New Signings & Team-Ups: June 21
B Wise joins Elefant Traks roster
Tim Levinson, aka Urthboy, hassigned tour mate and fellow rap artist B Wise to his Elefant Traks label. Announcedat Urthboy’s sold-out Oxford Art Factory show last week and made official today, B Wise is set to release his debut EP in August.
Upon inking the label deal B Wiserecorded the trackTook My Time (Freestyle) with producerKhadisma about his journey to this point.
Mike Noga at Cooking Vinyl
Former Drones drummer turned solo artist Mike Noga(pictured) signed with Cooking Vinyl Australia as his third solo album KING is set for an August 26 release. Noga describes it as a “dark, psychedelic concept album loosely based on George Büchner’s famous 1830’s stage play Woyzeck. KING tells the tale of one mans descent into madness and the bloodshed that follows.”
It was produced by Paul Dempsey of Something For Kate, and features actor Noah Taylor (Game of Thrones, Almost Famous) as “The Narrator.”
Bear Parts take Captives
Melbourne management company Bear Parts Music has signed Tasmanian hardcore (or self-styled “forest horror”) band The Captives for management. The band is working on a record at the moment.
AC/DC: tequila mockingbird
AC/DC teamed with Mexican distillery Fabrica de Tequilas Finos to create a new line of tequila. The Thunderstruck reposado, añejo, and silver versions hit US shelves in the northern summer, and priced between $29.99 and $39.99 per bottle. It will coincide with their ten rescheduled US shows with Axl Rose.
LeAnn Rimes at RCA
Grammy winning US country music singer LeAnn Rimes’ future releases will be issued in Australia through RCA after she signed worldwide with the company’s UK operations. She has sold 44 million records worldwide.
Oaten Solicitors repping Avalanches
Sydney entertainment lawyer firm Oaten Solicitors announced it is now repping The Avalanches. Company founder Brett Oaten declared, “I’ve been waiting 16 years to say that. Their album Wildflower will be out in early July and will surely be one of the biggest records of the year. Welcome back!”
Chase Atlantic with MDDN
Oaten Solicitors also acted for Australian band Chase Atlantic in finalising their record deal with MDDN, the label owned by Joel & Benji Madden. They began working with the Maddens in late 2015, and have set themselves up globally with 21 million YouTube views and 2.1 million Spotify streams. Signed to MDDN’s production roster are Jessie J, John Feldmann and Waterparks.
Sultana firms management
Multi-instrumentalist Tash Sultana signed management to Melbourne-based Lemon Tree Music. The 20-year old who started out busking in Melbourne and saw home-made videos go viral online to millions of views, is playing UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand for the rest of the year.
Lucy Spazzy fronts The Rats
Lucy Spazzy, guitarist and singer of Melbourne all-girl punk trio The Spazzys who has been living in London for the past two years, formed Lucy & The Rats with Mike Cannibal (bass), Joe To Lose (guitar) and Manu (drums). They’re on their third label, Dirty Water, and about to tour Europe and South America.
Nuclear Blast ink Paradise Lost, Opeth
German-based Nuclear Blast Entertainment, which has Australian operations, has made two veteran additions to the roster via worldwide deals. UK’s Paradise Lost, who formed in 1988 and pioneered the “gothic metal” genre, are currently getting the best reviews for their current The Plague Within album.
Swedish progressive metal band Opeth, who’ve been at the forefront for 25 years, are releasing their 12th album Sorceress in the Australian spring through Nuclear Blast via a deal with their own imprint Moderbolaget Records.
Samsung extends partnership with Sydney Opera House
Samsung renewed its partnership with the Sydney Opera House for a further five years. The company brings technology and innovation to the Opera House’s Decade of Renewal, launched in 2013, where it reinvents itself for 21st century audiences. Its first project is providing crowds with virtual reality technology to “climb” the venue’s sails.
Gun Fever Music picks up WA’s Salary, Segue Safari
Gun Fever Music has taken over bookings for two emerging WA acts, with Greg Sanders handling both of them.
Salary are a charismatically live nine-piece from Fremantle’s alt-folk scene lead by singer songwriter Sean Gorman and just issued a new single Mini Moke.
Perth’s Segue Safari are fronted by 18-year-old Jeremy Segal who recorded, produced and mixed their EP Friends. The band formed last year.
Artery ends up with NZ’s Set On End
Sacramento, California-based Artery Recordings is releasing the debut album of the reunited New Zealand progressive metal band Set On End. The Dark Beyond is set for a July 15 release. The band formed in 2005 in Auckland, and took a break four years later after releasing an EP Means To An End. They returned in 2016 with a new lineup. Their new album was recorded between their own studio Mindset and Zorran Mendonsa Productions in Auckland.
The band said, “The album explores humanity’s journey as a species and as individuals, striving for a better world, striving to further our knowledge of who and where we are. Sometimes the path we should take is obvious, and at other times we simply wander into the dark, reaching out for the unknown.”
Pilerats settles for HalfNoise
WA collective Pilerats announced the signing of HalfNoise for Australia and New Zealand. It is the project formed by ex-Paramore drummer Zac Farro after he left in 2010. Know The Feeling is the first single from the forthcoming second album. It had its genesis during a 2014 trip to New Zealand during which Farro toured with Broods and hooked up with producer Joel Little. The new album was self-produced under Little’s guidance with collaborators in Save Point Studio in Los Angeles.
Cherrytree has distro deal with Warner’s ADA
Cherrytree Records and Warner Music Group’s independent distribution and services arm ADA struck up a worldwide partnership. First issue under the deal is 14-year-old singer Skylar Stecker’s This Is Me – The Signature Edition album.
Cherrytree, which recently struck a worldwide publishing administration deal with Kobalt, was founded in 2005 by Martin Kierszenbaum. He helped launch the careers of Lady Gaga, Feist, Ellie Goulding, Robyn, La Roux, Far East Movement and Disclosure.
NWA head for Outdoor Type
Sydney-based New World Artists announced the signing of Melbourne folk act The Outdoor Type. The act will drop an EP later in the year, following up a self-titled four tracker with a new single On My Mind out now.
Century Media strikes world deal with Motorowl
Century Media Records signed a worldwide deal with young East German metal band Motorowl, releasing their album Om Generator in August. The label explains, “Formed in 2014 when most of its band members were not even twenty years old, Motorowl quickly developed a heavy sound blessed with fabulous riffs, great vocal melodies, and a grinding Hammond organ on top. Think Spiritual Beggars or Uriah Heep on a bad acid trip. Think 70’s inspired, damn heavy hard rock with a contemporary, gloomy twist.”
Roadshow Rough Diamond created
Highly acclaimed Australian TV producer John Edwards and his son, former ITV Studios and Endemol executive Dan Edwards, have formed a JV with Roadshow Films. Roadshow Rough Diamond will create original long-form television and feature films for Australian and global audiences. It has already begun production, and will launch with event miniseries, long-form drama series, feature films, docudramas and documentaries.
Chevron a partner in new Perth Stadium precinct
Oil and gas giant Chevron will be the naming rights sponsor and builder of the 2.6 hectares of riverfront parkland next to the new Perth Stadium. Premier Colin Barnett said, “The whole Burswood area will become a magnificent area for recreation and entertainment and of course sport will be front and centre.” The value of the deal is not known.