New Signings & Team-Ups: May 17

WARNER MUSIC TAKES ON WALE

Warner Music Australia will distribute the music of US Grammy-nominated rapper Wale, after he signed with Warner Bros Records following his departure from Atlantic Records earlier this year.

He is best known in the US for his hits such as the Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling ‘Lotus Flower Bomb’ ‘My PYT’ ‘Running Back’ featuring Lil Wayne and ‘My Love’ featuring Major Lazer, WizKid and Dua Lipa,

Wale’s Every Blue Moon imprint signs various musicians, comedians and screenwriters, while a team up with Villa creates a limited-edition line of sneakers.

CREATE NSW ADDS TO VIVID IDEAS PROGRAM

Create NSW has added three conversations as part of this year’s Vivid Ideas program. Details are:

Tuesday May 29: Digital Disruptors: how digital platforms and new mediums impact on creative industries, and if they leave the traditional players fighting to remain relevant.

Wednesday June 6: Funny Women: spotlights five women changing the face of Australian comedy, and focuses on comedy as activism.

Wednesday June 13: Listen Here Now: a conversation with a new wave of Aboriginal creatives across arts, screen and culture.

AIR APPOINTS TRAVEL PARTNER

AIR has again partnered with entertainment travel specialists The Appointment Group for the 2018 AIR Awards and Indie-Con Australia in Adelaide this July.

AIR guests and attendees are offered hotel and travel offers along with dedicated service, with details available on the website.

SINGAPORE SHOWCASING AT BIGSOUND

BIGSOUND’s inaugural dedicated showcase of Singapore acts last year in a tie-up with National Arts Council Singapore was successful enough for it to be brought back this year.

BIGSOUND executive producer Joel Edmondson commented, “I don’t think anyone was prepared for how fun it was, and for the quality of artists on display.

He added: “One of BIGSOUND’s key ambitions over the next five years is to create closer ties between Australia and the Asian music markets, so this partnership with NAC Singapore is really important to us, as well as everyone at BIGSOUND looking to extend their networks north.”

Last year’s Singaporean contingent included folk singer-songwriter iNCH, electronic duo .gif, instrumental prog-rockers In Each Hand A Cutless and rapper THELIONCITYBOY.

Kok Tse Wei, NAC’s deputy director of sector development (performing arts and music) welcomed the renewed partnership as a long term relationship.

“In addition to introducing our musicians to the international audience, we are confident that the conversations between Australian and Singaporean musicians, producers and industry professionals will plant the seeds for many fruitful artistic collaborations in the months ahead.

“We also look forward to further strengthen the close ties and shared experiences between Singapore and Australia through the exchange of artistic content and networks.”

ANTAGONIST AD JOIN GREYSCALE RECORDS

New Zealand hardcore band Antagonist AD joined the ranks of Melbourne based Greyscale Records.

Ahead of Australian dates next month, the band just dropped a new single ‘No Justice’, which singer Sam Crocker says “is about coming to the reality that western society was built upon prejudice and injustice.

“That the only way to change it is to first change yourself and own your actions/consequences.

“That the only way to find justice is to be accountable for the way you live -accepting that your actions have consequences. So we will push on for change, living a better way, one step at a time.”

LIVE NATION, TGG, WORK ON ORCHESTRAL PRINCE

Live Nation Urban and TCG Entertainment struck an agreement with Prince’s estate to stage the 4U: A Symphonic Celebration of Prince concert tour.

Curated by Questlove (The Roots), the shows – so far covering the US and Europe from September – includes singers and musicians alongside the orchestra performing the Prince songbook.

UK COLLECTION SOCIETY GETS 4% OF CONCERT TICKETS

A new tariff for live events sees British collection society PRS For Music receive 4% of the ticket price for live concerts as well as most other music events from June 11.

Taking three years to negotiate, it is a 1% increase on the previous tariff.

CONCORD ADDS SEAN LENNON, TEDDY SINCLAIR

Concord Music signed two global publishing deals, with singer, musician, songwriter, and film composer Sean Lennon, and artist and songwriter Teddy Sinclair.

The Lennon deal includes his catalogue (collaborations with Lana Del Rey, Flaming Lips, Black Lips and Les Claypool and various film scores) and his second album due out in 2019 on ATO Records.

The Sinclair deal is for future works.

HT&E DENIES TAKEOVER TALK

Here, There & Everywhere, whose assets include the Australian Radio Network, has denied industry speculation that it is about to be taken over by oOh!media.

It told the ASX it is not aware of any discussions taking place, before noting “We have appointed advisers. We are willing to engage on any proposal that offers compelling value for shareholders.”

BMG BRINGS IN DIDO

British singer-songwriter Dido, whose releases on Sony Music exceed 30 million worldwide, releases her fifth album next year on BMG.

Dido co-wrote and co-produced the LP with her brother Rollo Armstrong of Faithless.

DEAN LEWIS GETS US SYNC

Australian singer-songwriter Dean Lewis‘ track ‘Waves’, which generated 109 million global streams, has been used for the fourth time on a US TV show.

The May 15 episode of Grey’s Anatomy featured the song, and follows use in the shows Suits, Riverdale and Shadowhunters.