New Signings: May 23

SONY/ATV EXTENDS LUIS FONSI DEAL

Sony/ATV, which has been globally representing Luis Fonsi since 2005, has extended his deal.

Fonsi’s ‘Despacito’ is the most streamed song of all time, and, since the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on the weekend, the Latin track to collect the most amount of awards.

The new deal covers his past Spanish-language songs and all future works.

Jorge Mejia, Sony/ATV’s president for Latin America and US-Latin, observed, “In my career and perhaps in the annals of Latin music, there is certainly a ‘before ‘Despacito’’ and an ‘after ‘Despacito’’.

“I am honoured to extend our long-standing relationship with Luis Fonsi, a history-making artist, songwriter and friend.”

PAGAN SPELL IT OUT

Melbourne blackened rock band Pagan has landed UK and European deals with Hassle Records.

It will release their 12-track (or “spells”) debut album Black Wash in July in that part of the world. The band is signed to EVP Recordings.

Led by singer Nikki Brumen, the four members celebrate their Italian roots with their black theology.

GOOD CHARLOTTE SIGN WITH BMG WORLDWIDE

Good Charlotte’s next album, due in late 2018, will be issued worldwide by BMG.

The band’s Benji and Joel Madden issued a statement: “As the momentum for Good Charlotte continues to build in this new chapter of our career, BMG has consistently demonstrated the type of forward-thinking, artist-friendly, entrepreneurial spirit that we really relate to and is in line with the way we want our business to feel.”

The band has sold 11 million albums worldwide, according to BMG.

The biggest seller in their native US is 2002’s The Young & The Hopeless which moved 3.5 million in that territory.

INERTIA ZIPS UP WHITE DENIM

Inertia Music will be releasing Austin, TX-based band White Denim’s latest album Performance on Friday, August 24 in Australia.

This was done through Inertia’s existing relationship with City Slang Records.

The band’s James Petralli observed, “In his 1942 essay The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus wrote that ‘All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning.’

“15 years later Richard Wayne Penniman (Little Richard) wrote ‘Wop bop a loo bop a wop bam boom,’ an undeniably powerful vocalization that, on any given Wednesday in any given situation, civilized or otherwise, is still fully capable of setting somebody’s stuff aflame.”

NAMES FOR NT MUSIC IN MUSIC CONFERENCE

Music NT announced speakers for its inaugural Women in Music conference tomorrow (Thursday May 24).

Music community activist and Bakehouse Studios co-owner Helen Marcou will be keynote speaker for a networking lunch at the Darwin Railway Club in Parap, which officially kicks off proceedings.

Workshops focusing on topics as music journalism, public relations and film making will run in the afternoon at the Charles Darwin University waterfront campus.

The conference will conclude in the evening with the Darwin premiere of music documentary Her Sound, Her Story at the Deckchair Cinema, featuring a pre-screening live performance from local musician Stevie Jean and post-screening Q&A with film director and producers Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore and Michelle Grace Hunder.

APPLE MUSIC REVIVES CARPOOL SEASON 1

Apple Music has made available Season 1 of Carpool Karaoke for free via the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV.

For those of you who’ve just entered the room, Carpool Karaoke features oddball celebrity pairings – anyone from Adele and Alicia Keys to Will Smith and John Legend to Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers – as they share rides, reveal the songs they like to sing along with and go on madcap adventures together.

The RHCP episode made history when during the shoot, singer Anthony Kiedis saved the life of a baby who had stopped breathing in a house on the street.

PERTH MODEL FACE OF RHIANNA LABEL

21-year-old Perth model Shanaya Peters is the face of Rihanna’s label Savage x Fent’s new range of sexy corsets, lacy bodysuits, robes and catsuits.

Peters, a double major in psychology, met the singer in New York recently at the campaign’s launch and bonded big time.

SOUND EXCHANGE OFFERS DEAL TO LABELS

The $18 billion music finance company Sound Royalties, which provides aid to artists by helping them finance their projects while securing their copyrights, has extended the deal to indie labels and distributors.

The new Edge Funding Program allows indies to secure interest-free advances on their royalties to acquire content and strike new deals.

FENNE LILY LANDS AT UNIVERSAL PUBL

UK singer-songwriter Fenne Lily, hailed as one of the names to watch in 2018, has assigned her publishing globally to Universal Music Publishing Group.

Her debut album On Hold showed the way she mixed thought provoking lyrics with an expressive voice. Little wonder UMPG’s head of UK operations Mike McCormack said, “Everyone at UMPG fought for this deal.”

ARMSRONG STUDIOS BUILDING FOR SALE

180 Bank Street, South Melbourne – one of the great addresses of Australia’s music history – is due for a change of ownership.

The building houses Armstrong Studios, where classics by Daddy Cool, Skyhooks, Easybeats, Russell Morris and John Farnham were cut, is along with two adjoining places is up for sale.

Number 180 is predicted to bring $30 million, according to Commercial Real Estate.

FUNDRAISING FOR SHORT BACK & SIDEWALKS

Short Back & Sidewalks is a Perth-based haircutting service for people experiencing homelessness or the effects of poverty, distress, sickness, disability, destitution, suffering, misfortune or helplessness.

It plans to expand nationally, so has set up a combination of exhibition, live music and auction on Sunday June 24 at Bivouac Canteen & Bar, 4pm-8pm.

Ground-breaking artist Ta-ku has curated an exhibition soundtrack for the event, plus DJs Charlie Bucket and Rok Riley. Full details can be found here. 

MILK TAKES RESIDENCE

Melbourne’s Milk! Records is repeating its month-long residence at Coburg RSL at 323 Sydney Rd, Coburg. They’ll be there for the last three Wednesdays in June on the 13th, 20th and 27th.

For just $12, a mystery lineup will take to the stage with label mates Hachiku, Courtney Barnett, The Finks, Jade Imagine, Evelyn Ida Morris, East Brunswick All Girls Choir and Jen Cloher.

Last year they made it special for the punters: before the music started they lovingly served up soup, with variations on the theme, from a simple classic tomato to a more complex pear and celeriac.

PALMERSTON SEEKS YOUNG PRODUCER’S

The City of Palmerston in Darwin is looking for five people aged 15-25 with an interest in music and event coordination to put together three all-ages, family-friendly gigs for the community.

The five successful applicants will receive group training, as well as one-on-mentoring from local producer Amy Hetherington.

The gig dates are June 16, July 14 and August 18. Applications forms can be downloaded here.

STAN CREATES CHANNEL FOR QANTAS

SVOD Stan will on June 1 add a dedicated branded channel ‘Stan Originals’ for Qantas inflight entertainment, for comedy and drama.

The deal also sees Stan offering Qantas customers who are new to the service a complementary three-month subscription with unlimited access to its library of content on all Qantas domestic, international and regional flights.

SNAPPER MUSIC BOUGHT OUT BY MANAGEMENT

Frederick Jude, managing director of Snapper Music, has completed a management buyout from the Bryan Morrison estate.

Founded in 1996 in London, Snapper controls a portfolio of record labels.

They include metal label: Peaceville, post-prog and art rock Kscope and classic and psychedelic rock format Madfish.

Their acts include Cradle of Filth, Opeth, Darkthrone, Bloodbath, Autopsy, Pineapple Thief, Richard Barbieri (of Japan), Paul Draper (of Mansun) and The Anchoress.

PEERMUSIC BUYS INDIE

Independent publisher Peermusic, which has operations in Australia, has bought out fellow-indie Paul Rodriguez Music

Music Business Worldwide reports it now acquires neighbouring rights and library music businesses, and represents the music from The Weakest Link, as well as media composers including Paul Farrer, Julian Ronnie, David Lowe, Dave Hubbard and Paul Lawler.

It also has admin deals with TV production companies such as Cicada Films, the Oxford Film Co and Bullseye TV.