New Signings & Team-Ups: August 9
R&S inks distro deal with Believe Digital
Belgium-founded independent label R&S Records has signed a deal with UK-based distributor and services provider Believe Digital.
Thedeal includes digital distribution, video management, digital & trade marketing, neighbouring rights and sync. It covers all download and streaming services worldwide, excluding Japan, US and Canada.
The account will be managed by Label Manager Panos Polimatidis, who also oversees Australia’sFuture Classic, along with Jai Paul & A.K. Paul’s Paul Institute imprint.
Believe’s agreement with R&S follows its deals with Prime Direct Distribution, Southern Fried Records, Moda, Foreign Family Collective, and Southern Record Distribution.
Native Tongue rolls in Alex Lahey
Native Tongue signed Melbourne singer-songwriter Alex Lahey to a worldwide publishing agreement. After scoring a Splendour In The Grass festival slot through triple j Unearthed, Lahey released her debut EP B-Grade University, which features the singles You Don’t Think You Like People Like Me and Let’s Go Out.
Lahey said, “As an artist who primarily identifies as a songwriter, Native Tongue’s commitment to working with their writers to develop their skills and create opportunities makes me extremely excited for the future and all the hard work ahead!”
Native Tongue’s GM, Jaime Gough added, “I first saw Alex perform almost two years ago and was instantly taken by her lyrics and delivery. Even then, Alex had a clear idea of who she was as an artist and the messages she wished to convey. Alex has since blossomed with her writing and it’s a genuine pleasure to be working with such an exciting talent throughout the formative stages of what will be a long career in this industry”.
North American booking deal for Gabriella Cohen
Melbourne singer songwriter Gabriella Cohen celebrated her 25th birthday by finalising a North American booking agency deal with Matt Hickey from High Road Touring. Hickey currently books Alabama Shakes, Bloc Party, Django Django, Portugal The Man and Amanda Palmer. Her debut album Full Closure And No Details received global acclaim for its classic approach to songwriting and applying them to modern rock sounds. “Musically there’s bits of Mazzy Star, Nick Cave and The Velvet Underground to devour,” England’s NME advised its readers.
Cohen and band embark on her Happiness Tour in September, taking in Sydney, Brisbane (where she lived until late last year) and Melbourne.
Kobalt enters deals with Blue Raincoat, Chrysalis
Kobalt signed a global administration pact with British publishing company Blue Raincoat Songs and a label services deal with record label Chrysalis. Both are owned by industry veterans Jeremy Lascelles and Robin Millar. KLS will provide distribution for Chrysalis acts and back catalogue.
Richard Sanders, President of Kobalt said: “We’ve known Jeremy, Robin and Chris (Wright, who founded Chrysalis and recently returned as non-executive Chairman) for many years and have always admired their work and overall contribution to the industry and to so many artists’ careers.
Their catalogue is rich with exceptional talent and both Blue Raincoat Songs and Chrysalis Records are ideal partners for Kobalt as their core values of ‘artist-first’ align perfectly with ours.”
Rat & Co booked through Heads With Tales
Ambient electronic act Rat & Co will be booked through growing Melbourne booking and touring agency Heads With Tales. They join a roster which includes Mall Grab, Catlips, 30/70 and Lucy Cliché. Rat & Co are heading on the road next month. They begin at Brisbane’s BIGSOUND (September 7 to 9) and wind up two shows later headlining at Kennedy’s Creek Music Festival on October 21—22.
123 Agency pay out for West Thebarton Brothel Party
Melbourne booking and touring agency 123 has hooked in Adelaide seven-piece West Thebarton Brothel Party. They hit the road for seven shows between September 3 to October 14, which takes in BIGSOUND and the Stonecutters and Copped festivals. The band’s new single Dolewave (Clarity Records), explains singer guitarist Ray Dalfsen, hits out at the common perception that it’s romantic being a musician on the dole, and lumping them all as part of a movement.
Create/Control inks Jesse Redwing
Create/Control inked Sydney’s Jesse Redwing, who started with punk and rock before lightning struck. “I wasn’t born to the blues,” he says. “But it found me somehow and now there’s no turning back.” Redwing and backing band The Real MVPs have a blistering new single Round It Goes, produced by Stephen Mowat, which is lifted off their debut album due later this year.
Eventbrite teams with Oxfam
Ticketing service Eventbrite partnered with Oxfam to bring OXJAM back to Australia for a second year. Last year, 180 gigs were set up and attended by 12,000 Aussies. This year’s plans included three major launches in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Eventbrite research found that fund-raising events on its platform rises by over 10% year on year.
Zayn Malik to help make Hollywood TV series
Former One Direction member Zayn Malik has been tapped to be Executive Producer of a new American TV series about an up-and-coming fictional boyband. He will work with the same production team behind Entourage which ran for eight seasons.
World deal for Morbid Angel
Tampa, Florida-based death metal legends Morbid Angel signed with UDR Music for all territories outside Japan. The band came to attention in 1989 with debut album Altars Of Madness, which is today still regarded as a death metal classic.
Gaika at Warp/Inertia
A new team-up with Warp by Gaika sees her new song 3D released in Australia through Inertia. Described as “one of the most incendiary and subversive new voices in music”, the track is described as “a weaponised synthesis of Gaika’s unflinching lyrics, concussive industrial percussion and apocalyptic dancehall swagger. The media release declares, “3D is an affront to the oppressive forces at work in the world.”
Mucho Bravado expands with Born Joy Dead
On the eve of the release of their second EP, Brisbane band Born Joy Dead appointed Mucho Bravado as their managers. A single Sourdough is out, with plans for launch shows. BJD singer Ben Dalton’s earlier band Hungry Kids of Hungary were also managed by the same company.
Netflix takes Motown to kids
The Motown catalogue is evergreen, and Netfix knows it. It’s green-lighted an original animated series for kids with music from the Motown vaults. These include contemporary covers of hits the Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, The Supremes, The Temptations and Stevie Wonder. Smokey Robinson is serving as Executive Music Producer for the still-untitled series, with the soundtrack out on Melodia/Motown Records. Screen date is not available.
The project is brain child of Australian writer-directorJosh Wakely, who is behindNetflix’sanimated series Beat Bugs.
Starley gets tinted
Sydney singer Starley, who emerged on Odd Mob’s clubland smash Into You, is striking out on her own with a deal struck with Tinted Records. Debut single Call On Me is about how she almost quit the music business in frustration. “Since I can remember, all I’ve wanted to do was write and sing. I even moved country to pursue my dream and spent years in London, struggling with money, but still believing I would make it.”
Hit songwriter jumps into Reservoir
Seven-time Grammy Award nominee Lauren Christy has picked up a roster spot with music publisher Reservoir. Christy has penned hits as G-Eazy and Bebe Rexha’s Platinum hit Me, Myself & I, Avril Lavigne’s Complicated and Enrique Iglesias’ Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You). Christy also co-penned Iggy Azalea’s Team from her upcoming album and Stand In The Light, the debut release from The Voice season 9 winner Jordan Smith. Christy was a solo artist in the ‘80s before co-founding The Matrix with Graham Edwards and Scott Spock in 1999. The trio wrote and produced songs for David Bowie, Britney Spears and Rihanna, among others.
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