exclusive News June 27, 2018

Harts inks exclusive deal with Embassy Music Publishing, plans to move into songwriting and producing

Former Assistant Editor

Acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Harts has just inked an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with Embassy Music Publishing, adding the talented Melbourne musician to Music Sales’ impressive roster.

The Melbourne musician’s career was given a massive push in 2014 after famously getting a call from Prince to jam with him at Paisley Park, Darren Hart says that the meeting eventually became a “blessing and a curse”.

The young artist, who in April revealed on triple j’s Hack that he had been “struggling with the concept that the appeal of Harts may be too niche,” can add the signing to his already extensive list of successes, including playing guitar with Joey Bada$$ on hisLike A Version, performing during the NRL State of Origin pre-game entertainment, and playing two huge Bluesfest sets.

After discussing his frustrations and revealing that he had been considering the future of the Harts project on Hack, the signing provides Hart with the support to take the next step in his songwriting career.

Speaking to TMN this morning (roused from bed by his manager at 11 am – “I’m a bit of a vampire”) Hart said that he is pushing ahead with the project for the rest of the year with “a lot of new music coming out as Harts.”

However, “after [this cycle] I don’t know what I’ll be doing with the name Harts, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop writing music.”

He recently announced a new expanded live band for a special show at Howler in Melbourne on July 7 to launch his newest single Consciousness of What You Think, and already has two albums in the works to be released later in the year.

“I love music, and I love being creative, it’s just what name is attached to it and the brand,” he said.

“To be honest, I want to make music that’s not music with my vocal on it.

“I want to write music for other artists and be more of a songwriter and a producer, and I guess this deal allows me to do that.

“Now I have people representing what I do in my catalogue and pushing for opportunities like that.”

He reveals that his goal is to follow in the footsteps of his favourite artists, including Prince and Pharrell Williams. “I see myself going into that in the future.”

The opportunity to write for other artists was “very much a part of that discussion” with Embassy, Hart explained.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a long time and I wanted to look for a team that could help me do that.

Larry Heath, A&R manager at Embassy Music Publishing, told TMN “We’re thrilled to have signed Harts and see that the project will continue, with a lot of incredible new music on its way… and we certainly hope this signing will encourage him to do so long beyond the albums he already has in store.

“That said, we haven’t signed a moniker, we’ve signed a songwriter, and if Darren wanted to discontinue the project and start something new, we would be fully behind him.

“Whatever he does in his career is going to produce something truly special. I think fans can be assured though, in whatever name or form he decides it to be, he’s never going to stop making music.

Harts joins the local indie music publishing company with writers such as Damien Leith, Jon English, Tyrone Noonan (george), William Barton, Jack Carty and Jed Kurzel alongside an international roster of quality composers such as Ludovico Einaudi, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, Hauschka, Dustin O’Halloran, Philip Glass and more.