The Wombats sign recording, publishing deals, with Kobalt

With their next album Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life set for release in February, The Wombats have been putting their ducks in a row.

The band has assigned its recording and publishing to Kobalt.

The band’s three earlier albums were released in Australia through Warner Music.

The deal covers digital and physical distribution, global marketing and campaign coordination, and sync licensing.

The publishing pact is also set up to facilitate singer Matthew “Murph” Murphy as a songwriter for other artists.

Paul Hitchman, President of Kobalt Music Recordings, said: “We are all very excited about the new Wombats record.

“ It may just be the best of their career so far and we are proud that the band and their team chose Kobalt as their partner for their first independent release.

“We look forward to working in partnership with the band and their management on a very creative campaign for the record.”

The Wombats toured Australia this year, and next year will be focussing on the northern hemisphere.

Between January 9 and 31 they’re locked in for 16 shows in the United States.

Through March they do 13 UK dates, before returning for more North American shows in June and July with The Pixies and Weezer.

They’ve just released a new single ‘Lemon To A Knife Fight.

Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life was written in three parts of the world.

Murphy now lives in Los Angeles, bassist Tord Øverland Knudsen in Oslo, and drummer Dan Haggis in London.

They used producers Mark Crew (Bastille, Rag’n’Bone Man) and Catherine Marks (Wolf Alice) to push the envelope musically.

Murphy said, “I wanted to make an album that had more swagger, was a bit more laid back, something that wasn’t punching you in the face every time you listen to it.

“On every level, musically and interpersonally, we’re much closer.”

Murphy first spoke about his new home in Los Angeles on the band’s 2015 album Glitterbug.

It had a Top 5 debut in the US and UK and generated over 200 million streams.