. Green Music Australia’s Wash Against Waste – solar-powered wash truck for plastic-free festivals), inclusive (Hobsons Bay City Council’s ‘Out of the Woods’ Music Theatre an inclusive performing arts program for people with a disability), accessible (3CR’s Community Radio Accessibility Project to improve and update the accessibility of the station), and arty (Auspicious Arts’ DEEP SOUND: a live-music-sculpture under the sea).