New Signings & Team-Ups: February 21

NICHE AGENCY ADDS GENESIS OWUSU…

Niche Talent Agency added 19-year-old Canberra rapper Genesis Owusu to its roster.

Three years ago, Owusu was a Top 5 finalist in the triple j Unearthed High competition.

Now he’d trod the stages at Groovin The Moo, Spilt Milk and St. Jerome’s Laneway, with a mix of influences as Jimi Hendrix, Frank Ocean, Miles Davis, Wu-Tang Clan and Kanye West.

Following on from his debut 2017 Cardrive EP, he’s collaborated with Simon Mavin and Perrin Moss of Melbourne band Hiatus Kaiyote for new single ‘Sideways’, which is on triple j high rotation.

…AND HAIKU HANDS

Haiku Hands are a collective of singers, writers and producers from Sydney and Melbourne who made their presence felt here and globally with the rave-inspired ‘Not About You’.

Led by Beatrice Lewis, Claire Nakazawa and Mie Nakazawa, they have a mix of dance party and performance art and did 40 shows last year.

They’re often joined by singer Mataya Young (Hermitude /Thundamentals) onstage.

The local outfit joins a roster that already includes E^ST, Hiatus Kaiyote and SAFIA among many others.

GEORGE CLINTON ASSIGNS ADMINISTRATION TO PEERMUSIC

Parliament/Funkadelic creator George Clinton’s Australian administration rights have been assigned to Peermusic as part of a global deal with the independent publishing company for his Atomic Pooch entity.

Clinton said: “I’m excited to join Peermusic; I have always admired the talent among their staff and roster, and I am looking forward to working with one of the leaders in this industry.”

Peermusic will represent and administer a wide array of Clinton’s songs, including ‘Wesley’s Theory’ from Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly and Funkadelic’s album First Ya Gotta Shake The Gate.

In addition, the deal covers the seminal funk albums as One Nation Under A Groove, Hardcore Jollies and Uncle Jam Wants You.

123 AGENCY ON VACATIONS

Newcastle guitar pop outfit Vacations(led by Campbell Burns) have plugged in with 123 Agency for bookings before gearing up for their debut album and a world tour on the back of their second EP Vibes.

An American fan uploading the EP to YouTube saw it gain over 100,000 views in three months, resulting in a deal with Atlanta-based Human Sounds Records.

Their two EPs gained 750,000 hits in six months with a claimed 1 million streams on Spotify.

DEAD CITY RUINS DANCE WITH WOLVES

Dave “The Snake” Sabo of Skid Row once famously said of Melbourne hard rock band Dead City Ruins: “…They’re just these young, broke kids who don’t give a fuck except to play music in front of people.

“I love it and it’s inspiring on a daily basis. That’s the spirit of rock and roll”

The band, which formed eight years ago, has been touring extensively through Europe and the US.

The local act has announced that they’re now signed to Dinner For Wolves, through which a new single ‘Bones Now’ has just been released, and an album Never Say Die on Friday April 13.

The album was made with UK producer James Lewis (Arctic Monkeys, Sunset Sons).

WORLD CUP SONG RELEASEDTHROUGH WARNER

Warner Music will release Jason Derulo’s official FIFA World Cup 2018 song ‘Colors’.

Out March 16, it is the result of a collaboration between Derulo and Coca-Cola.

Derulo said: “I was honoured to work with Coca-Cola to create an anthem celebrating every team and their fans.

“’Colors’ represents the different flags and cultures from around the world, and will get everyone moving to a unifying beat.

“I’m excited to finally tell the world about this partnership as the excitement builds for the FIFA World Cup.”

FUTURE CLASSIC GETS SPIELBERG’S KID

Buzzy Lee is LA-based singer Sasha Spielberg, daughter of Steven, who is signed to Future Classic.

She’s just dropped the leadoff single ‘Coolhand’ from her April 27-due Facepaint EP, produced by experimental electronic composer Nicolas Jaar.

Spielberg says of the single, “I wanted to write a song about how our self-worth is so wrapped up in the ways we present ourselves on social media.

“There’s this constant hunger for validation, and it takes a toll — it’s all nonsense but we do it anyway.

“We learn which parts of us are the parts that people want the most, and we give it to them when we need to make ourselves feel whole.”

She quips, “Anyway, I just posted a new pic on Instagram so please go like it ;-).”

ECCA VANDAL TRACK PICKED FOR TRANSPORT AD

A team-up of Level Two,Universal Music Publishing and Mushroom Music sees Ecca Vandal’s new single used as the soundtrack for Public Transport Victoria’s new multimedia campaign encouraging people to check out Melbourne’s attractions on their all-night weekend transport services.

The campaign, designed by Y&R Melbourne, saw 58 people given cameras and a Myki ticket to document their travels around Melbourne during a night.

The results are used for over 40 different edits, ranging from 6 to 60 seconds.

TURA MUSIC TOUR YIELDS NEW INDIGENOUS MUSIC

Tura Music’s outback tour will again see a number of high-profile Indigenous musicians record new songs in Perth.

In 2017, as part of Tura Music’s multi-award winning Regional Touring Program, Stephen Pigram, Mark Atkins, Steven Magnusson and Erkki Veltheim were sent on the Echo tour through the Kimberley region to make newly commissioned music.

The tour saw them joined by First Australian performers includingBart Willoughby on vocals and percussion, Atkins on didgeridoo and vocals and Pigram on vocals, guitar, ukulele, harmonica and stories.

EVENT HOSPITALITY AND ENTERTAINMENT TAP CARAT

Sydney-based Event Hospitality and Entertainment has assigned its media strategy, planning and buying responsibilities to Carat.

The company is behind entertainment and leisure experiences for a number of hotel and resort properties as well as Event Cinemas and Moonlight Cinemas.

WHY ENTECH HAS MOVED

With 48 hours to go, the pro audio and product ENTECH trade fair made the decision to move its Melbourne site on Thursday (February 22) from Crown Convention Centre to Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The reason, according to ENTECH, is Crown’s new safety regime introduced last year – which it says includes an online induction that takes two hours to complete, is poorly structured and is on an insecure Flash platform.

Anyone working back-of-house at Crown – which ENTECH says includes performers, entertainers, crew, florists, cleaners – would have to go through a probity check, which also includes a police check.

Last week ENTECH was told its exhibitors had to go through the process as well.

The trade fair says it’s been a safety-first organisation since 1994, touring with a safety consultant, as well as being the principal supporters of theAustralian Entertainment Safety Resource Guideand launch supporters of Live Performance Australia (LPA)’s Safety Guidelines for the Live Entertainment and Events Industry.

FLYING NUN, CAPTURED TRACKS JOIN FORCES FOR WAX CHATTELS

NZ labels Flying Nun and Captured Tracks, who struck a label partnership five years ago, have co-signed Auckland-based new band Wax Chattels.

The power trio does not have a guitar player, instead using a keyboard, bass and two-piece drum kit.

Captured Tracks’ Mike Sniper decided to sign them up three songs into an Auckland show, and got the wheels in motion within 24 hours.

LEAHCAR AT ADELAIDE 500

Adelaide singer Rachael Leahcar is pulling double duty at the Adelaide 500 race.

Not only is she singing the National Anthem, but as Royal Society for the Blind ambassador she will lead an expected 500 people on its inaugural Lap Dogs Walk on the 3km circuit to raise $50,000 to help train guide dogs.