New Signings & Team-Ups June 21
DAFT PUNK TAP BYRON BAY DUO FOR SURPRISE COLLAB
Byron Bay electro duo Parcels, who released an EP last year through iconic French label Kitsuné, found themselves holed up in a secret location in France last year, writing with new BFFs Daft Punk.
Apparently, Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter caught a Parcels set in Paris last year, liked what they heard, and offered to produce a track with theBerlin-based act.
The result, Overnight, dropped today with little fanfare. It’s an unmistakably Daft bop that mixes French touch groove with the light-touch songwriting that’s key to the Australian dance-electro sound.
NIGHT HIGH SIGNS FIRST INTERNATIONAL ACT
Night High Records, the new label that Project U’s Nic Kelly set up with EMI Music Australia, has inked its first international act.
He’s 19-year-old singer-songwriter Yungblud, aka Dominic Harrison ofDoncaster, England.
His debut single King Charles, a punk-spirited guitar attack with alt-rock poetry, is already getting airplay through the UK and Europe, and generated interest from various taste-making blogs.
“Heading to a pub on my last night in London earlier this year was a good call –it introduced me to one of the most charismatic, energetic and important young voices in the world,”Kelly said.
“Yungblud’s message reflects that of every young person on the planet, and the energy with which he expresses it means it will be heard. I’m so stoked to welcome him to Night High.”
Yungblud has been surrounded by music all his life, having a father as a vintage guitar dealer and a grandfather who played with T-Rex in the 70s.
MALLRAT SIGNS US DEAL AFTER MAJOR GOOGLE SYNC
Brisbane-based 18-year-old Mallrat – aka the “Hannah Montana of the rap game” – has signed with Nettwerk Music Group in the US, as well as moving to Dew Process/UMA from her prior Create/Control contract. The new deals were announced as her sugar-edged hit ‘For Real’ features on a TV spot for the new Google Pixel phone.
“I’ve been working on so much new music and I’m really happy to have a cool team backing it here and in the States,” says Mallrat.
Nettwerk’s current label artists include fellow Aussies Angus & Julia Stone, Hermitude, and Boy & Bear, as well as internationals like Passenger and Mr Little Jeans.
STAND ATLANTIC GO INTERNATIONAL WITH RUDE
Sydney trio Stand Atlantic have become the first Australian band to sign withItalian-based indie Rude Records.
“We are stoked and excited to welcome Stand Atlantic to the Rude Records family!” the label shared ina statement. They are such talented young and ambitious artists, in addition to being super cool people. We are beyond thrilled that our paths have crossed and can’t wait to share their music with the world!”
Based in Milan, Rude’s other artists include American Hi-Fi, Less Than Jake and The Dear Hunter.
Stand Atlantic’s new singleCoffee At Midnightwill premiere tonight on triple j’s Short. Fast. Loud.
HYSTERICAL RECORDS INK WORLDWIDE DEAL
Just three months after Amanda Vitartas of Future Popes, Grace Kindellan of Wet Lips and Jenny Mckechnie of Cable Tieslaunched Hysterical Records, the label has signed a global distribution deal with US company Redeye.
First cab off the rank is Wet Lips’ self-titled debut LP on June 30.
LXVI RECORDS FUZZES IN WITH HYLA
Melbourne label LXVI has inked a worldwide deal with fuzz-guitar outfit Hyla, formed by Perth singer-songwriter Alex Hayes who’s played with Abbe May and The Silents in the past.
LXVI is owned by Mick Tarbuk, the Australia & NZ Manager for Believe Digital and one-time Label Manager at Shock Records.
He discovered the band on triple j and contacted them soon after. He says, “Swam Out is one of my favourite songs of 2017… I’m proud to have them on the label.”
Hyla’s first release with LXVI will be their debut LP Osaka, in September. Produced by Sam Ford (Pond, Peter Bibby), Osaka has been almost three years in the making; written by Hayes while he lived in Japan in 2015 and 2016 “and found my new surroundings really inspiring.”
AIR NZ GREEN LIGHTS NEW LORDE
While Lorde’s Melodrama looks like getting a #1 debut in the US, at home Air New Zealand made a point of being the first airline in the world to feature it in its inflight entertainment on international flights.
“We are proud to help supercharge New Zealand music with Kiwis and international customers alike,” said the airlne’s General Manager for Customer Experience, Anita Hawthorne.
“Lorde’s debut album Pure Heroine has been part of Air New Zealand’s inflight entertainment offering since 2013 and is one of the most frequently played albums in our IFE selection.”
SYCO BRINGS IN HIT SONGWRITER INA WROLDSEN
Norwegian singer-songwriter Ina Wroldsen – who’s co-written hits for One Direction, James Arthur, Clean Bandit, Britney Spears and Jess Glynne – now gets her own record deal through Simon Cowell’s Syco label.
As a songwriter Wroldsen has enjoyed global record sales of over 25 million.
Among her hits were Clean Bandit’s Rockabye and Symphony, Calvin Harris’ How Deep Is Your Love (which sold 9.5 million worldwide), Jess Glynne’s Hold My Hand, Tinie Tempah’s Text From Your Ex and most of The Saturdays’ singles, including Higher, Ego, Notorious, Up and Work.
Wroldsen starts work on her own record during the northern summer.
RVG JOIN OUR GOLDEN FRIEND MANAGEMENT ROSTER
The latest addition to Our Golden Friend’s management roster is Melbourne band RVG, formerly known as the Romy Vager Group after its singer-songwriter.
The band’s self-released album this year A Quality Of Mercy, engineered by the band’s bassist Angus Bell and named after a Twilight Zone episode, showed off their mix of post-punk and confessional lyrics,
US FOOTBALLER DRE KIRKPATRICK LAUNCHES LABEL
Dre Kirkpatrick who plays cornerback for the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals, has formed a record label, Supa Team Muzik. He set it up to help his teen friend J-Ova pursue his plan to become a professional musician, J-Ova is so far its only signing, and working on his debut album.
DORSAL FINS MAKE MUSEUM MUSIC
Dorsal Fins are providing the live music for the launch of Melbourne Museum’s new adults-only and live music space night Nocturnal initiative. Each Friday it transforms into to enjoy after-dark tunes and exhibitions each Friday to celebrate the end of the week.
BENCH PRESS AT POISON CITY
Melbourne cult label Poison City extends its roster – currently Batpiss, Cable Ties, TV Haze and Mere Women – with Melbourne post-punk outfit Bench Press. They follow the release of the single Group Anxiety with a launch at the Grace Darling on June 29.
NOIRE TO TURN SPUNK RECORDS BLUE
Spunk has signed dreamy duo Noire, aka Jessica Mincher (vocals and synth) and Billy James (guitar). Forming in Sydney after growing up in Gympie, Queensland, they self-released an EP Baby Blue in 2015.
Spunk has slated their debut album Some Kind of Blue for a September 29 release. The album was written in a remote Queensland farm with no phone or internet reception over three months.
They cite Air, Mazzy Star, David Lynch, Wim Wenders and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds as inspirations. New single Real Cool is a tribute to Air, says Mincher – “the bass line, CS-80 synths and transient feel.”
SONY BUYING BELIEVE?
As you may have read in TMN’s Music News Daily Digest yesterday, Music Business Worldwide suggests that French distribution and label services specialist Believe (previously Believe Digital) is up for sale and that Sony has made overtures.
Sources told MBW that Believe which set up in 2004, has a price tag of €400 million-€500 million but Sony has only offered €300 million.
CAROLINE RULES AIRWAVES WITH AIRWAYS
Caroline Australia has the local rights to Airways, releasing their single Reckless Tongue, which is already getting airplay in the UK.
The story goes that UK singer-songwriter Jake Daniels was in LA writing solo songs and crashing out at his manager’s house. One night Chicago native Brian Moroney, on tour as a drummer, also crashed out there.
They got on famously, and Daniels quipped they should start a band. Two months later Moroney was standing outside his house in the UK.
HELLO SATELLITES MOVE TO EASTMINT
Seven years after releasing their debut album on Two Bright Lakes, Hello Satellites are preparing for the release of their third LP Bright Face on Eastmint Records. It launches at The Gasometer in Melbourne on July 16.
Sung in duet form, by songwriter Eva Popov and Georgia Harvey (Yffer, Cold Hands Warm Heart), the album is a concept record, “the story of one narrator’s journey through loneliness and sensuality against the backdrop of a changing landscape” created by an eclectic group of musicians ranging from pop to jazz to folk and instruments including strings, prepared guitar, horns, woodwind, accordion, harp and synthesizers.
ARN LAUNCHES GOODNESS PROJECT WITH UNLTD
Australian Radio Network (ARN) has announced the launch of The Goodness Project , a new initiative where employees team up to tap into their expertise and creativity to help charities make a difference in the community. Each employee willget a day off to volunteer for their charity of choice.
The first major partnership is with UnLtd to bring the media, marketing and ad industries to tackle youth disadvantage.
Goodness Project also works with charitiesto deliver education to empower young people, and Musicians Making a Difference (MMAD) using music to build up the confidence of young people.
KASABIAN KICKING GOALS
Long time supporter of Leicester City Football ClubSerge Pizzornoof Kasabian will design a clothing range for the club’s supporters, to be distributed by branding company Bravado.
The clothing range of track jackets, slogan tees and retro football shirts all include the Leicester City Football Club crest and Kasabian logo.
Photo: Mallrat