New Signings: Golden Robot, Arista, Greyscale, Niche, Sony/ATV & more

ARISTA & LOUIS TOMLINSON

One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson has signed with Arista Records, which keeps him within the Sony family, as he signed to Epic under Simon Cowell’s Syco label in 2017.

The 27-year old has a new single on the way, and last year was a judge on The X Factor, the show which launched ID.

GOLDEN ROBOT & JOHN SYKES

British guitar hero John Sykes is the latest international act to sign to Aussie label Golden Robot Records.

Emerging in the ‘80s with the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal act The Tygers Of Pan Tang, Sykes went on to join Thin Lizzy (co-writing their highlight ‘Cold Sweat’), Whitesnake and Blue Murder.

“I feel I have found the right home for my music,” explains Sykes on the worldwide deal, which will see an album release this year,

Golden Robot Entertainment group founder and president Mark Alexander-Erber recounts, “I have heard the album and its going to be huge.

“I was just in LA with John as he walked around NAMM  it was like walking through with Elvis – there is so much for love him!”

GREYSCALE & THE BEAUTIFUL MONUMENT

Greyscale Records’ latest addition to their roster is Melbourne rock band The Beautiful Monument.

New single ‘Deceiver’ sees singer Lizi Blanco exploring her personal struggle with experiencing drug abuse within her home, and its effect on her and the people around her.

Blanco said, “Writing ‘Deceiver’ was hard… it’s like the sequel to our track ‘Ashes’ off our first record, except instead of one sibling it’s now about the other; which almost made it harder to process.”

The Beautiful Monument are playing the Sydney and Melbourne legs of the Download festival.

NICHE TALENT AGENCY  & NICK WARD

Joining  Niche Talent Agency is 17-year old Sydneysider Nick Ward who early last year found success uploading his self- produced demos to Soundcloud, where they averaged 10,000 streams.

Taking inspiration from artists such as Joji, Sufjan Stevens and Kevin Abstract, with work which lends itself to a dreamy melancholy, Ward has a new single ‘Beside U’ feat. Crossy.

SONY/ATV & LEGACY ACTS

Sony/ATV Music Publishing has picked up a series of British legacy catalogues with plans to work on growing these.

Some of them include perennial songs that could cut lucrative deals.

They include Billy Ocean, Noddy Holder & Jim Lea of Slade, Billy Bragg, Divine Comedy, The Real Thing, Embrace, Doves, Swing Out Sister, Matt Bianco and The Bluetones as well as Scorpio Music which handles The Village People’s classic disco anthems.

DOWNTOWN & SHAGGY

Downtown Music Publishing entered into a worldwide publishing agreement with Shaggy, whose collaboration album with Sting, 44/876, won Best Reggae Album award at the 2019 Grammys.

The deal covers his entire catalogue of 12 studio albums – which includes 1995’s Boombastic and 2000’s Hot Shot which he toured Australia behind – as well as future releases.

His next album Wah Gwaan?! is due in May.

NAPALM RECORDS & SCOTT STAPP

Grammy-winning Creed singer Scott Stapp is now with Napalm Records.

Stapp has had success as a solo as well, with The Great Divide (2005) selling a million copies in the US, and Proof of Life (2013) yielding his #1 hit ‘Slow Suicide’.

After his struggle with addiction and depression, Stapp says he’s been sober for five years.