New Signings & Team-Ups: Duran Duran at WMA; 5SOS sign US band to label; Zayn Malik stays with Cowell; Ambassadors for Gympie Muster

Duran Duran test their re-flex at Warner Music Australia

Duran Duran’s 14th album will be released by Warner Music Australia, after the British act signed an international deal with Warner Bros Records. The album, as yet untitled, was recorded in London and due out in September. It was produced by Nile Rodgers, Mark Ronson and Mr. Hudson, and features appearances from ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante, and Canadian Juno-Award winning newcomer Kiesza. Bassist John Taylor said the new deal “means we will be reunited with our catalogue after years apart — and in that sense it really feels a little like coming home.”

Noosa’s Hobo Magic at Desert Highways

Noosa’s stoner jazz group Hobo Magic signed a worldwide deal with Desert Highways Australia. The label said it began working on a deal after seeing the band (aged 18 and 19) live a year ago. Hobo formed in 2008 at high school, sending each other YouTube links of old live footage from the ‘70s to inspire each other. While most stoner acts are based on the blues, Hobo Magic used jazz to fuel their onstage jams. Their six-track EP, released digitally last August, will be reissued on CD format while the act records new material.

5SOS sign US band to label

In the way they got a helping hand from One Direction, Sydney’s 5 Seconds of Summer have signed US pop punk band Hey Violet to their Hi or Hey Records. 5SOS posted on Facebook that since setting it up last year, “We’ve been looking for a band we really believe in and whose music we love” and “punk rockers with big dreams.” The act features three women and a male.

Hook N Sling at Insomniac/Interscope

Sydney DJ/ producer Hook N Sling is now with US label Insomniac /Interscope Records, home to Arty and Destructo. His first single under the deal Break Yourself, with LA based Far East Movement, is hailed as a A-1 example of the rising new G-House sound. Hook N Sling’s tracks as Take You Higher (with Goodwill) and Reason (with Nervo) have a combined 10 million YouTube views. He has also remixed for Calvin Harris, Miike Snow, Wolfgang Gartner, Krewell, Kaskade. Miami Horror and The Presets.

Zayn Malik stays with Simon Cowell

Former One Direction member Zayn Malik’s solo material will continue to be released through Simon Cowell's Syco Records. Syco already has One Direction under contract. In 2013, Syco signed all five 1D members to a £10 million deal for two albums and a hits set. Malik rejects reports he was tossed out of ID for his hard partying, insisting he was stressed out from their level of popularity.

AC/DC vamps up merchandising push with two deals

AC/DC who kick off their world tour at Coachella Festival next week, entered a multi-year agreement with licensing and merchandising firms Perryscope Productions and Epic Rights. They will jointly develop an all-new global merchandising, licensing, retail and ecommerce programs for the band.

Norman Perry, President of Perryscope, and Dell Furano, CEO of Epic Rights, who have worked extensively with the Australian-born band, said, "AC/DC has always been the top seller of band merchandise and has an incredible archive of artwork, photos, tour logos and imagery. AC/DC merchandise designs are some of the most famous in rock, including Highway To Hell, Back In Black, High Voltage and For Those About To Rock, among others. These designs are the favorites of rock fans worldwide, and we are very excited about designing and selling great new AC/DC merchandise at their concert venues, online and at retail."

Passenger to donate 100% profit from next album to UNICEF

Passenger will donate 100% of the profits of his next album, Whispers II, to a UNICEF campaign aiming to lower child mortality rates in Liberia. Whispers II is out this month through his own Black Crow Records. The money goes to food and supplements to revive severely malnourished children, upgrade facilities and towards educating and training health workers

Brisbane’s Avaberée signs US deal

Brisbane electro-pop trio Avaberée's (aye-va-ber-ee) have signed with US label Other People Records. The label’s Tom Williams said, “Gen, Irena and Aimee have such a profound chemistry with each other. To be this good, this early on in their career, it is truly exciting.” The band is signed for Australia and New Zealand with Footstomp. New single Can’t Get You Off My Mind was cut in Los Angeles with producer Tommy English (Ladyhawke, Borns). The track is launched at Black Bear Lodge, in Brisbane on April 9.

APRA AMCOS, Dept. of Arts, continue to support SongsHubs

APRA AMCOS and the Federal Department of Arts continue to jointly fund a songwriters collaboration project called SongHubs. The idea is for local writers to work with global talent to write hits. The songwriting camp was first piloted in Sydney in August 2013, and has since taken place in India, London and Sweden. The next two are in May, during Canadian Music Week, and in Bali.

The one in Toronto (May 3 to 6) is curated by record producer and songwriter Gavin Brown (Three Days Grace, Skillet, Billy Harmer) with producer Tawgs Salter (Owl City, Josh Groban, Lenka), Beat Academy and Three Days Grace drummer Neil Sanderson.

The Bali camp in Ubud (May 23 to June 2) is curated by Universal Music Australia Managing Director, Michael Taylor and Peter Coquillard (Managing Director, Silva Music Publishing) with Steve Lillywhite, Cathy Dennis, Nash Overstreet, Mitch Allen, MAG and Erik Lewander.

See APRA AMCOS website for more details.

Sony Music inks Berlin techno pioneer

Sony Music International signed German techno pioneer and producer Paul Kalkbrenner to a long term deal. The 37-year old has released six albums over 14 years and best known for his platinum selling single Sky And Sand from the 2008 film Berlin Calling and spent 125 weeks in the German charts. He unveils a new stage show with shows in May in London, Berlin and Paris.

Beyonce: the shoe must go on

Beyonce teamed with Giuseppe Zanotti for a range of ultra-thick platform shoes, out shortly. Italian-born Zanotti told Vogue, ''Beyoncé has very clear ideas – she knows exactly what she wants.” In 2004, she launched her own ready-to-wear line, House of Deréon, with her mother Tina Knowles. Two years later came a junior line of the same name with her sister Solange. Earlier this year she launched a plant-based gluten-free vegan meal delivery service 22 Days Nutrition with her trainer Marcos Borges.

European deal for Palace of the Kings

Melbourne; six piece rock blues band Palace of the Kings landed a European deal with Listenable Records. Debut album White Bird/Burn The Sky album is released there in mid-June, after which they tour Europe in October through Teenage Head Music. The band formed in late 2012, toured nationally, cut a three-track demo and count Airbourne among their fans. They play the album this Saturday at Cherry Bar with The Ugly Kings.

Chris Doheny donates Gallipoli profits to RSL

Geisha’s Chris Doheny is donating all proceeds from his single Gallipoli to the RSL. It was released last ANZAC Day and played across Australia and the US to two million listeners. Coming from a family of servicemen, Doheny wrote it about service people in ANZ who died in conflicts in the last 100 years. This year the RSL gave him permission to use the ANZAC Appeal logos and will screen the video on rotation in all main RSL branches through 2015. Dpheny plays the song this ANZAC Day at two RSL clubs in Melbourne.

Two ambassadors for Gympie Muster

This year’s Gympie Muster in Queensland, Adam Brand and X-Factor 2014’s Caitlyn Shadbolt who’s from Gympie. Last year it drew 60,000 to Amamoor Creek State Forest, 50 km from Noosa.Brand, who’s played the festival a number of times, said that as a result of the forest atmosphere, “Gympie has this wild frontier feeling that no other festival can really come close to. I tell you what; they didn’t have to twist my arm to get me as ambassador.”

The first round of artists (August 27 to 30) includes Mary Chapin Carpenter, Amber Lawrence, Ian Moss, Catherine Britt, Luke O’Shea, Ross Wilson, Morgan Evans, Tift Merritt, Wagons, Davidson Bros, Mental As Anything, Jasmine Rae, Drew McAlister, Mustsreed Courage, Keith Potger, Frankie J Holden & Wilbur Wilde, Troy Kemp and Kevin Bennett.

Nova continues rib-tickling with Melbourne Comedy Festival

For the eighth year, Nova 100 Melbourne partners the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Meshel & Tommy broadcast highlights and interviews with the acts. For the first time, Nova adds a trade element using comedy to mentor and entertain media agencies via the Stand Up School.