Max & Bianca sign to Wonderlick/Sony, Ten confirms Twitter Amplify deal, Mardi Gras eyes international market

Max & Bianca sign to Wonderlick Recording/Sony Music

Wonderlick Recording Company and Sony Music Entertainment have entered a joint venture label deal to sign pop stalwarts Max Donovan and Bianca Oechsle. The duo teamed with Phil Tan (Katy Perry’s Firework) to mix their upcoming debut album. Debut single Love Drunk is out December 13, with pre-orders available through iTunes now.

Brody Dalle signs to Caroline

Melbourne-born US based singer-songwriter and guitarist Brody Dalle (Distillers, Spinnerette) signed with Universal Music’s new global label services company Caroline. Dalle, who is married to Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme, has a new album out next year. She is touring Australia in March with QOTSA and Nine Inch Nails.

Sydney Mardi Gras widens opportunities

The Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras is eying greater international presence and new commercial opportunities. It hired Holler as digital consultants following the agency’s Rainbow Code initiative, which asks websites to carry the code if it supports marriage equality. The Mardi Gras also appointed Cardinal Spin to run its 2014 PR campaign. The Mardi Gras brings 20,000 into Sydney and injects $30 million into the NSW economy.

Kobalt to globally administer Cherrytree Music Publ.

Kobalt will provide worldwide administration and creative services as well as funding to producer/songwriter and label/A&R exec Martin Kierszenbaum’s new Cherrytree Music Publishing. Kierszenbaum set up Cherrytree Records in 2005, and signed Feist, Ellie Goulding, La Roux, Far East Movement, Robyn and LMFAO. It also released the first two Lady Gaga albums, for which Kierszenbaum wrote and produced four tracks.

Ten confirms Twitter Amplify deal

The Australian launch of Twitter’s Amplify platform is not until late summer. But Network Ten has already stitched a deal to use Amplify to push out video and audio content which is sponsored by an advertiser. Both media and Twitter will use their own sales teams and share in the revenue.

Sony/ATV pacts global deal with Pulse Films

Sony/ATV’s UK roster will have greater opportunities in film, TV, advertising and branded content after it signed a deal with global content company Pulse Films, Music Week reported. Pulse hooks up artists with brands, working with the likes of Coldplay, Katy Perry and The Rolling Stones and brands as Nike, Lexus, American Airlines and Google.