Cooking Vinyl opens own Australian office in Melbourne

Long-running European label Cooking Vinyl has opened its own office in Australia, headed by label veterans Leigh Gruppetta and Stu Harvey.

Gruppetta was former GM at Shock Records and Harvey its senior international label manager.

Based in Melbourne, Cooking Vinyl Australia will represent the 27-year old label’s international signings – including Amanda Palmer, The Prodigy, Marilyn Manson, Underworld, Ron Sexsmith and Billy Bragg – and will also sign its own Australian, New Zealand and overseas acts.

It will also work closely with its distributor, the newly launched Caroline Label Services to provide a number of services including strategic project management to a number of renowned local and international labels. These include BMG Rights, Dine Alone, Kemado, Lex, Mexican Summer, New Damage, Resist and Stones Throw. Caroline was recently set up in Australia under former Shock executive Tim Janes and had a Top 4 debut on the ARIA chart with City and Colour’s The Hurry And The Harm.

Cooking Vinyl London-based founder and CEO, Martin Goldschmidt, said, “Having enjoyed our best ever year in 2012 in the USA with Marilyn Manson, The Cult and The Cranberries, Australia was next on the list for Cooking Vinyl’s international expansion plans. Tim, Leigh and Stu have looked after us for the last decade in Australia.”

Stu Harvey commented, “I’ve always been a huge fan of the modern, artist-friendly approach that Cooking Vinyl takes. They understand their role in the team and how to play it. I was thrilled to be approached and very excited to join such a progressive music company.”

Gruppetta added, “The opportunity to be a part of Cooking Vinyl’s continued growth in the global market is beyond exciting. I’ve always held the label in very high regard and have watched it develop a truly progressive and dynamic model over the years. To be welcomed into the Cooking Vinyl family is incredibly humbling.”

Janes said, “Cooking Vinyl is effectively our first new label partner under our just-established Caroline Label Services Australia, and we couldn’t be happier. Martin and his team have continually evolved their business to suit the changing needs of artists and the recorded music market, and they will continue to be desirable label partners due to their innovation and passion.

“The label has enjoyed some great success over the years in Australia and establishing Cooking Vinyl Australia is an exciting initiative that we just had to be a part of. We can’t think of a better team to drive their Australian business forward than Stu Harvey and Leigh Gruppetta. We’re incredibly excited about the potential of this label partnership and the artists it will bring into the fold.”