Island Records Australia signs Peach PRC, Cap Carter & AViVA

Universal Music Group’s Island Records Australia has made some major signing announcements, revealing it had added Peach PRC, AViVA and Cap Carter to its roster of artists.

Nicole Richards, general manager of Island Records Australia, said the label is excited to welcome the three artists to the family.

“All three artists have unique stories and strong artistic vision that has already earned them loyal fans and followers,” she said. “We are thrilled they have chosen us to partner with in furthering their artist journeys and we look forward to helping them achieve their global goals.”

Michael Taylor, managing director of Universal Music Australia, flagged the company’s local and global ambitions for the new signings.

“These three new exciting signings for Island Records Australia illustrate not only our dedication and ability to break great Australian artists on the world stage, but also showcase our evolution into today’s leading Australian label for global artist success,” he said.

“As proved by Tame Impala, Dean Lewis and Vera Blue – and soon to be seen with AViVA, Cap Carter and Peach PRC – Island Records Australia leads the Australian market with engaged international label partners in the globe’s biggest markets, which equates to more global success for our artists.”

Peach PRC

Peach PRC’s signing is a joint venture between Island Records Australia and Republic Records in the US.

She officially drops her debut single ‘Josh’ today, which she has been teasing to her over 1.2 million TikTok followers. Her combined social media following is already over 2 million.

She launched her TikTok page in 2019 and organically attracted an audience posting content about life’s funny moments, self-care advice and music.

A&R, Ally Cole, said of the new signing: “Peach PRC is an artist who holds nothing back, telling stories online and through her music that are both hyper-specific and widely relatable. She’s an incredible songwriter and vocalist, has built up a huge social community around her, and pulls off the colour pink like no-one else.”

Peach PRC said she’s been waiting to put this song out “forever”.

“It’s very special to me, because it captured a real moment. I was a bit down when I was writing one day. My ex, Josh, kept calling me over and over again. He called all of the time, because he was trying to get back with me. I thought I had blocked him though. Since he didn’t stop bothering me, I wrote the song about him. It’s a true story, but it’s meant to be fun and colourful.”

Peach PRC will be doing a TikTok livestream from 12pm (AEDT) today.

Cap Carter

Also joining the label is Sydney artist Cap Carter with Republic Records as releasing label partner for the US. Cap has also inked a worldwide publishing deal with the wider Universal Music Publishing Group.

The announcement coincides with the release of Carter’s new single and video ‘Relapse’, which Carter said was written during one of his darkest experiences.

“I can’t write anything that’s not lived. There had been instances where I’ve been writing and I can’t tell whether it’s destructive or healing. But for the most part, in the last few months in the lead up to this project, I felt it’s healing. And I felt like it’s a lot of light,” he added.

A&R lead Brent ‘Quincy’ Buchanan noted the power of Carter’s music and storytelling.

“It was at a time when the world was fully on its head. I was on Instagram, I clicked on a live video and couldn’t believe the voice. I knew I wanted to be involved even before seeing the impact his songs were having on people. It’s raw, real and emotive musical storytelling,” he said.

AViVA

The final signing announcement for Island Records Australia today is AViVA, who has also built a following online with their “unique alt-pop-rock-trap-emo sound”, the label said.

AViVA moved back home to Australia from Los Angeles at the start of COVID-19, and isn’t afraid to bare all in their music about control and isolation. AViVA described their music as being about the “outsider experience”, with fans identifying as “Outsiders”.

AViVA has already amassed 3 billion global streams – 1.2 billion of which were in 2020 alone.

A&R, Georgina McDougall, said: “AViVA offers an escape to listeners, through the fictional world they create, delivered via their exhilarating emo trap pop rock mashed up style. Then there’s their massive fan community, who are already attached to AViVA’s inclusive, empowering message.”

Other artists on Island’s roster include Hilltop Hoods, Tame Impala, Baker Boy and Washington.