New Signings & Team-Ups: Nicole Millar joins EMI; Shihad’s Jon Toogood inks solo deal; New chapter for No Zu; WAM partners with Dowerin

Nicole Millar joins EMI Music Australia

Best known as the voice of Peking Duk’s ubiquitous 3x Platinum anthem High, 22-year-old Sydney artist Nicole Millar has today joined the EMI Music Australia family.

Having leant her voice to the likes of Cosmo’s Midnight for Phantasm, Golden Features for Tell Me, and What So Not’s Emoh Instead, Millar’s most recent collaboration is with Zuri Akoko, for a cover of 50 Cent's 21 Questions.

Millar, who was also announced to perform at EMCPlay this morning, recently spent time in Los Angeles, Melbourne and Sydney writing and recording the foundations of her first single and debut EP.

Jon Toogood signs with 123 for solo work

Shihad frontman Jon Toogood has assigned his bookings for his solo projects with Melbourne’s 123 Agency. In between Shihad’s touring and recording, Toogood’s flies solo presenting a weekly one-hour Saturday afternoon music show Planet of Sound on New Zealand’s Radio Hauraki, public speaking, solo acoustic shows, theatre (including being part of a cabaret-style Jacques Brel tribute) and is also a voiceover artist.

At the 40th Anniversary of the New Zealand Music Charts the singer was presented with awards for the most singles in the charts by a NZ artist (25) and #1 albums by NZ artists (5).

New chapter for No Zu

Chapter Music signed Melbourne’s Heat Beat pioneers No Zu, releasing their second album Afterlife in early 2016. The band formed in 2007, releasing its first album five years later, contributed a track to Cut Copy’s Melbourne dance compilation Oceans Apart, and are collaborating with NYC punk-funk purveyor Sal P (Liquid Liquid). Out now is the single Ui Yia Uia (pronounced “Yi Yah Yah”), which was premiered by London-based taste-makers Test Pressing.

Pikachunes does like Mondays

On the eve of his relocating to Melbourne, New Zealand’s G Loveless aka Pikachunes signed with Monday Records. Despite a life threatening illness, he continues to tour NZ, UK and Ireland and play festivals around the world. He makes his Australian debut this Saturday at Brighton Up Bar, Sydney.

Sophie Lowe joins Sum Management

Sydney-based singer/songwriter Sophie Lowe has joined the Sum Management roster. The first taste of her upcoming EP (out November),Understand,was added to rotation on triple j.

Lowe'sprevious releases, under herSOLO moniker, gained national airplay, but she's best known for her acting credits infilms such as Beautiful Kate, After the Dark, Adore, and Road Kill and roles in the television seriesThe Slap and US TV shows,Once Upon a Time in Wonderland and The Returned.

Tegan and Sara switch to WME

Tegan and Sara have switched to WME agency, which set up Australian and Asian operations in Sydney this, as part of a global booking deal. Regular visitors to Australia, the sisters scooped the Juno Awards in their native Canada last year, received a Grammy nomination in 2013 for their music documentary Get Along and continue to make contributions to the LGBTQ community.

WAM partners with Dowerin for showcase

A partnership with Dowerin Events allowed West Australian music association WAM to showcase 15 Wheatbelt acts. Support from Festivals Australia through Australia Council for the Arts, WAM programed the fourth Wheatbelt Songwriters Showcase at last week’s Dowerin Field Days, an agricultural expo which saw the 700-strong population of the town swell to 24,000.

Alberta Cross at Cooking Vinyl

Cooking Vinyl Australia gets British southern rock band Alberta Cross for the ANZ territories, through a global deal the act signed with USA’s Dine Alone Records. Their third self-titled album is out in October.

Bucks Music inks with PWET, Echobelly

Bucks Music firmed up deals with ‘90s British bands Pop Will Eat Itself and Echobelly for back catalogue and new releases.

The Exchange sing for Tasmania

Tourism Tasmania tapped on visiting US a capella act The Exchange to record a track about Tasmania. The act was showcasing and workshopping at the Festival of Voices in Tasmania. The song Tasmania (Here's to You), and video spruiks the island as a must-go-to-destination with footage of beaches and wildlife sanctuaries. The Exchange have a huge fan base in places like China and South Korea where the campaign is being aired. The lyrics to Tasmania (Here’s To You) rework Dr Alan Tucker’s 1979 song To You Tasmania (Tucker moved from the UK to Tasmania after reading a book about it) composed for the 6th District Military Band and Hobart Orpheus Choir. The Exchange said, “Even though we are from another part of the world … really the purpose of our group is to exchange ideas and cultures in our travels and this was a perfect opportunity.”

Arts Alliance distributes The Who in cinemas

Arts Alliance will distribute The Who Live In Hyde Park concert film through cinemas around the world in October. It was filmed in June before a crowd of 65,000 as “the beginning of the long goodbye”, according to Roger Daltrey. Australian cinema listings soon at www.TheWhoFilm.com.

Presto an AACTA Awards partner

Music streaming service Presto is the Presenting Partner of the 5th and 6th Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards. It joins Foxtel and Seven Network. The awards announced the 23 entries which will compete this month.

V Energy behind inaugural MoVement Sydney

V Energy is behind the inaugural MoVement Sydney, a four-day dance party to “showcase the best that the local Sydney dance community has to offer.” Sixteen parties will be held October 22 to 25 featuring international acts, local acts and curated label and promoter parties.

Vevo/Toyota deal continues

Toyota Aygo’s lucrative advertising partnership with video platform Vevo extends to a third year. The car brand plays a major role in Vevo’s presenter-led editorial show VVV, which relaunched last week, and sees Vevo integrate Toyota as it delivers original content programme commissioning and sponsorship.

First payment partner for Melbourne Festival

Chinese banking payments company UnionPay International entered its first large-scale sponsorship in Australia, joining the Melbourne Festival as its first Global Payment Partner. UPI partners with 300 institutions worldwide enabling card acceptance in 150 countries and regions outside the Chinese mainland.

Two state associations collaborate on tour

Country Arts WA and Music NT collaborated on a regional tour this month. Tjintu Desert Band will headline Music NT’s Bush Bands Bash and Country Arts WA’s Sand Tracks tour through remote Aboriginal communities. MusicNT’s Bush Bands Program brings together two of Central Australia’s premier music industry events – Bush Bands Bash and skills and industry development camp Bush Bands Business (BBBiz). All bands participating in the Bush Bands Program are then considered for touring as the support act on the Sand Tracks tour in the following year, creating a connection between the Aboriginal music programs.

Majestic Cinemas to operate Sawtell Cinemas

Independent NSW mid-north coast operators Majestic Cinemas will take on management of Sawtell Cinema when it reopens in December screening quality and art house films, and major releases and family friendly titles during holiday periods. Majestic also intends to run a number of film festivals through the year.

Australian, Chinese, film sectors firm relationship

The production and financing China Australia Film Collaboration (CAFC) was launched at Parliament House, Perth, with the signing of Memorandum of Understandings by event partners the China Film Producers’ Association, Australia China Business Council (WA), ScreenWest and CinefestOZ. The inaugural two-day event was held in Bunbury last week, coinciding with the CinefestOZ Film Festival and discussing trends, networks, protocols, government policy, critical pathways, investment drivers and audience expectations for the Australian and China screen industries.