DEALS
👀
Warner Music’s Atlantic Records in the UK and talent agency EYC have partnered on new label EYC Records. "I am extremely happy about the launch of EYC Records - a platform to develop the acts we believe in, facilitate brand partnerships in our field of expertise and push our creative visions to the next level”, says EYC boss Cora Delaney. The label’s first signing is Betty, whose latest single is ‘Take Me Under’.
🥷
Glass Beams have signed to Ninja Tune and will release their new EP ‘Mahal’ through the label on 22 Mar. Watch a live performance of the title track here.
APPOINTMENTS
🌕
Former MTV and Spotify exec Courtney Holt has joined children's entertainment company Moonbug Entertainment as the company’s first Global Head Of Music And Strategic Audio Initiatives. “I look forward to collaborating with our talented team to explore new opportunities, forge strategic partnerships and push the boundaries of what is possible”, he says. “As a parent, I am inspired by the work Moonbug has been doing to produce great and inspirational content for kids”.
🇫🇷
Wise Music Group has appointed Thomas Jamois as Managing Director of Wise Music France. “It's an honour to serve such a prestigious catalogue owned by a family group”, he says. “The nobility and diversity of the repertoire, combined with the international network, enable us to anticipate with confidence and creativity the challenges that our profession is constantly facing”.
🫀
PULSE Records has hired Tim Glover as President of A&R. He joins from Universal Music’s Interscope Geffen A&M. "The PULSE team is synonymous with artist creativity, artist development, building a strong creative community, and they go out of their way to customise their A&R strategies to the unique needs of each and every artist”, he says. “I'm honoured and excited to join the team, and I look forward to big things ahead”.
LEGAL
💼
The US Fifth Circuit Appeals Court has ruled against musician Kirk Johnston, who claims that Nickelback’s 2005 track ‘Rockstar’ ripped off a song he had written for his band Snowblind Revival with the same title four years earlier. The judges agreed with an earlier ruling that both songs reference well-known cliches but are not “strikingly similar” otherwise.
MEDIA
👋
Jordan North is to replace Roman Kemp as host of Capital Radio's breakfast show, having announced his departure from BBC Radio 1 last week. "Getting to host Capital Breakfast has always been a dream of mine and it's a once in a lifetime opportunity that I simply couldn't turn down”, he says. Kemp’s final show will air at the end of March.
🪰
McFly’s Danny Jones and Tom Fletcher are to become judges on the next series of ‘The Voice UK’, replacing Olly Murs. Just Olly Murs? Yes, in the latest BBC cost-cutting measure, they’re going to have to share a chair. They also had to issue a joint statement, saying in unison, “To be making ‘The Voice UK’ history as the first ever double chair combo is going to be epic and we're both ready for the challenge”. Also new on the show is LeAnne Rimes, who is replacing Anne-Marie. Still holding in there are Tom Jones and Will.i.am.
RESEARCH
✨
The Innovation Hub of UK record industry trade group BPI has been rebranded as BPI Insight & Innovation with the aim of expanding its focus on future trends, data and analysis within the UK’s recorded music industry. It will officially launch at SXSW in March, and the same month will release the first episode of innovatively named new podcast ‘The BPI Innovation Podcast’.
AWARDS
🎤
Oh what, you thought all the performers for this year’s BRIT Awards had been announced? How wrong you were. No one had told us that Tate McRae is going to do it. She is the last performer to be announced though. So the full list is as follows: Becky Hill and Chase & Status, Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding, Dua Lipa, Jungle, Kylie Minogue, Raye and Rema. Oh, and Tate McRae. It’s on 2 Mar.
GIGS & FESTIVALS
🌠
Nadine Shah has announced that she will play the Kentish Town Forum in London on 22 Nov. Her new album ‘Filthy Underneath’ is out tomorrow.
RELEASES
🔫
Machine Gun Kelly has released new single ‘Don’t Let Me Go’.
🇮🇹
Jack Savoretti has announced that he will release his first Italian language album ‘Miss Italia’ on 10 May. Out now is first single ‘Senza Una Donna (Without A Woman)’ featuring Zucchero - a cover of the song Zucchero originally recorded with Paul Young in 1991.
📺
Perfume Genius has released a cover of ‘What A Difference A Day Makes’, taken from Jack Antonoff’s soundtrack to Apple TV+ series ‘The New Look’.
👠
Richard Hawley will release new album ‘In This City They Call You Love’ on 31 May. Out now is new single ‘Two For His Heels’.
🌎
Allie X has released new single ‘Weird World’. Her new album ‘Girl With No Face’ is out tomorrow.
🌆
Bodega have released new single ‘City Is Taken’. Their new album ‘Our Brand Could Be Yr Life’ is out on 12 Apr.
🌤️
USA Nails have released new single ‘The Sun In The Sands’. New album ‘Feel Worse’ is out on 22 Mar.