New Signings & Team-ups: September 6
RUDIMENTAL SWITCH TO KOBALT
Kobalt has got UK act Rudimental’s future publishing, starting with new single Sun Comes Up.
Their catalogue, including UK chart topper Feel The Love and Lay It One Me singles (the latter went platinum in Australia) and debut album Home (2013), stays with Sony/ ATV.
Sam Winwood, SVP of Creative at Kobalt, said: “Rudimental (are) not only one of the most exciting and important bands to come out of the UK in recent years but they have also helped discover and launch a whole new generation of great UK artists and continue to do so.”
Rudimental who toured Australia in early 2016, are with Warner Music Australia in this territory.
EASY LIFE HEAD TO UNFD
Shellharbour, NSW band Easy Life, who’ve seen their self-released material get spins on triple j, have found a home at UNFD. Their first release with them is new single I’m Fading Away.
Frontman Max Pasalic calls I’m Fading Away “hallmark of the most vulnerable I’ve ever felt in my life.
“It’s an ode to the fear we all feel when we meet new situations.
“Ultimately, we all have a choice to embrace the fear, or erase it.
“We’ve been given the platform to spread our music to more listeners than ever thanks to the opportunities UNFD have given us.
“The team have been nothing but welcoming and we are beyond thankful to be working alongside not only some renowned bands, but a dedicated and knowledgeable organisation.”
OUR GOLDEN FRIEND PACTS WITH ISLAND AUSTRALIA…
Melbourne based Our Golden Friends has entered a label deal with Island Records/ Universal Music Australia.
The label was set up by Lorrae McKenna, one time Promotions and Marketing Manager at Remote Control Records.
After joining them in 2013, she re-invigorated the label signing and developing acts such as Courtney Barnett, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Methyl Ethel and The Murlocs.
She left Remote Control in October 2016 and focused her time on building the label alongside her management roster, currently Jade Imagine, Jess Riberio, RVG, Totally Mild and Poppongene.
McKenna says: “I am super excited about the new Our Golden Friend partnership with Island Records/UMA. It’s a beautiful collaboration of two different world’s colliding and I feel that I have a huge opportunity to help the artists I love, to work and grow and reach larger audiences.”
Michael Taylor, Managing Director, Universal Music Australia adds: “We are thrilled to partner with Our Golden Friend.
“Lorrae and her label will continue to operate in their own unique style and creative direction and will be able to tap into Island / UMA whenever it makes sense for them to do so.”
…AND DATES RVG
Melbourne band RVG (originally Romy Vager Group) get their debut album A Quality Of Mercy from early 2017 re-released following their signing with Our Golden Friend.
The album came out with no promo, publicity shot or music video when it was first self-released.
The record was cut on the floor of live music venue The Tote and leant on their heroes as The Go-Betweens, The Soft Boys and The Smiths.
It’s a far cry from when Vager arrived from Adelaide as a teenage runaway with just her goth clothes and formed an angst-ridden outfit called Sooky La La where her shrieks routinely cleared rooms.
OGF relates, “In the wake of their demise, Vager committed to write songs that people would actually like, and want to listen to; to match alienation to melody, introspection to big refrains.”
DEEZER GETS CLEARER SOUND WITH MQA
French streaming service Deezer continues to increase its sound quality by integrating its platform, hardware partners and connected devices with UK sound technology company MQA.
It said, “MQA’s technology captures the sound of the original performance and delivers master quality audio in a file that’s small enough to stream.”
The integration is available in all 185 countries that Deezer operates in, including Australia.
ARN ON THE HOOF WITH VCR
Australian Radio Network’s partnership with the Victorian Racing Club (VRC) for 2017 and 2018 will see ARN’s KIIS 101.1 and GOLD104.3 play a key role at the next two Melbourne Cup Carnivals through entertainment, activations and ticket giveaways.
COPRESENTS DO IT FOR THE HOMELESS
Annual student + music industry collaboration Copresents 17 is a day-long event at RMIT’s City Campus (Russell St) on Saturday November 11 n support of HoMie.
The Melbourne organisation dedicated to creating pathways out of homelessness gets $5 of every ticket sold. There’s also a new Copresents 17 hat to consider, as part of the fundraising efforts.
The bill includes REMI, Slum Sociable, GL, Gabriella Cohen, Billy Davis & The Good Lords, Willaris. K, Blyolk and Soft Corporate on the main stage.
The Soothsayer Stage showcases the electronica side of things with Wax’O Paradiso, Francis Inferno Orchestra, Love Deluxe (DJ set), Toni Yotzi and DJ Sarah.
BETOOTA BITTER OFFICIAL BEER FOR INLAND SEA
Betoota Bitter has come on board as the official beer of the Inland Sea of Sound festival, held November 3 and 4 at Mount Panorama – Wahluu, Bathurst.
The NSW Central West’s producers are well represented too with local craft beer Two Heads on tap, Gin from Stone Pine Distillery and local wine and Batlow cider on hand.
Bernard Fanning, Meg Mac, Dan Sultan, Megan Washington and Mia Dyson are joined by local acts covering everything from indie folk and rock to alt country, bluegrass, jazz, swing, funk, and soul.
SPINNING INTO CAROLINE
Under a fresh deal, Caroline Australia will distribute and market the catalogue and new releases of Fremantle-based label Spinning Top through Australia and New Zealand.
Tim Janes, General Manager at Caroline Australia, says of the partnership: “We’re obviously excited to be teaming with Jodie, Garth and the Spinning Top extended family.
“With Peter Bibby, GUM, Nicholas Allbrook and Fascinator set for album releases in the not too distant future it really feels like an incredible time to be partnering with these guys.”
Jodie Regan, owner of Spinning Top explains: “We started a label over here at Spinning Top with the idea that the artists on our label would have the freedom to release the music they wanted, whenever and however they pleased!
“We firmly believe that partnering with such fine folks as Tim and George over at Caroline Australia will give us the resources and flexibility to help us serve our artists exactly as we always intended.”
First release under the new deal is Peter Bibby’s single Medicine on September 8. It is his first new music since the debut 2014 album Butcher/Hairstylist/Beautician.
Spinning Top also has a second office in Los Angeles.
DONNY BENET AT DOT DASH
Remote Control signed adult entertainer Donny Benét to Dot Dash Recordings.
New single Konichiwa, inspired by the streets of Kyoto, was recorded at Donnyland studios with Japanese, American and Italian synthesisers and features Don’s brother Dan on saxophone.
Upcoming shows in Wollongong, Melbourne and Sydney will preview material from an EP.
WARNER CUTS INTO ARTERY
Warner Music Group has acquired hard rock specialist label Artery Recordings, based in California.
Future releases by Australian metalcore band Capture and US group Slaves (no relation to the UK outfit) will go through Warner’s ADA division.
SCA SETS UP ALPHABUCKS APP
After the popularity of the Alphabuck$ game on air on Hit Network, parent company Southern Cross Austereo has released an app.
It allows listeners to play the game on their smartphone, with the station giving $1000 cash each week to users.
The Alphabuck$ app was developed with Soap Creative, a Sydney-based digital creative agency, and will be made available for iOS and Android devices.
PEERMUSIC EXPANDS IN LATIN CIRCLES
Peermusic has inked Gaby Moreno to a global deal. The 2013 Latin-Grammy winning singer-songwriter, born in Guatemala and based in Los Angeles, sings in English and Spanish.
Her styles cover pop, bolero, vintage jazz and blues. She came to attention in 2006 when she was the John Lennon Songwriting Contest’s Song of the Year award, and later co-wrote the theme song for the TV series Parks and Recreation.
WARWICK DISTRIBUTED BY AMBER
Germany’s Warwick GmbH & Co, the market leading manufacturer of Warwick basses, Framus Guitars and RockGear accessories, will be now distributed in Australia by Amber Technology.
WIZARD OF OZ GETS POOCHED OUT
The Wizard of Oz’s producers John Frost and Suzanne Jones have made RSPCA Victoria its official charity.
Jones said, “As Dorothy discovers ‘there is no place like home’; so we are looking forward to working with RSPCA in each state to raise money and awareness of the surrendered and homeless animals that come into its care, to help find them a new, forever home.”
The announcement was made simultaneously with the news that after paw-ditions around the country, Australian Cairn terriers Flick and Trouble, who will share the role of Dorothy’s faithful companion Toto.
KINDERLING ACQUIRES BABYOLOGY
Kinderling Kids Radio has acquired Babyology, and in so doing, created ustralia’s largest digital media company focussed on families with young children, called The Parent Brand.
The Babyology and Kinderling brands will operate independently but will cross-over when needed. They have a combined social media reach of 1.2 million followers.
Kinderling Kids Radio founder Evan Kaldor becomes CEO of The Parent Brand.
Babyology founder Mandi Gunsberger will leave the business. Kinderling’s Commercial Director and Essential Baby founder, Kylie Little, assuming the role of Babyology Managing Director.