New Signings & Team-Ups May 31
TFS RAISE A STORM WITH AGENCY DEAL
Tropical Fuck Storm (also to be known as TFS) is the new band put together by The Drones’ Gareth Liddiard and Fiona Kitschin, with Lauren Hammel (High Tension) on drums, and Erica Dunn (Harmony, Palm Springs) playing guitars, keys and other gadgets.
They’ve just signed to booking agency Village Sounds and will make their live debut in the USA this September and October, touring with Band Of Horses and King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard.
TFS will start releasing new material in the second half of 2017, initially in the form of a series of limited edition 7-inch vinyl records.
BMG TAKES ROYAL COMMAND FROM FERGIE
BMG has signed a global partnership with Black Eyes Peas singer gone solo starFergie and her newly-formed label Dutchess Music. Named after her 2006 debut solo album, the singer follows it up with Double Dutchess near the end of the northern summer.
“This new era, which includes starting my own label and creating a global partnership with BMG, is a dream come true,” she explained.
“It’s an opportunity to release my solo music as well as develop and nurture new artists. This next chapter in my career will allow me the independence to evolve both as an artist and as a businesswoman.
“BMG has such an incredible legacy in the music industry, and I look forward to working with their very experienced team to make new music, memories and magic.”
CITIZEN KAY COUNTS OFF
Canberra rapper, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Citizen Kay has inked with ONETWO, rapperIlly’s jv with UNIFIED.
New single These Kicks, which he says stems from the phrase “fake it til you make it,” features guest vocalist Georgia B, also from Canberra,
The accompanying video “tells a tale of a wildly positive homeless man, personifying Citizen Kay’s boundless sense of liberty”.
Moving to Australia from Ghana at the age of six, Kay’s traditional hip-hop is mixed with soul, jazz, blues and rock. His debut EP Demokracy (2014) and album With The People (2015) both received ARIA nominations in the urban category.
BAD ROYALE AT POLYDOR
Californian dancehall loving four-piece Bad Royale picked on Polydor as their record label of choice. Their latest whistle-along single All I Can Do features Caribbean singer Silver.
The band said coming to a label which is “home of some of the greatest musical acts through history” was something they never anticipated when they formed the band in their living room.
ROADSHOW BUYS INTO BLINK TV AHEAD OF EUROVISION ASIA
Roadshow Films has acquired 50& of Paul Clarke’s Sydney-based production company Blink TV. Its documentaries have included Long Way to the Top, Bombora: The History of Australian Surfing and Wide Open Road.
It’s also broadcasted Eurovision to Australia through the years and due to produce the Asia-Pacific version of the Eurovision Song Contest this year. The first host city is Sydney.
Roadshow Commercial Manager Grahame Grassby will work with Blink TV’s development of series, formats and entertainment brands.
Clarke said: “Roadshow is an Australian entertainment success story, a company with enormous integrity, capable of working at the highest level in international film and television. We are delighted to be partnering with them.
“Our big vision is to bring the Eurovision brand to Asia, with the support of SBS and the EBU; and Roadshow has a strong track record of successfully releasing entertainment projects through Northern Asia.”
123 BOOKING JAI WAETFORD
On the eve of all ages shows Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in July, digital-savvy 18-year-old X Factor alumni Jai Waetford has assigned his booking to 123 Agency. Early in May he opened for Little Mix.
The dates will see him preview his 2017-due album as well as play tracks from his Heart Miles EP. His hits includeLiving Not Dreaming,which has amassed 4.8 million YouTube views, and Heart Miles, which features Instagram sensation Inka Williams.
Aside from building his brand through appears onNeighbours soap, Waetford has expertly tapped social media. Speaking to an audience of 2.5 million, he has tallied 90 million views on YouTube and Vevo and 37 million Spotify streams.
VIVID LIGHTS UP WITH FORD, ALLIANZ
Vivid Sydney is working with Ford and Allianz to enhance its vision.
Ford’s ’Freedom of Movement’ multi-sensory installation, which is five giant illuminated swings that create a sound and light show, is open between 6pm to 11pm at Hickson Reserve as part of the Vivid Sydney Light Walk until June 17.
The Ford partnership also includes two future-facing innovation panels presented by Ford at the Vivid Ideas Exchange.
Allianz is a key sponsor of Vivid Sydney. It will also fund the volunteers who show visitors around the site, and also power participating boats in the Harbour Lights installation.
ICE CUBE CERTIFIED AT INTERSCOPE
Ice Cube’s sign-up with Interscope Records will see the 25th anniversary re-release of his Death Certificate album with three new songs on June 9.
They are titled Only One Me, Dominate The Weak and Good Cop, Bad Cop.
The legendary rapper is also busy with the final instalment of his Friday stoner-comedy film series,and the inaugural season of his BIG3 basketball league.
WAX DRIPS OVER FALCONA
Australian-born LA-based Wax Motif (aka Danny Chien), regarded as a key figure in the G-House sound, has struck a partnership with Sydney management and booking company Falcona.
He already assigned his overseas management with US-based Indie-Pop.
Wax Motif moves in the same circles as, and has produced or mixed for,Diplo, Major Lazer, A-Trak, Destructo and Steve Aoki, and has his own album coming out later this year.
SPIRIT LEVEL EXPANDS
Melbourne-based Spirit Level expanded its roster with two acts: WA electronic duo Feels and Norwegian pop outfit Wauwatosa. Both are working on new music.
Others listed on the label’s website include Braille Face, Donald Hugh, and Zammuto, as well as Telling, label co-founder Tim Shiel’s team up with singer-songwriter Ben Abraham.
MORE STREAMS FOR INDIE MUSIC
Hydric Media is expanding its indie music discovery app Wonder, which it launched last year.
To better serve indie acts and “[deliver] on our goal to be the best platform for music discovery”, it’s teamed with SoundCloud “to ensure streams generated via Wonder count towards the artist’s official Billboard chart position.”
PROCEEDS FOR GOOD WORK
- All proceeds from Gold Coast-based The Desperation’s debut single EIGHTFIVENINETYSEVEN is going to mental health charity beyondblue. The song is about the day singer/songwriter Daniel Topp lost his father to a heart attack, and the years of depression, anxiety and desperation that followed.
- Published on June 19 is WA author Sarah Robinson is Fuck Off And Die, “a guide to getting through the f**ked up first month of a breakup.” Part proceeds of every book sale go to a shelter in South Western Australia that supports women escaping domestic violence.
TRAILER COMPOSER ADDED TO NYLON STUDIOS
Sydney/New York music and sound boutique Nylon Studios has signed US composer Lydia Davies for global commercial representation.
Her compositions appeared in major film trailers for such films as Wonder Woman and Beauty and The Beast, and also in cinematic tracks for brands, including L’Oreal, New Balance, MTV, and Hugo Boss.