APPOINTMENTS
SoundCloud has hired Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood as Chief Content And Marketing Officer. She joins from distribution company UnitedMasters, where she was President. "I'm proud to join the SoundCloud team as it redefines how artists, particularly those who are independent, grow and thrive in the modern music industry and how the next generation of fans experience music and entertainment", she says.
LABELS & PUBLISHERS
IMPALA, the pan-European organisation for the independent music community, has announced a diversity and inclusion survey for the European music industry, mapping best practices, local developments and relevant projects. "We ask all independents across Europe to complete our survey so we can collect useful data and share best practices within Europe", says IMPALA Executive Chair Helen Smith. "There is no one-size-fits-all strategy to tackle diversity issues, each territory needs to adapt according to their own situation". Find out more and complete the survey here.
RELEASES
A new Florence And The Machine song, titled 'Call Me Cruella', will feature on the soundtrack of new Disney movie 'Cruella'. Here's a clip. "Some of the first songs I ever learned how to sing were Disney songs", says Florence Welch. "And the villains often got the best numbers. So to help create and perform a song for 'Cruella' is the fulfilment of a long held childhood dream". The full soundtrack album is out on 21 May.
Skrillex has released new track 'Butterflies', featuring Four Tet and Starrah.
St Vincent has released new single 'Down'. Her new album, 'Daddy's Home', is out this week.
Donovan has released new single 'I Am The Shaman'. The track is produced by David Lynch, who also directed its video.
Asbjørn has released new single 'Young Dumb Crazy', taken from his new album 'Boyology'. The song, he says, is written to himself from the perspective of an ex-boyfriend. "I put all the things into the song that I wished he would have said to me", he says. "As I wrote the song, I realised the double-perspective, the irony and my own hypocrisy".