New Signings & Team-Ups: May 2
BLUES ON BROADBEACH EXPANDS SALVATION ARMY TEAM-UP; BRING IN YAMAHA
Blues On Broadbeach’s second year of charity partnership with the Salvation Army will expand this year.
It will include six collection points throughout the precinct, and will again use ‘Tap to Donate’ doors; a new technology trialled last year.
Visitors to the festival can make a 100% tax-deductible donation to the Salvos by tapping their credit or debit card at any collection point.
“Our partnership with Blues On Broadbeach allows the Salvos and their volunteers to be a part of this free festival, giving out free event programs to patrons, and giving them the opportunity to donate to The Red Shield Appeal to help fund our social and community services,” said Rowan Johnstone, Salvation Army fundraising manager for the Gold Coast.
“We provide hope to those who need it most.”
Between May 17—20, Blues On Broadbeach will draw 160,000 visitors to see a mix of international and Australian blues acts, including the Robert Cray Band, The Screaming Jets, Ash Grunwald, Backsliders, Lloyd Spiegel, Eilen Jewell, Charlie A’Court, Southern Avenue and Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds.
Also coming on board as the newest sponsor is musical instrument brand Yamaha Australia.
It is providing the gear for the festival including brands such as Yamaha, Line 6 and Vox.
The company’s brand manager Jaclyn Williams stated: “This collaborative sponsorship is in line with our company’s aim of ‘sharing passion and performance.’
“We are looking forward to working with the production team and hope we can grow our partnership in the coming years.”
Festival-goers can win a Revstar Yamaha guitar, signed by all of the artists at the festival.
Griffith University – a long-time partner – provides support for the School Yard Blues event this year, where school-age musicians play alongside the big names.
“It is an opportunity for these students to get a taste of the vibe, excitement and diversity of the live music scene and be inspired for future possibilities,” commented Prof. Scott Harrison, director of the Queensland Conservatorium at Griffith University.
“It is an opportunity for these students to get a taste of the vibe, excitement and diversity of the live music scene and be inspired for future possibilities.”
School Yard Blues kicks off the Kurrawa Park Program on Friday morning May 18, featuring eight blues bands from Gold Coast high schools.
RCA/ SONY MUSIC TAPS SASHA SLOAN
Sony Music Entertainment Australia has released the debut six-track Sad Girl EP of rising US singer-songwriter Sasha Sloan.
She has just signed to Sony imprint RCA Records. Her debut single ‘Ready Yet’ amassed 10.4 million streams on Spotify alone.
SWEET MATE ADDS DOWNSYDE, KILL DEVIL HILLS
Perth-based booking agency Sweet Mate added hip hop pioneers Downsyde and alt-country-swamp-rock-blues proponents The Kill Devil Hills.
The Hills head off to Europe in June, but not before playing a hometown show at the Indi Bar on Saturday, May 12 with Noah Dillon and Fraeya.
Downsyde’s next show will be on Monday, June 4 as part of the SOTA Festival lineup at Elizabeth Quay alongside Birds Of Tokyo, San Cisco, ShockOne, Stella Donnelly, Arno Faraji and more.
UNIVERSAL MAKES GREATER INROADS INTO CHINA
Universal Music continues to make inroads into China, this time by signing a global deal with Chinese superstar Kris Wu.
The deal sees the music of the 27-year-old music producer, singer, songwriter and actor released in Australia as part of a 60-country territory, as well as Interscope Geffen A&M in the US and Island Records in the UK.
Last October, Wu became the first and only Chinese artist to date to reach #1 on the US iTunes chart with his single ‘Deserve’, featuring Travis Scott.
NEW MANAGEMENT FOR CHARLI XCX
As Charli XCX kicks off this weekend on Taylor Swift’s massive tour, she has changed management to Irving Azoff’s Full Stop Management, Billboard reported.
Full Stop is a collection of managers, who look after Harry Styles, Gwen Stefani, Bon Jovi, Meghan Trainor, Haim and The Eagles.
Charli XCX’s personal manager is Brandon Creed who also reps Mark Ronson and Sara Bareilles.
MUSICA COPA TAPPED FOR EVENTS
It’s been a busy few weeks at Musica Copa headquarters,
Up first was the launch of Nike’s new Australian footy strip to be worn by the Socceroos at the World Cup and the Matilda’s at the Asian Cup.
Musica Copa was brought in to recruit the music talent for the national retail #PLAYGOLD campaign and secret location kit launch party with Peking Duk, Montaigne and Sippy.
A few days later it hosted its first football match in Melbourne as part of the inaugural Ability Fest for music fans with disabilities, and which raised $200k for the Dylan Alcott Foundation.
Star players on the pitch included members of the Pararoos, triple j presenters Gen & Lewis, Alex Dyson and Stacy Gougoulis plus comedian Matt Okine and musicians Hugo Gruzman from Flight Facilities, Boo Seeka, Rojdar, Benson, Jack Bourke from City Calm Down and Daniel Andaloro from Groove City.
MMAD AT GROVE OPEN DAY
Music charity Musicians Making A Difference (MMAD) was on hand a Somersby’s Grove Studios’ open day last weekend.
It entertained visitors with live performances, a guest artist and an Open Mic session for aspiring musicians.
MMAD exists to change young lives through the power of music and mentoring.
Dominic Brook said that the open day provided “a great synergy with live performances and future students who are preparing to start their sound engineering career.”
CAROLINE AUSTRALIA RELEASES AMANDA TENFJORD DEBUT
Caroline Australia has released in this market ‘First Impression’, the debut single by half Greek, half Norwegian 21-year-old Amanda Tenfjord.
The deal was through the act’s signing with Propeller Recordings, and sees an EP release in October.
TMRW HANDLES LOST FREQUENCIES/JAMES BLUNT COLLAB
Sydney-based TMRW Music Group releases a new collaboration between Lost Frequencies and major British name James Blunt on the track ‘Melody’.
Lost Frequencies hit #1 on the ARIA chart with ‘Are You With Me’ and have reached 1billion streams.
Blunt said: “I’d been in the studio writing with Steve Mac and Ammar Malik, and we wrote a song called ‘Hey, Melody’.
“It didn’t quite fit my album, but I loved it, so when Lost Frequencies approached me asking to work together, I was thrilled – I was already a fan of his and really wanted the song to be heard.
“He plucked the chorus, worked his magic and made a great summer track out of it.”
NETTWERK DOUBLE DEALS WITH JON BRYANT
Nettwerk signied Canadian dream-folk singer-songwriter Jon Bryant to its label and management rosters.
He’s just issued two singles simultaneously, ‘Courtesy Call’ and ‘I Saw You’ as tasters of his laid-back style.
DAVID MASSEY IN JV WITH SONY
David Massey, who will step down as president/CEO of Universal Music Group’s Island Records in June, will launch his new multi-divisional music company a month later in a joint venture with Sony Music.
RIHANNA ANNOUNCES LINGERIE LINE
Rihanna has expanded her empire into lingerie. Her line is called Savage X Fenty and she teased it on Instagram with a few seductive videos.
NEW MANAGEMENT FOR KELSEA BALLERINA
US country singer and honorary Aussie Kelsea Ballerini has left her long time manager Fletcher Foster from Iconic Entertainment, with whom she had her early success, and joined Jason Owen‘s Sandbox Entertainment which includes Faith Hill, Kacey Musgraves and Little Big Town.
MORE INDIE DEALS FOR FACEBOOK
Facebook struck a multi-territory licensing deal with indies’ digital agency Merlin, covering 20,000 indie labels and distributors, and which have 12% of the global digital recorded music market.
DESTINATION NSW CONTINUES WITH FILM FEST
Destination NSW has committed funding the Sydney Film Festival (June 6—17) until 2019.