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Artist News Business News Deals Digital Industry People Labels & Publishers Live Business One Liners Releases
One Liners: Arctic Monkeys, Sony/ATV, Downtown, more
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 29 October 2020
DEALS
Ninja Tune has signed Black Country, New Road and will release the band’s debut album, ‘For The First Time’, on 5 Feb 2021. “This [album] is basically representative of our first eighteen months”, says frontman Isaac Wood. “I’ve always been interested in a really honest portrayal of what a band is and what they’ve been working on. I think it’s really nice if people can see an artist like: this was them in the early days, this was their next phase, and that they’re quite clear and honest about genuine progression as people and musicians”.
Sony/ATV has signed singer-songwriter Nomcebo Zikode to a worldwide publishing deal. “I’m THRILLED that Nomcebo has decided to join Sony/ATV”, says the publisher’s International President Guy Henderson. “A wonderful songwriter with a great voice, Nomcebo has co-written one of the top global hits of 2020. As a South African overseeing Sony/ATV’s international companies around the world, it gives me an added THRILL that my team will be able to work not only on a South African penned global hit like ‘Jerusalema’, but on all the other songs that Nomcebo has written”.
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APPOINTMENTS
Sony/ATV has promoted John Pire to the role of EVP Global Business Development. “John has been instrumental in creating opportunities for Sony/ATV’s songwriters and expanding our business worldwide”, says CEO Jon Platt. “I’m pleased to recognise his many contributions as a leader with this well-deserved promotion, and I look forward to working with him on a variety of new ventures”.
Downtown has made a number of changes to its executive team. Former CEO of CD Baby, which Downtown acquired in March last year, Tracy Maddux, becomes the wider company’s Chief Commercial Officer. Meanwhile, Amber Charania joins as Legal Counsel, Dean Luck is in as International Controller, and Joel Andrew becomes President of CD Baby.
The UK’s Association Of Independent Music has appointed five new board members: Domino’s Clare Mckinney, Stones Throw’s Maya Kalev, MIC Records’ Nicole Mckenzie, !K7’s Rachael Patterson, and Cooking Vinyl’s Suzanne Lachapelle. The trade body has also announced a new free associate membership tier for all and any self-releasing artists and smaller record labels that utilise the services of AIM’s distributor members. More info here.
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LIVE BUSINESS
Ticketing app Dice has launched in India. Needless to say, its initial focus is the delivery and ticketing of livestreamed shows in the country, something it’s been doing elsewhere in the world since April when the COVID shutdown resulted in a spike in interest in all things livestreaming. The firm’s lead in India, Arnav Banerjee, adds: “Dice’s long term aim in India is to build a more sustainable live industry to help venues, promoters and artists thrive”.
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RELEASES
Arctic Monkeys have announced that they will release new live album, ‘Live At The Albert Hall’, on 4 Dec. All proceeds from the release will be donated to War Child – as was income from the show, when it was performed in June 2018.
Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones has announced that he will release his new solo album, ‘Don’t Let The Devil Take Another Day’, on 4 Dec. The album features reworks of Stereophonics songs and previously released solo tracks, plus a cover of Kris Kristofferson’s ‘Help Me Make It Through The Night’, which is the album’s first single.
Karen O and Willie Nelson have released a cover of Queen’s ‘Under Pressure’. “I’ve heard this song countless times without processing the gravity of what Bowie and Freddie were singing about, maybe because their performances are so exhilarating you get swept away in the high of that duet”, says Karen O. “Our cover was meant to be more intimate but just as saturated with the power of love”.
Taio Cruz has released new single ‘2020’. “I decided to write a story where 2020 is imagined to be a real person, with zero empathy who revels in chaos”, he says. “Conceptually one might think of the Grinch’s disdain of all things fun, coupled with the flippant narcissistic poise of Mary Poppins. 2020 walks in like they own the place, and promptly fucks shit up”.
Rhye has announced that he will release new album, ‘Home’, on 22 Jan 2021. From it, this is new single ‘Black Rain’.
Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily – updated every Friday.
