New Signings & Team Ups: October 13
Chugg Music to release Russell Morris album
Sydney=based Chugg Music will release veteran singer songwriter Russell Morris’ Red Dirt – Red Heart, the third of his successful blues trilogy. The album is out on October 23 and focuses on the continent’s First Australians and is based around the tale of two bushrangers.
Label owner Michael Chugg said, “The Chugg organisation is very proud to be releasing Russell’s new album, it is a wonderful conclusion to an amazing trilogy by my great friend.”
Morris has been a runaway success in previous years. When he shopped his “comeback” album Sharkmouth, he was turned down by every label he approached – even though he offered to throw in rights to his hit-studded back catalogue. It was finally signed by former Warner Music Managing Director Robert Rigby’s fledgling Fanfare Records – which marketed him so creatively it gave Morris his first gold album in 40 years. The follow up Van Diemen’s Land also debuted in the ARIA Top 10.
Puff Daddy’s Bad Boy Entertainment strikes Epic partnership
Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs’ music empire Bad Boy Entertainment has finalised a partnership with Epic Records which will see the rap entrepreneur’s content released here through Sony Music Entertainment Australia.
Through its 22 years, Bad Boy has aligned itself with Warner Music Group, Interscope Records and Arista Records. But at Epic, he teams up with long time friend and collaborator L.A. Reid who is Epic Records Chairman and CEO. The deal sees Epic distributing two forthcoming Puff Daddy albums and provide Bad Boy artists with customary label services including promotion, marketing, sales and distribution.
WAM includes The Music Network among its WAMazing partners
Perth-based music association WAM has announced this year’s partners for its 150-act WAM Festival and the 55-speaker WA Music Conference in November – and includes The Music Network as a media partner.
WAM revealed that its major presenting partners. Healthway will promote its Alcohol. Think Again campaign. City of Perth this year invested $40,000 to help fund WAM Festival’s Saturday Spectacular, Friday Showcases and WA Music Awards. Lotterywest also returns in 2015.
City of Fremantle enabled the festival to return to the city for the Sunday Best event. “Fremantle is a vibrant musical hub and supports the emergence of new artists, the acknowledgment of established artists and the work WAM does in the local and national industry,” said Mayor Brad Pettitt.
Major Partners are Albert Music, Audiofly, Moshtix and Perth Arena.
Major Media Partners are X-Press Magazine and The.Music.com.au. Other Media Partners, aside from TMN, are RTRFM, 720 ABC, Tone Deaf, The Au Review, Pilerats and Cool Perth Nights. Non Drowsy is its Artwork partner.
Partners for the WA Music Awards will be announced soon.
Hip hops from Hilltops
Hilltop Hoods’ label Golden Era is launching its own beer, in conjunction with Adelaide brewery Pirate Life. “We both are independent companies who work for ourselves,” said Suffa. It is launched in Adelaide in November at the first in a series of summer parties with DJ sets from Debris, Trials, Adfu, Briggs, K21 and Dylan Joel. Attendees get a can of the brew.
Budweiser owner sponsoring SXSW
Anheuser-Busch becomes a leading sponsor of the South by Southwest Music, Film & Interactive Conferences and Festivals. A Super Sponsorship – the highest level of sponsorship available – it begins at SXSW 2016 with Bud Light the marquee beer brand. Other events and activations will be presented by other brands in the Anheuser-Busch portfolio, such as Budweiser and Stella Artois.
Three more at Alberts
Pacting publishing deals with Alberts are recent triple j Unearthed feature artist GRRL PAL, New Zealand’s Denelle, and Brisbane four piece Major Leagues.
Alberts also licensed The Angels’ guitar chord crunching Take A Long Line for Toyota Hilux’s latest ad, screened from this month.
Cub Sport races to global deal
Brisbane’s Cub Sport have a global deal with indie label powerhouse Nettwerk Music for the release of their debut album This is Our Vice. It is due in March 2016 and features the original bedroom-demo vocals of songwriter Tim Nelson. The band’s previously hit the Top 20 of America’s CMJ college chart.
US booking deal for Jesse Davidson
Adelaide hailed Jesse Davidson signed a US booking deal with Windish Agency, which also books the likes of alt-j, Chvrches and Courtney Barnett. Davidson’s on an Australian tour this month behind his Lizard Boy EP.
Virgin Mobile partners with Guvera
Telco Virgin Mobile will through Australian music streaming service Guvera. offer “unlimited music with no subscription cost.” The service will not be totally free, as customers have to pay for the data to stream music. But Virgin Mobile intends to offer an additional 1 GB of data for those using the service until May 30, allowing them extra 20 hours and 400 tracks.
Aussie beatboxer promotes digital radio
Commercial Radio Australia and Eardrum agency is creatively using beatboxer Tom Thum for its latest marketing campaign for DAB+ digital radio. His vocal techniques creatively illustrates the many music genres and radio stations available on the format, “to show there is something for everyone on digital radio,” CEO Joan Warner said. Tom Thum has racked up a TEDx record of 42 million YouTube views.
The video, directed by Jeremy Koren (aka Grey Ghost), was filmed inside a large purpose-built set, designed to represent a stylised digital radio, showing the circuits, wires and mechanics of the device.
Winner crowned for Melbourne Music Bank
Bank of Melbourne’s annual Melbourne Music Bank competition was won by Jade Alice for her song Kickdrum. This year drew three times as many applications from songwriters across the state. Alice wins two days of recording at Sing Sing Studios, a film clip by Oh Yeah Wow, album artwork, printed CDs, mentoring and management from Chris Robinson, publicity from On The Map PR, radio plugging from Varrasso PR and gig bookings from the 123 Agency.
“We’re excited to put a team of professionals around Jade Alice to help give her the best shot at succeeding in the music industry,” said Jac Phillips, Bank of Melbourne’s Head of Brand and Marketing.
Joe Matera with Holland’s RVPrecords
Melbourne guitarist composer Joe Matera continues his European success by joining Netherlands RVPrecords as their first international signing. RVPrecords CEO Twan Bakker says: ”Joe Matera is a hard worker doing the best he can to get his music and passion out there. I appreciate that in musicians and that deserves support.” Matera calls them “a forward thinking 21st century label who put the artists and the music first.” RVP is releasing Now And Then, of tracks from his back catalogue in early 2016.
Christine Anu promotes sunnies for eyesight
Singer and actress Christine Anu takes on ambassador duties for a new limited edition range of sunglasses to raise funds for the Fred Hollows Foundation. $25 from each sale goes to the Foundation.
“It costs as little as $25 in some countries for one person to receive sight restoring cataract surgery performed by The Foundation, so from every pair of sunglasses sold, one person’s eyesight can be saved,” says Anu, who has a family history of eye health issues.
The shades feature artwork by indigenous artist Langaliki Langaliki and placed on Specsavers frames. Langaliki herself had her eyesight restored by two cataract surgeries by the Foundation to paint again. Last year’s range raised $62,500 for the Fred Hollow Foundation’s Trachoma Elimination Program in the Northern Territory.
Niche signs Sampa The Great …
Niche agency extended its roster with Sydney’s Sampa The Great. The Zambia-raised performer has had a fast rise since the release of The Great Mixtape (which received US airplay) and picked to open tours. In November, she and her 8-piece band hit Sydney and Melbourne.
…and Moonbase Commander
Niche added Sydney bass producer Moonbase Commander whose sound slots in between hip-hop, juke and beats. He’s currently working on two EPs through October Records. Collaborators include Dr Dre protégé Anderson Paak as well as New York MC Cakes Da Killa with whom he cut the earlier Serve It Up.
Peermusic sign Chris Neil
Peermusic signed British producer and songwriter Chris Neil. The deal covers future works as well as Neil’s back catalogue, including his work with Mike + The Mechanics and former Ace frontman Paul Carrack.
Roc Nation partners with New Community
Jay Z’s Roc Nation partners with indie New Community Management, whose roster includes Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros, Julian Casablancas & The Voidz and James Vincent McMorrow. New Community will be headed by manager Bryan Ling under the deal.
Kobalt gets Deadmau5 publishing, recordings
Canadian DJ and producer Deadmau5, aka Joel Zimmerman has taken his publishing, recordings and Mau5trap label to Kobalt. He was with Universal and blames the the split on a lack of transparency, according to Billboard.
He said, “I am very strict on what products I want to associate myself with, and I felt that some things were just to make a buck. Then, we’d only get a little trickle, and I’d be like, Wait, I look this stupid for only that much? Why am I looking stupid in the first place?”
123 travelling Gold Class
123 Agency is now representing Melbourne band Gold Class, who’re doing a series of launches behind their new album.
US manager Ty Stiklorius launches own firm with stars
US manager Ty Stiklorius, former co-President of Troy Carter’s Atom Factory, launched own firm Friends At Work. She took with her John Legend and Lindsey Stirling. Joining her in the venture is Atom Factory colleague Adina Friedman, who worked with Stirling and Meghan Trainor.
Stan takes movies to Playstation’s PS3, PS4
SVOD service Stan has started streaming on Playstation’s PS3 and PS4. It comes as Stan is set to premiere on October 31 the hotly anticipated Ash vs Evil Dead, the TV adaption of the Evil Dead horror franchise.
Spirit of Bundy Rum returns
After the success of its May festival, the Bundaberg Distilling Company brought back The Spirit of Bundaberg Festival to its grounds last Saturday for another successful draw. About 5000 attendees watched The Grates, Eden Mulholland and supergroup Antipodean Rock Collective (ARC) and local acts Young Dingoes, Zefereli and Matthew Barker along with an array of local food and Bundy rum.
Duncan Littler, Bundaberg Rum Senior Brand Manager said the local community’s support for 125 years “played an essential role in helping us develop and craft what is now an internationally recognised and award-winning rum” and that the festival was “our little way of saying thanks and celebrating the Bundy community.”