New Signings & Team-Ups: November 8

TAYLOR SWIFT LAUNCHES ‘BEHIND THE SONG’ SERIES

In the run-up to the November 10 release of her Reputation album, Taylor Swift has launched a series of mini-documentaries on the making of its tracks.

Behind The Songs is a tie-up with major US telecommunications service AT&T for its subscribers.

The first one, on the making of the ‘Gorgeous’ track was screened last week, with the rest coming from Monday, November 13, also available on her NOW channel.

The ‘Gorgeous’ episodes see Swift sitting in front of her piano, guitar in hand, going through various lyrics and tempos before she finally settles for the final version.

The song is said to be how she met her current beau, Joe Alwyn, while dating Calvin Harris.

The song goes, “And I got a boyfriend, he’s older than us/ He’s in the club doing I don’t know what/You’re so cool, it makes me hate you so much.”

ELECTRIC MARY GET THEIR DINNER

Melbourne band Electric Mary has teamed up with Melbourne rock label Dinner For Wolves for the March 2018 issue of their fourth album, tentatively titled Better Days Are Coming.

In the meantime, they’ve released a video for new single ‘Woman’ which singer Rusty Brown explains was coloured by Mother Nature and the wheels of rock-n-roll still turn.

Later this week, the band – which took its name after Brown visited Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland studios in New York and met its studio manager ‘Electric Mary Campbell’ – will kick off dates with Baby Animals. They return to Europe next year.

JUSTICE CREW DIAL IN PNG

Sydney-based hip-hop singing and dance posse Justice Crew were tapped by Mintt Smartphones under the Fone Haus brand when it launched the new affordable version in Papua New Guinea.

The Aussie act played two shows at a shopping centre, one in a club in Port Moresby, and again at the MINTT Colour Walk for Life at Sir Hubert Murray Stadium.

123 AGENCY WHIP UP PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS

Melbourne and Sydney based 123 Agency are now booking Perth psyche band Psychedelic Porn Crumpets.

Fresh from selling out their two national tours, the act sets off on a national summer High Visceral B-Side National Tour. It kicks off on December 23 with their own curated festival Dr Noggin Floggin and the Cosmic Toothbrush in their hometown with 12 local acts, before heading around the country and winding up on December 31 in Byron Bay.

The trek comes after the vinyl release of ‘High Visceral” through their own label What Reality Records.

123’s founder Damian Costin recently partnered with Melbourne entertainment lawyer Lilit Chakman to set up Creative Entertainment Agency (CEA for corporate bookings.

SHANIA TWAIN ENDS IN VIDEO GAME

A deal between the Canadian country pop star, London based games firm Supersolid, and Universal Music Group Nashville sees Shania Twain feature in mobile game Home Street.

Two videos from her Now album play on a billboard in the game, and she participates in an in-game Q&A this month.

Supersolid portfolio includes Super Penguins, Adventure Town and Food Street.

MOXEY RELAUNCHES HIP HOP’S PAYDAY

EDM label Ultra Music founder Patrick Moxey is reviving his classic hip-hop label Payday Records.

He originally set it up in 1992 during New York’s golden hip hop period when he was throwing warehouse parties.

It signed up Gang Starr, Group Home, Jeru the Damaja and Showbiz & A.G. It also released Jay-Z’s first single.

The revived imprint will be stand-alone within the Ultra Music structure and has relaunched with DJ Premier’s ‘Our Streets’ feat.A$AP Ferg.

ROLLING BLACKOUT COASTAL FEVER LAND MUSHROOM GRANT

Melbourne five-piece Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever got the Mushroom Music Publishing Recording Grant 2017.

The fifth recipients of the annual grant they got $10,000 to help fund their debut album.

The grant was set up in 2013 with Linda Bosidis, Head of A&R, explaining, “We at Mushroom Music Publishing want to hear more recordings of original material. We want to support career progression and strengthen our local creative industry.”

Previous winners were Fraser A. Gorman (2013), D.D Dumbo (2014) and Dorsal Fins (2015) with last year’s winners, The Laurels, released their second album Sonicology (on Rice is Nice) last October with assistance from the grant.

SŸDE FAR FROM MADDING CLOUD

Melbourne production duo Syde releases their new single ‘Above The Clouds’ feat. NYC vocalist Olivia Reid as their first release through new label Dew Process/Universal Music Australia.

Syde is made up of 18-year old Will Hyde and Mitch Stephens who are currently finishing off their high school exams.

Their first single ‘Orbit’ feat. ASHE clocked up 12 million streams.

POPJAM ARRIVES IN AUSTRALIA

US-based global kid-safe social content platform PopJam is now available in Australia through children’s content platform TotallyAwesome

Going into operation with content and brand involvement safe for the under-13 demo, it expanded to UK, Canada and Ireland and has 40 million subscribers on YouTube.

UK/EUROPEAN AGENCY FOR MELBOURNE’S ALITHIA

Currently on a 30-date European tour with Norway’s Leprous and Iceland’s Agent Fresco, Melbourne prog-rock outfit Alithia has been snapped up by the Artery Global booking agency for the UK and Europe.

They will be repped by agent Liam Spencer.

Alithia joins fellow-Aussies Twelve Foot Ninja, Plini, Caligula’s Horse, Circles, and Voyager on the roster.

The European tour,which is mostly sold out, winds up in Norway on November 25. Alithia and Leprous do five dates in Australia between January 19 to 27 – with Sydney and Melbourne Profest appearances part of the schedule.