Grace Cummings signs with U.S. indie label ATO Records

Australia’s own Grace Cummings has signed a worldwide deal with ATO Records, the venerated U.S. indie label that’s home to Alabama Shakes, Rodrigo y Gabriela, My Morning Jacket, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Amyl and the Sniffers and more.

The new arrangement excludes Australia and New Zealand, where Cummings will partner with Caroline Australia.

Prior to the ATO deal, Cummings was signed to King Gizzard’s Flightless Records, which released her acclaimed 2019 debut Refuge Coven, which earned a nomination for the Australian Music Prize.

There’s more music on the way. According to reps at Caroline, a second album is due later this year. She’ll warm up for the release with a concert Friday, 26th February for the opening weekend of the new Brunswick Ballroom in Melbourne.

Watch Grace Cummings ‘The Look You Gave’:

A Melbourne native, Cummings was making all the right noises before COVID triggered the big freeze.

In a brief but impressive pre-plague career, Grace supported Weyes Blood, Evan Dando, J Mascis and the Allah-Lahs in her hometown, and played headline shows to sold-out crowds at The Tote and Northcote Social Club.

Also, she scored a nomination for Best Breakthrough Act at the 2020 Music Victoria Awards and performed alongside The Teskey Brothers at a bushfire fundraiser last year at The Thornbury Theatre.

Based in New York, ATO Records (According To Our Records) was founded in 2000 by Dave Matthews and manager Coran Capshaw, with a “steadfast” commitment to “building career artists”.

Its alumni includes Crowded House, David Gray, Gogol Bordello, John Butler Trio, Liz Phair and Kaiser Chiefs.

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.