New signings and team-ups w/e April 18

Flume collaborator Jezzabel Doran has signed to Sony Music Entertainment Australia via the label Young & Vicious. The singer-songwriter co-founded Sydney band Anthony For Cleopatra who had two songs, Sleepless and Over You, sampled by Flume on his debut album. Doran’s debut single Blank Page is set for a May 9 release.

Wonderlick adds Jinja Safari to management

Gregg Donovan and Stu MacQueen’s Wonderlick Entertainment have added NSW outfit Jinja Safari to management.  The band, which won triple j unearthed in 2010, quipped, “With the power of Stu’s beard and the intimidating nature of Greg’s full sleeves of tattoos, we are confident that we are leaving very little to chance.”

DJ Helena pacts worldwide with Sony Music

London-born Australian DJ Helena has signed a worldwide deal with Sony Music Entertainment from her base in Los Angeles. Helena previewed her new single Levity at Miami’s Ultra Music. Her Girl From The Sky (2013) topped the club charts and put her in-demand at EDM festivals around the world. 

Two acts added to Unified management

Unified has signed Will Putney – a New York hardcore record producer and songwriter who has worked on records by Australian acts Northlane, The Amity Affliction and Thy Art is Murder. The management deal is a joint venture with New York City-based Iron Management. Unified has also signed Gold Coast singer-songwriter Montgomery after booking agent Dayna Young from Archery/Select sent in demos posted on Soundcloud. Unified founder Jaddan Comerford tells TMN, “We immediately knew there was something special.  The following week, Nick Yates (from Unified) and I were in Queensland and we met with her and connected immediately.” Yates will be her day-to-day manager. A debut EP has just been recorded with Big Scary’s Tom Lansek.

ANZ Stadium retains name

ANZ has extended its naming rights sponsorship of the ANZ Stadium to the end of 2017. The deal kicked off in 2008. A 2013 Repucom report ranked ANZ Stadium as the most valuable naming rights property of all major Australian stadia, with a total reach of 48.3 million people.

Africa’s Phfat ink Aussie deals

On the eve of a self-funded 11-date May tour, South African hip hop duo Phfat have signed management with Sydney-based Pumped Up Kids, and Kingdom Sounds for Australian bookings. “I have never been more excited to work with an artist,” Pumped Up Kids artist manager Rob Carroll told TMN. The plan is to bring the duo back to Australia for the summer festival circuit, to break Phfat the way they broke in their homeland. New single Lights Out is being played on South Africa’s largest commercial station 5fm.

Thunderstruck takes flight

AC/DC’s 1990 classic Thunderstruck is featured in a preview trailer for the Disney film Planes: Fire & Rescue, which is due out in America in mid-July. Thunderstruck has been in other movies, including Varsity Blues, The Longest Yard and Battleship, as well as in numerous sports and video games globally.

Ambition strikes Social Family distro alliance

Ambition Music Group has struck a distribution deal with Social Family Records, a subsidiary of Social Family Group. Its roster includes Electric Empire (50,000 global sales), Baby Animals (a Top 20 debut for their comeback album This Is Not The End) Steve Balbi, Damien Leith and latest signing David Campbell. Social Family Group co-founder and CEO Jake Challenor said, “The experience that comes with Robert Rigby at Ambition Music Group and his team is a real coup for a young label like Social Family.”

Bonjah’s publishing with Native Tongue

Melbourne live drawcard Bonjah has inked a worldwide publishing deal with Native Tongue. It includes their third album Beautiful Wild (out this Friday through Inertia) and two earlier albums. The band is in Europe for the summer festival circuit, returning in August for an extensive national tour.