New Signings & Team-Ups: November 22

SAN CISCO, DRAPHT COMMIT TO BMG

BMG signed Fremantle indie pop outfit San Cisco to a worldwide publishing deal. The act was previously with Alberts, which BMG acquired in July. The band is currently writing and recording its third album.

BMG Australia Managing Director Heath Johns said, “The Alberts team did an incredible job with San Cisco and we are truly honoured that the band has chosen to join BMG for this new chapter. The new music is fresh, innovative and global and we are all very excited to be working with the band”.

With multiple WAM Music Awards wins and ARIA, AIR and Triple J nominations, their single Awkward alone has been certified Platinum, and has 8.9 million YouTube views.

BMG announced its signing of Platinum-selling, ARIA #1 artist and ARIA Award winner Drapht today.

Johns said,“Drapht is a genuinely unique artist and an inspired songwriter. The whole team at BMG is incredibly excited by this deal and we look forward to opening up a world of collaboration for Drapht at home and abroad.”

Drapht added: “I’m really stoked about signing with the BMG family. There are exciting times ahead with thecountless opportunities that could arise and the music that could come from working alongside their team”.

UNFD TO ISSUE WHILE SHE SLEEPS

In the run-up to UK metal band While She Sleeps’ Australian visit in late summer, UNFD has signed the act up. Its third album You Are We is out here on April 21. The band will open in February on Bring Me The Horizon’s rescheduled dates through Live Nation, and headline their own gigs in Sydney and Brisbane. Their new single Hurricane comes with a video shot at their Barn studio featuring many of their fans.

FOUR NEWS ADDITIONS AT COOKING VINYL

Cooking Vinyl Australia gets four new roster additions, all signed through the company’s UK operations. They are the band Maximo Park, the recently reunited Starsailor, singer-songwriter Lewis Watson and Behemoth frontman Nergal’s new project Me And That Man.

PREMIER ARTISTS BEAMS ON BAD MOON BORN

Sydney band Bad Moon Born have joined Premier Artists for bookings. They’ve got a batch of shows lined up for next year (including a US tour after they showcased in LA earlier this year) to coincide with the release of new tracks to follow their debut EP Chemical Lullabies.

WA MUSICIANS ON ROAD SAFETY

WA music association WAM has featured six Wheatbelt musicians it earlier chose as WAMbassadors, in a video promoting road safety in their region. It is featured on its Facebook page, and is part of WAM’s collaboration with RAC. It sponsors WAM’s ongoing Wheatbelt touring program, which also seeks to raise awareness about road safety. The video received 7500 views overnight despite initial minimal publicity.

“It’s an initiative that will hopefully have a much longer lasting and important impact than anything we’ve been involved in previously,” said WAM. There have been 2155 road deaths or serious injuries in the Wheatbelt region between 2004 and 2013.

YOUTUBE SPACE IN SYDNEY

YouTube’s global production facility YouTube Space has arrived in Sydney as a pop-up in partnership with Australian Film Television and Radio School. It hosts workshops, seminars, networking events and productions in five days. YouTube has 1 million subscribers and 30 creators in ANZ.

BLOODCLOT AT METAL BLADE

Metal Blade signed a worldwide deal with Bloodclot, which in 2017 will release an album and do a global tour. The band features current and former members of The Cro-Mags, Queens of the Stone Age, Danzig and Eagles Of Death Metal.

It includes QOTSA’s bassist Nick Oliveri. Singer John Joseph of Cro-Mags is also an author, an outspoken advocate of plant-based nutrition, and a competitive Ironman tri-athlete.

CHERYL CUTS TIES WITH MODEST MANAGEMENT

As part of a move to rebrand herself, British singer and one-time X Factor judge Cheryl has cut ties with Modest Management (Little Mix, Olly Murs). Cheryl’s Call My Name from 2012, written and produced by Calvin Harris, sold half a million in the UK, reached #13 and went gold in the UK but only made it to #49 in Australia. Her follow up Fight For This Love sold 1 million in her home market.

MELBOURNE BITTER SUPPORTS ZINE SERIES

Melbourne Bitter’s support of the local independent scene extends to a free photographic tour zine series Versus. The project of music photographer Kane Hibberd, it covers Tasmanian punk band Luca Brasi’s sold out 2016 national album tour. Hibberd previously released a book Kanye Lens vs Soundwave from when he was official photographer for the now defunct hard rock festival. Versus will be distributed through record stores, venues, pubs, cafes and retail stores.

THREE JOIN UP FOR EMC PLAY

As part of the EMC Play showcases of Sydney’s Electronic Music Conference, Nuffsaid Agency, etcetc Music and Eighty-Six Events stage an event at World Bar on November 30 with Odd Mob, Set Mo, Airwolf, Klue, POOLCLVB and Made In Paris.

KOBALT FACTORS IT IN

Kobalt has partnered with US artist management and services specialist Faction Entertainment, a collective of 20 managers with a combined roster including Everlast, Fishbone, Ministry, House of Pain, Blacklacious, That 1 Guy and Trevor Hall, as well as Australia’s Dead Letter Circus and Sick Puppies.

Under the deal the talent managers will utilise Kobalt as their preferred partner for publishing, label and digital distribution services.

KOJO EXPANDS

Creative services business KOJO is joining forces with Hedone Productions to create a film and television production business under the KOJO Entertainment banner. Hedone producer Kate Croser moves to KOJO as Head of Production and Development, bringing Hedone’s existing slate of projects over to KOJO.