New Signings & Team-Ups: September 13

SOUNDS AUSTRALIA BOOTS UP WITH BLUNDSTONE

Australian boot maker Blundstone has partnered with Sounds Australia on two of its major international showcase events this week.

This week’s AmericanaFest in Nashville sees music fans offered the chance to win Blundstone boots in return for sharing their experiences at the festival.

The Australian events include a showcase at the Bluebird Café (September 12) and A Taste of Australia (September 13) for executives networking and showcase sets from some of the AmericanaFest acts.

Sounds Australia’s signature event The Aussie BBQ is on September 16 at The 5 Spot with All Our Exes Live in Texas, Andy Golledge, Colin Hay, Falls, Grizzlee Train, Kasey Chambers, Larissa Tandy, Shane Nicholson, Taasha Coates and Tim Wheatley.

Sounds Australia then heads to the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg where Blundstone presents the Aussie BBQ (September 22) featuring Alex The Astronaut, Client Liaison, Dean Lewis, Geowulf, Gold Class, Joel Havea, Lisa Mitchell, PINES, Steve Smyth, Teischa, The Lazy’s and Tinpan Orange.

Adam Blake, Blundstone’s Global Head of Brand and Design said, “Our boots have long been a part of the music industry, both in Australia and abroad.

“Their versatility, comfort and style make them the choice not just for those in the limelight but are also the fans go to festival boot.

“At Blundstone we have always celebrated independence, creativity and spirit, these values are part of what has made us who we are today.

“We’re proud to be supporting The Aussie BBQ and reckon our homegrown talent can match it with the best.”

TWICKETS AUST. SIGN WITH UNIFY GATHERING

Twickets Australia, the local operation of the UK-based face-value ticket resale service which launched this year, has become the official reseller for Victorian heavy rock festival UNIFY Gathering.

It sold out in five days, and organisers have warned patrons who resell unwanted tickets to unauthorised platforms will find them voided “if we see people sell them for expensive prices.”

Danny Hannaford, Head of Twickets Australia, told TMN that “feedback so far has been great, and we expect traffic to grow as the event gets nearer.”

Hannaford is also in negotiations with more music festivals and sporting codes, expecting to make an announcement shortly.

Twickets Australia launched with Frontier Touring for the Ed Sheeran tour, as well as visits by Stormzy and Rag’n’Bone Man.

CHRISSIE HYNDE HEADS FOR BMG

After lengthy relationships with EMI Music Publishing and Sony/ATV, Chrissie Hynde has assigned her catalogue to BMG.

It goes back to her Pretenders days in the late ‘70s with ’Brass in Pocket’, ’I’ll Stand by You’ and ’Talk of the Town’.

The move puts her releases in the same building as The Pretenders’ current album Alone is through Alone/BMG.

The Pretenders and Stevie Nicks are touring Australia in November.

JOHN LEGEND & NETFLIX TO PRODUCE HIP HOP COMP

John Legend and Netflix are jointly working together on a new hip hop TV competition Rhythm & Flow.

It is Netflix’s first move into the territory of music discovery shows as X-Factor and Idol series.

Legend, whose role in the show is so far as a producer, previously produced the Pitch Perfect-inspired a capella college competition Sing It On for the Pop channel in 2015.

At the same time Legend is also getting further into story telling of African American history.

He’s currently developing a series called Black Wall Street for WGN America about the 1921 Tulsa race riot.

Last year he was behind WGN’s Underground, about the fight by plantation slaves as they band together to fight for the lives of their families and their freedom.

TYRON HAPI TRACK LAUNCHING NEW TEAMWRK LABEL

Melbourne’s up-and-coming DJ, producer and multi-instrumentalist Tyron Hapi‘s new single ’Anyway’ launches the new TEAMWRK Records, which goes live on September 18.

TEAMWRK is operated by Lucky Entertainment and distributed by Universal Music Australia. It will also include Will Sparks, Matt Watkins and Bianca etc on the roster.

Its Head of A&R Jae Butt tells TMN, “The label will focus on more commercial dance music and pop aiming to give birth to the next generation of producers and singers and create timeless hits. “

18 year old Hapi has been releasing records since he was 14 under the name AC3 on global labels as SPINNIN’, Universal, Dim Mak, Bourne Recordings and Armada Records.

The new track ’Anyway’ (feat Mimoza) is followed by an initial 17 dates around Australia (September 15— November 30) after which he follows up with shows in New Zealand, the UK and Europe.

QLIFE BENEFITS FROM MARRIAGE EQUALITY SONG

QLife Australia, the LGBTI counselling and referral service, will benefit from the proceeds of sales of Adelaide singer songwriter Josh Belperio’s marriage equality song ’Dear Malcolm Turnbull’.

It received 160,000 YouTube views on its first day.

Belperio who says the song was written as “an empowering anthem” says he chose QLife “to help the people who will be most hurt by this Plebiscite.”

WARNER MUSIC ADDS TO GLOBAL ROSTER

Warner Music Group has been extensively expanding its roster for the global market.

The latest is Swedish singer songwriter Miriam Bryant, who’s already had five multi-platinum singles through Warner Sweden since 2012 and generated “hundreds of millions” of streams.

A remix by DJ/producer Zedd of her song ’Push Play’ topped the US Dance Chart in 2013.

Another act with releases coming up in Australia is singer and actor Ben Platt through a deal with Atlantic.

Tony-winning Platt played aspiring singer and close-up magician Benji Applebaum in Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2, and played Broadway in Dear Evan Hansen and The Book of Mormon. He’s currently working on a debut album.

Warner Music also acquired for US$100 million Dutch electronic label Spinnin’ Records, whose roster includes Bob Sinclair, Chocolate Puma, Alok, Bassjackers and Oliver Heldens.

Since its launch in 1999, Spinnin’ has released artists including Afrojack, Armand van Helden and Tiesto.

MACHINE GUN KELLY FACE OF FASHION CAMPAIGN

Fashion designer John Varvatos chose rapper Machine Gun Kelly as the face of his 2017 Fall/Winter campaign.

He explained, “I’ve followed Machine Gun Kelly’s career as he’s risen from the streets of Cleveland to an international star.

“Not only has his music evolved but so has he.

“Our shared passion for music, mid-western roots, and living life with a rebel spirit has bonded us in friendship.”

DOWNTOWN PACTS WITH SUB POP PUBLISHING

Downtown Music Benelux, the Amsterdam arm of Downtown Music Publishing, finalised a global partnership with Seattle’s Sub Pop Publishing.

It will allow the US publisher to get a presence in European and use Songtrust, Downtown’s global royalty collection platform.

FREMANTLEMEDIA ACQUIRES ESSENTIAL

Europe-based global production house FremantleMedia – which is behind music themed X Factor, …’s Got Talent and Idol franchise –has acquired Sydney’s Essential Media and Entertainment to beef up its drama content.

A new division is set up called Easy Tiger under Essential partner Ian Collie.