Universal Music's EMI division has announced the launch of EMI North, based out of the good old North of England. And why the hell not? I went there once. It's nice. Well, it's not not nice.
“I’m delighted to finally open the doors to EMI North with a very simple goal: to support and invest in local talent, helping them to find new audiences and build their businesses”, says Clive Cawley, who is President of the new imprint, which will be run out of Duke Studios in Leeds.
The aim of EMI North is to discover and connect with music talent in the North of England, while also providing regional opportunities for those looking to work in the industry. “We have been overwhelmed by the reaction from the creative community in Leeds and beyond and are raring to go", Cawley adds.
Confirming the new Northern venture, EMI Co-Presidents Rebecca Allen and Jo Charrington say: “Discovering and nurturing new talent from right across the UK is the lifeblood of what we do and there’s nobody better than Clive to be at the helm of this exciting new chapter for our historic label".
Lovely stuff. By the way, I'm from the North, so that flippancy in the first sentence is all fine. Well, I'm from Cheshire. Newcastle people tell me that's the Midlands. But it's definitely the North. I mean, I grew up watching Granada telly, and that makes you Northern. Yorkshire TV and Tyne Tees also qualifies you.