News August 16, 2017

triple j’s Like A Version to be released in America

Briggs and Paul Kelly

Australia’s much-loved triple j Like A Version series will receive a US release next month.

Licensed locally up until now, Metropolitan Groove Merchants (MGM) will release the first record in North America on September 22.

The 21-track release, which will include Tame Impala’s cover of Kylie Minogue’s ‘Confide In Me’ and DMA’s cover of ‘Believe’ (by Cher), was made possible through MGM’s recent partnership with ABC Music.

Inked last July, the deal was created to give MGM the rights to distribute the label’s releases across North America.

Steered by MGM’s Michael Chase, who runs the Nashville operations, the deal gives two of Australia’s largest indie labels direct access and control over their releases within North America.

“MGM has always developed and worked with management companies and bands to develop their careers,” Michael Chase told TIO. “[triple j] is an important part of the development
process in Australia which aids what we’re doing here and tells us if something can work in the
market.”

MGM has had a US presence since 2014, having distributed US releases for local artists such as The Church, The Vines, San Cisco, The Jezabels, Sticky Fingers and C.W. Stoneking.

Until now though, Like A Version had been Australia’s most clever Madonna pun for local distribution only.

With acts such as Halsey, Mark Ronson, alt-J, Lorde, The Kooks, Mumford & Sons, Chvrches, The Wombats and Childish Gambino appearing in the triple j studio in Sydney, the series has grown from a small radio segment in 2005 to a local bucket list tour spot for international acts.

In a statement released by triple j today, the national youth broadcaster said:

“It wasn’t long before we all realised this wasn’t just a run-of-the-mill idea though. There was something a little more special about Like A Version. It stayed fun, but it also got a LOT bigger – it now sits in the station’s most popular time slot – during our Breakfast shift every Friday morning. To say it’s become a national institution is perhaps hyperbole. But we’ll say that and challenge you to prove us wrong.”