Sony Music signs Busby Marou and Jerome Farah, strikes deals with NOiZE, Milk & Honey

Sony Music Entertainment Australia has cut a string of new partnerships and is beefing up its domestic roster, adding multiple APRA Award winners Busby Marou and rising hip-hop star Jerome Farah to its artist stable.

Busby Marou, the Queensland roots pair of Thomas Busby and Jeremy Marou, sign to Sony Music following the release late last year of The Great Divide, their fourth studio album which debuted at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart and No. 1 on Vinyl Albums Chart.

Many feel the duo are yet to hit their peak, with Canada emerging as a buzzing market for their style of melodic folk.

Busby Marou

To date, they’ve bagged three APRA Awards, and led the ARIA Albums Chart with 2017’s Postcards from the Shell House.

“We’ve been watching the success of the Sony Music team from afar,” Busby and Marou say in a statement.

“Joining the family has re-ignited our passion and we’re absolutely pumped to begin a new journey with Sony Music. It really does feel like the stars have aligned for the much-needed inspiration and direction we know they will bring to the Busby Marou team.”

The group will soon release new music ahead of a fifth studio album.

Sony Music Australia

The Sydney-based major music company has also welcomed Farah on board.

An artist on the rise, Farah was among the big winners at the 2020 Virtual APRA Awards, taking home Most Performed Australian Work and Most Performed Alternative Work for his co-writing contribution on KIAN’s ‘Waiting,’ the No. 20 entry on triple j’s 2019 Hottest 100.

Jerome Farah

The son of a Lebanese father and a Zimbabwean mother, the singer, songwriter and producer is the architect for works by Kaiit, Adrian Eagle, Baker Boy and others, and he’s working on a debut album, due out later next year.

In other business news, Sony Music has forged a partnership with Medium Rare Recordings, the first fruits of which will be the release of Stace Cadet’s ‘Energy’ featuring KLP.

Stace Cadet and KLP

Meanwhile, Sony Music has struck a joint venture label deal with Jarrad Rogers’ NOiZE Recordings, and announced ASHWARYA as the label’s first signing.

ASHWARYA

And finally, the music giant has renewed its partnership with Los Angeles-based songwriting and management firm Milk & Honey, whose writing team is credited on 400 million records sold globally.

Originally signed in 2017, the pact has enabled Milk & Honey’s writers to work closely with Sony Music’s Australian and New Zealand roster, leading to hits like Guy Sebastian’s 2019 ARIA Song Of The Year ‘Choir’ and the songs ‘Start Again’ and ‘Changing’ from Conrad Sewell’s chart-topping debut album, Life.

During lockdown, those international collaborations are kicking on as virtual songwriting sessions.

“From the moment we discussed a partnership with Denis and Pat [Handlin], as part of our international business at Milk & Honey,” notes Milk & Honey President, Lucas Keller, “I knew we would do great things together.

“I’m incredibly passionate about the Australian music market and culture, and love Denis and Pat’s vision for Sony Music Australia and the future. After multiple top-charting records, and multiple trips sending our top U.S.-based songwriters and producers to Sydney, we’ve had some great moments and we look forward to many years to come of this great relationship.”

Denis Handlin

The flurry of deals are a sign of Sony Music’s ongoing commitment to “supporting and promoting incredible local talent,” reads a statement issued to TIO.

“Talent is at the core of everything we do at Sony Music, and we as a company are exceptionally proud to announce these exciting signings as we continue to invest in and foster incredible Australian artists,” comments Denis Handlin AO, Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment Australia and New Zealand.

“It is an absolute pleasure to welcome these new signings to the Sony Music family and we look forward to working with them to take each of their unique artistic visions to music fans.”

Sony Music also shared an update on the Artists Unite For Fire Fight: Concert For National Bushfire Relief charity album release, which started at No. 1 on the national chart earlier in the year and has settled in the ARIA Top 40 for 12 weeks.

Since dropping on March 13, the compilation, which features live recordings from every artist who performed at historic Feb. 16 Fire Fight Australia concert, has raised more than $320,000 for good causes.

Sony Music will donate all proceeds from the 23-track album to Sony Foundation Australia to support young Australians in bushfire affected communities.

“We are very humbled by the success of the Fire Fight charity album,” adds Handlin, “and a special thank you again to the Australian public, the artists and our partners that have made the album such a resounding success, with significant funds raised for those who are very much still in need.”

The double-set features live recordings of Amy Shark, Grinspoon, Conrad Sewell, Hilltop Hoods, 5 Seconds Of Summer, Queen + Adam Lambert, John Farnham & Olivia Newton-John and others, and is available only buy on CD or downloads, to maximise donations.

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.