New Signings & Team-Ups: January 10

SONY/ATV AUST EXTEND BOY AND BEAR, SIGN TEISCHA

Sony/ATV Australia has extended it’s relationship with indie rock-folk band Boy & Bear and continues to represent their catalogue.

The band’s three albums include Moonfire (2011) and Harlequin Dream (2013), both debuting in the top ten on the ARIA Albums Charts and their third album Limit of Love(2015), which made its bow at #1 on the ARIA charts.

In 2012 the group won the APRA Award for Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year.

The extension of the deal was finalised late last year.

Sony/ATV Australia also signed Perth based singer Teischa. On the heels of debut single ’Midnight Hour’, the act was on tour along the East Coast in December with Slum Sociable, previewing some new material.

SOOTHSAYER ADDS WILLARIS. K

Mushroom Group imprint Soothsayer has expanded its roster with rising electronic dance artist Willaris. K aka 23-year-old Jack McAllister.

Off the back of his breakthrough singles ‘Dour Nights’ and ‘Alchemy’, Willaris. K received one of the biggest compliments from EDM influencer Pete Tong: ‘”He has already got something that is really hard to attain.

“If I listen to an hour of music that was kind of similar to his melodic techno, when his track came on, I would know it was his.”

Soothsayer’s Chris Rigney recounts, “We came across Jack’s music when one of our other artists, Dro Carey, played it on his triple j Mix Up early last year and we were instantly taken aback.

“How a kid of 23 years of age could make such anthemic and destructive electronic music that would be at home in the world’s biggest clubs and festivals, having never stepped foot in the UK or Europe. It was an instant wave of euphoria one rarely has.

“Once we saw him live, playing to a handful of people in Northcote on the support trail, we knew we had to make him a part of the family. He had the energy and army, both musically and physically.”

THIRD MAN PUTS ON SHIRT

Jack White’s Third Man Records, has announced the roster’s first rapper, New York based SHIRT who’s making quite a few waves in the U.S.

His debut album Pure Beauty is out in America next month.

ROLL AWAY THE STONE

Penske Media, which publishes Variety, has bought a controlling stake in Rolling Stone and its parent company Wenner Media, which Jann Wenner founded 50 years ago to chronicle the musical, cultural and political upheaval following San Francisco’s famous summer of love.

The deal is said to be worth US$100 million.

Jann Wenner remains as editorial director, and his son Gus will stay on as President and Chief Operating Officer and join Penske Media’s advisory board.

NICK MURPHY MAKES MOVIE WITH JOHANN RASHID

Nick Murphy has made a short movie called Missing Link as a thank you for “2017 (being) a year of risk and exploration”.

Murphy co-wrote and directed the eight-minute film with Australian filmmaker / musician Johann Rashid.

It features music from his 2017 Missing Link EP – his first release under his real name and away from thepseudonymChet Faker – including ’Your Time’, his collaboration with KAYTRANADA.

Through 2017 Murphy played festivals and TV shows around the globe, and debuted a new live show at three sold outperformances at the Sydney Opera House as part of Vivid LIVE.

Next month, he will return to Australia and New Zealand to perform five nights with LCD Soundsystem.

PREMIER REPS RICHARD CLAPTON

Premier Artists has taken over live representation of veteran singer songwriter Richard Clapton. Continued radio airplay for his music has generated demand for his live shows. He is repped by Frank Stivala and Brad O’Brien.

WANTOK STRIKES SUB-PUBLISHING WITH MUSHROOM

Indigenous and world music label Wantok Musik signed a new sub-publishing deal with Mushroom Publishing.

“Mushroom have taken care of Frank Yamma’s licensing for a number of years and have always shown great support for Wantok and our releases,” the company said.

The new deal involves licensing work for artists including Radical Son, a Bit na Ta, Richard Mogu, Charles Maimarosia and Emily Wurramara.

This year will see releases from new Wantok label signings as Black Rock Band, Kaumaakonga, Black Sistaz, and the Harengan Stringband from Manus Island.

The “a Bit na Ta” project featuring David Bridie, George Telek, Gideon Kakabin and musicians of the Gunantuna returns this year at WOMADelaide.

The live performance component made its stage debut at the Walking With Spirits festival in Beswick, NT in July, later at Quandamooka Festival as pat of a Melanesian showcase and finally to Riverstage Brisbane opening for Midnight Oil.

The “a Bit na Ta” audio/visual installation is currently exhibited at both the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre housed within the Melbourne Museum and the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts in Taiwan until February.

BIRDY FLIES TO WARNER CHAPPELL

Warner/Chappell Music has signed 21-year old British songwriter Birdy (Jasmine van den Bogaerde) to a worldwide deal.

Emerging seven years ago with a cover of Bon Iver’s ‘Skinny Love’ which sold a million in the US and UK each,she’s working on her fourth album to be released here through Atlantic/ Warner Music Australia.

Her self-titled album topped the charts in Australia, while her last album Beautiful Lies peaked at #10.

DUBBO SONGWRITER WINS fRETfEST

Dubbo-born 39-year-old singer songwriter, Clinton Hoy, has won the 2017/18 fRETfEST Regional Song Contest with his original composition ‘Pieces Of Different Puzzles’.

As part of his prize, Hoy will perform on the Fanzone Stage at Tamworth Country Music Festival on Saturday January 27 at 7pm.

Runner-up Tameka Kennedy from Bathurst, 17, took home a new Tanglewood acoustic guitar.

The finaists were Wolf Gordon from Thirroul (near Wollongong), Lucy Parle from Lisarow (Central Coast NSW), Joel McKay from Werris Creek, Lauren Edwards from Port Macquarie, Johnny American Horse from Melbourne and Denvah Baker-Moller from Rockhampton.

A special encouragement award went to 11-year-old Felicity Maher, from Coonabarabran.

Contest curator, Alan Buchan said, “We had the biggest response on Facebook this year with over 16,000 views on our voting post and the announcement is now going viral!”

US EDM ACT JOSH WINK GETS REPPED IN AUSTRALIA

US house and tech act Josh Wink is being represented for bookings in Australia, after joining Artist Alife Agency for Europe and Asia as well.

Wink’s new album will be released mid-2018. It was made in between his remixes of Freaks’ `Mr Computer Man´ for Edible Records and Steve Bug and Clé’s ‘Together’ for Rejected Records.

UNIVERSAL ACQUIRES ICONIC UK INDIE LABELS

Universal Music Group has acquired iconic UK labels Stiff Records, ZTT and Perfect Songs music publishing from SPZ Group – the company founded in the 1980s by Jill Sinclair and record producer Trevor Horn.

UMG now gets the master rights for the entire ZTT catalogue and select Stiff recordings from acts including Art Of Noise; Frankie Goes To Hollywood; Jona Lewie; Kirsty MacColl; Shane MacGowan; Propaganda; Sam And The Womp; Lisa Stansfield; Tracey Ullman; Wreckless Eric and 808 State.

PEDESTRIAN LAUNCHES BUSINESS PODCAST

Youth publisher Pedestrian, which is majority owned by Nine Entertainment Co. is about to release the first of its new Pedestrian Podcast network.

Called Founders University it will look at start up entrepreneurs and speak to their founders on do’s and don’ts of creating and maintaining a business.

The first season features founders Jane Lu (Showpo), Rob Deutsch (F45), Taryn Williams (Right.Fit) and Creel Price (Investible).

It is made with commercial support from website creator Squarespace, and hosted by Pedestrian co-founder Chris Wirasinha.

UK AGENCY FOR NZ’S TEEKS

24-year old Māori soul artist TEEKS whom TMN reported signed in Australia to Niche Productions for bookings, has also joined the roster of U.K based international booking agency 13 Artists.

His debut EP The Grapefruit Skies was streamed more than 2 million times on Spotify and led to him picking up three nominations at the New Zealand Music Awards. He won the Te Māngai Pāho Best Māori Artist.

BRIGHTCOVE UPS SYDNEY FESTIVAL VIDEO CONTENT

Sydney Festival (January 6 to 28) has enhanced its current online video offering after hiring video cloud service Brightcove to host and publish it through its platform.

The festival has been able to integrate brand-consistent video content across its website homepage and hub pages, control it and access to real-time video analytics to measure and report on the performance of its video content.

Sydney Festival previously hosted videos on YouTube and embedded them into its website for event promotion.

NEW PARTNERS FOR GOOD NIGHTS

This year’s Good Nights series – set up by Kelsie Miller to provide a place for singer songwriters to perform in Bunbury, WA – has brought in two new partners.

They are City of Bunbury and illustrators/designers Dixon and Smith, in addition to audio-visual company Totally Sound which has been the series’ major sponsor from the start.

The January to June program launched last month at the Bunbury Regional Art Galleries courtyard with sets from Zoe Dellaca, Latehouse and Malo Smith & Leni.

Good Nights has expanded to the South West, Mandurah and Perth.

NOOSA ALIVE LOOKING FOR PARTNERS

The rebranded Noosa Alive (“ten days of music, theatre, food and thought: July 20-29″) is inviting partnerships from local,state-wide and national brands for this year’s event.

Festival president Johanne Wright says every kind of involvement, including “full naming rights and ownership of specific events”, are available.

Since the rebrand and change of format – it was previously the Noosa Long Weekend Festival – attendance has risen, with 38% coming from outside Noosa.

Sponsorship, details from admin@noosalongweekend.com or phone (07) 5473 0989.