New Signings & Team-Ups: August 30

Universal Music Publ. listens to Thief

Universal Music Publishing Australia finalised a worldwide deal with Thief (pictured), the minimalist synth singer/songwriter brainchild of PJ Wolf. The announcement was made by President of Universal Music Publishing AU/NZ Andrew Jenkins and Vice President Arwen Curson.

Curson stated: “I knew I wanted to sign Thief after the first minute of my first listen so I’m absolutely delighted to have him join the UMP family! He is an exceptional, world-class talent who has a long and fruitful career ahead of him as an artist and writer. We’re very excited to be a part of that!”

Thief recently returned from a writing trip in the US working with artists and writers such as Chromeo, Mitch Allen (Jason Derulo, Kelly Clarkson), Bram Inscore (Beck, Twin Shadow, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Icona Pop, Charli XCX), Jimmy Harry (Kylie Minogue, Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Santana) and Francois Tetaz (Gotye).

Native Tongue speaks to WILSN

Native Tongue signed Melbourne soul singer-songwriter Shannon Busch aka WILSN. She’s been played on Apple’s Beats 1 radio and over half a million Spotify streams for her debut EP.

Native Tongue’s Matt Tanner said: “At our writing camp last year, Shannon was involved in a session with Oscar Dawson and I initially fell for her voice. I then had the opportunity to watch her work in a room with other writers and I was completely sold.”

The signing is a joint venture with Pulse Publishing, which will administer the works outside of Aus/NZ.

Solo tracks take Liam Gallagher to Warner Music

Former Oasis singer Liam Gallagher wants us to know he’s not going solo. But he’s recorded about a dozen solo tracks, which he’ll release here in 2017 on Warner Music Australia. The deal was cut with Warner Bros Records in the UK.

Its President, Phil Christie, says, “Liam’s one of the all-time greats – brilliant, distinctive, controversial and captivating. The album he’s currently recording is big, bold and heartfelt, and it feels important and culturally relevant.”

Gallagher describes the new songs thus: “They’ve got flair, attitude, the melodies are sick and the words are f*** funny. We’ll record them this year and release it next year. It’ll shock people.” At this point, he’s not into an Oasis reunion with brother Noel. “Do you think I want to be in a band with that c***?”

Create/Control presses in Jack Grace

Create/Control signed enigmatic and imaginative Sydney songwriter and producer Jack Grace. A new single All Lost is from a debut EP to arrive later this year. The track follows first single Hills (featuring new Sydney electronica act Buoy, whom he produces), which notched up 338,000 streams.

Grace explains All Lost “came about during a tumultuous period for me. I’d finished an EP, but after coming home from being on tour and going through a break-up I found myself in a very different space.

“I was writing a lot of music at the time, mainly instrumental, most of it was feeling very detached and was acting more of distraction for me – until one day I loaded up this beat idea I’d had when I was in London and I allowed myself to be emotional and sang verses whilst playing piano over it for 15 minutes. It was a much needed release.”

After spending his teen years making music in his bedroom in regional NSW, Grace went on to study piano. Aside from Buoy’s two EPs, he worked with Paul Mac on Ngaiire’s new album, guested on one track, and accompanied her on her eight-date tour this year.

Koi announce deal with Universal

New Zealand doo-wop trio The Koi Boys, who made their mark on The X Factor Australia but didn’t make it to the end, still had a sign-up by Universal Music. Danny Faifai, Kevin Keepa and Ngahere “Nuz” Ngatai are releasing their debut album in October, a mix of covers and originals. It’s the first time that an act from outside the final 10 on the show wrangled a record deal.

Keepa was busking on the street when Faifai noticed him and invited him to join his band Temperatures Rising. They worked together for a time before parting ways, only to catch up in Australia. They picked up Ngatai who happened to be working in a bar called Koi.

Americana acts team up

The Road To AmericanaFest is a grass roots initiative of the Americana Music Association in support of artists appearing at the 17th Americana Music Festival & Conference, which runs from September 20-25 in Nashville. This year, it’s Shane Nicholson and Melbourne’s Weeping Willows who’re performing alongside Bonnie Raitt, John Prine, Shawn Colvin, Steve Earle and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats.

Along with Lost Highway Records and Universal Music, the AMA is putting the two acts, along with Lachlan Bryan, on the road for three shows this week. They’re in Suttons House Of Music, Ballarat (Thursday September 1), Baha, Rye (Friday 2) and the Caravan Music Club, Melbourne (Saturday 3).

Sean Paul digs roots with Island Records

Jamaican dancehall crossover star Sean Paul has landed at Island Records, Billboard reported. The British label, now part of Universal Music, popularised reggae as a global force in the 1960s with Bob Marley, Toots & the Maytals and Sly & Robbie. Paul was with Atlantic/Warner for ten years until two years ago, after which he issued records independently.

After helping Sia land her first US #1 with Cheap Thrills, the artist recently spoke to Billboard about his cross-over collaborations with David Guetta and Shakira.

MTV makes marketing history with video screen

To celebrate this week’s MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in New York, the broadcaster teamed with Branding By Air and Remarkable Media to fly the world’s largest flying digital video screen in the sky. They used two helicopters, one to carry the banner (sized at 76 metres wide, longer than the wingspan of a 747) and the other to carry the projection screen and film crew, flying around New York’s sky.

Coopers take message to big screen

South Australia’s Coopers Brewery, a major sponsor of many national live music events, is using Billy Joel’s Just The Way You Are for its latest campaign for its Sparkling Ale. Devised by Adelaide’s KWP!, it will be screened in cinemas nationally over nine weeks, as well as digital, print and outdoor.

How Dew Process previewed McMorrow album

In the run-up to the September 2 release of James Vincent McMorrow’s We Move through Dew Process, fans are able to take part in an interactive location based album pre-stream. Geo-fencing technology means fans have to be in the designated record store listening locations to access the album stream through a webpage on their mobile device.

To tie in with the album concept, McMorrow – who has notched up a total of 100 million streams – is encouraging his fans to move to different locations around the world, including cities where the album was written, to enjoy an exclusive first listen of the record. Fans are able to visit over 60 hand-picked record stores worldwide to listen, across Europe, North America, and Australia (including in Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle and Melbourne).

Pandora hosts two shows at BIGSOUND

Aside from its Senior Vice President Lars Murray addressing BIGSOUND, Pandora is also hosting two free-entry showcases during the Brisbane meet.

Tuesday September 6: at Woolly Mammoth are Ecca Vandal, Alex Lahey, Fazerdaze and Golden Age of Ballooning.

Thursday September 8 (afternoon) at Lunch Party Ric’s Big Back Yard with Ecca Vandal, Young Tapz and Apes

Norway duo for Caroline Australia

Caroline Australia will release the self-titled debut album from “joyously epic” Norwegian duo Apothek on September 30, Morten Myklebust and Nils Martin Larsen say that “All over the record, we had this mantra that what felt like an integral part of the band’s sound was trying to make acoustic sounds sound really mechanical and mechanical sounds sound acoustic. We spent a lot of time reamping synths, running them through different gritty effects and trying to make my old piano sound like a strange synth.” The Caroline deal came via their sign-up with Propeller Recordings.

Daniel Lanois in tandem with Bicycle Music

The Bicycle Music Company will globally represent the publishing for Canadian songwriter, artist and producer Daniel Lanois. The deal covers Lanois’ new album Goodbye To Language (an instrumental album described as “a steel guitar symphony”) and 2014’s Flesh And Machine.

Booking agency for Sex On Toast

Brisbane’s PS Music Group now books Melbourne 10-piece Sex On Toast. Their nine-date Never Mind The Moog national run begins in Byron Bay on October 13 and ends at the Strawberry Fields festival in NSW on November 18.

SCA’s charity partnership

Southern Cross Austereo will work with the charities Oz Harvest, The Black Dog Institute and CanTeen by providing support to these three organisations via community service announcements and content opportunities across their radio and television assets over the next two years. SCA’s COO John Kelly said the three groups “have demonstrated both the need and potential to meaningfully address key social needs.”

Telstra markets itself as entertainment destination

In a current campaign uniting its home and mobile entertainment offering under one platform for the first time, Telstra is using the taglines “thrive on” and branding itself as ’the most entertaining place on earth.” As reported in TMN, Telstra is offering data-free Apple Music streaming, and free subs for three months to SVODs Netflix, Stan and Presto on selected mobile plans. The campaign was devised by R/GA Sydney, OMD and Wellcom.

AC/DC’s Brian Johnson becomes patron

AC/DC’s Brian Johnson is the first patron of the Graham Wylie Foundation, set up by the UK entrepreneur to help, inspire and educate vulnerable and underprivileged children across the country’s North East. The foundation’s first project is to open a Nordoff Robbins music therapy centre in Johnson’s hometown Newcastle – the first of its kind outside of London. The singer, who also set up a music therapy room in his current base of Florida, says, “I strongly believe in the power of music to help children and adults through the tough times of ill health.”

WA electro-producer St. South finds management

Fremantle soul singer and electro producer St. South (Olivia Gavranich) has been quietly making her mark, getting her Slacks synced on The Vampire Diaries which helped it, and singles as Cadence, score millions of Spotify plays. Perth’s Pilerats collective, which has long been championing her, has signed her to its management division, just as she drops her debut EP Nervous Energy.

Warner/Chappell expands Latin roster

Warner/Chappell Music continues to expand its roster with Latin urban artists and writers. They include Cuba’s Jacob Forever, as well as the songwriting and production team Alejandro Ramirez Suarez aka Sky and Rene David Cano Ríos aka Bull Nene, who were behind J Balvin’s major hits which have generated 1 billion YouTube views.

Sony launching Playstation VR tours

A team-up between Scentre Group and Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) Australia will offer Westfield shoppers the opportunity to experience PlayStation’s new $550 virtual reality system ahead of its Australian launch on October 13. The Westfield centres are in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and the ACT.

SIE Australia’s Director of Marketing, Patrick Lagana remarked, “With the impending launch of PlayStation VR, we are on the brink of the biggest step change in innovation I have seen in my 17-plus year career with PlayStation.

“The only way to truly grasp the depth of experience PlayStation VR and PS4 offers is to put the headset on and try it for yourself. As such, our partnership with Scentre Group is a natural fit and we are really looking forward to taking PS VR out on tour to Westfield shoppers in the lead up in to the Christmas period.”

Qatar Airways expands entertainment presence in Australia

After deals with the Melbourne Theatre Company and Perth International Arts Festival, Qatar Airways signed on as the first international airline partner of the State Theatre Company South Australia. The announcement was made at the opening night of STCs The 39 Steps.

Qatar Airways launched international flights to and from Adelaide in May, and will support the STC through facilitating international collaborations and supporting productions in Adelaide until 2018.

BBC sells off music rights to hit shows to BMG

BMG has obtained the rights to more than 1,000 copyrights within BBC Worldwide’s music publishing catalogue. They include theme songs and background music commissioned for BBC household shows as Doctor Who, Luther, Mrs. Brown’s Boys, Wolf Hall and Frozen Planet.