Sony Music makes “significant investment” in Cooking Vinyl Australia

Sony Music Entertainment Australia this morning announced a strategic new partnership with Cooking Vinyl Australia.

The deal includes “a significant investment from Sony Music in Cooking Vinyl Australia, to strengthen and grow the well-established and respected brand”.

But Sony emphasises that the Melbourne-based Cooking Vinyl Australia will “continue to operate as an autonomous and standalone company.”

As part of the arrangement, Cooking Vinyl Australia’s recordings will be distributed on a worldwide basis by Sony’s global indie music distributor and label services company The Orchard.

Denis Handlin AO, chairman & CEO, Australia & New Zealand and President, Asia, Sony Music Entertainment,says, “Cooking Vinyl Australia are an incredibly talented team and we are delighted to be starting 2018 with this dynamic partnership.

“This venture will further expand Sony Music’s diverse roster of local and international artists and releases and we are looking forward to an exciting future with Leigh, Stu and the team.”

Leigh Gruppetta, co-managing director, Cooking Vinyl Australia, comments, “We are thrilled about what the future holds as we enter this next phase of the business.

“The opportunity to further grow and develop the careers of our artists and partner labels have just received a massive shot in the arm.

“The faith shown in us by Denis and his team is humbling. Stu and I look forward to a long and prosperous partnership.”

Cooking Vinyl Australia launched in 2013 as a partnership between Gruppetta, Stu Harvey and Martin Goldschmidt.

It has achieved a ARIA #1 debut for Parkway Drive and Top 10 debuts for Polaris, Kate Miller-Heidke, City and Colour, Marilyn Manson and The Prodigy.

Last year saw releases from Against Me, Alpha Wolf, At The Drive In, Belle Haven, Billy Bragg, Ceres, Citizen, Converge, Endless Heights, Food Court, Justice For The Damned, Luca Brasi, Lucinda Williams, Nahko and Medicine for the People, Polaris, Propagandhi, Slaughter Beach, Dog, Son Little, Sorority Noise, The Bronx, The Darkness, Turnover and Wheeler Walker Jnr.

Upcoming releases from this week to early May are Endless Heights’ Vicious Pleasure, Pianos Become Teeth’s Wait For Love, Femi Kuti’s One People One World, Mia Dyson’s If I Said Only So Far I Take It Back, The Fratellis’ In Your Own Sweet Time, Lindi Ortega’s Liberty, Mary Chapin Carpenter’s Sometimes Just The Sky and Shakey Graves’ Can’t Wake Up.

Labels represented for Australia and New Zealand. include Cooking Vinyl UK, Dine Alone, Fat Cat, Epitaph/Anti, Greyscale, Resist, Run For Cover, SideOneDummy, Thirty Tigers and Triple Crown Records.