The Chemical Brothers, aka the electronic musical duo comprising of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons, have made the move to “consolidate their entire publishing catalog at BMG,” per the rights management company’s press release.
The UK-based duo’s first seven albums — beginning with 1995’s “Exit Planet Dust” — will be represented by BMG, effective immediately. The pair were previously working with Universal Music Publishing Group but were signed to a futures deal at BMG in 2015.
Said Robert Linney, Chemical Brothers’ manager, in a statement: “This is a significant year for the Chemical Brothers with a new album coming and substantial live activity at festivals and with a UK arena tour. BMG is very proactive, and we get the attention we need. We are delighted to further extend our relationship with BMG.”
+ Concord has acquired a portion of the music publishing catalog of Tom Higgenson, the songwriter and frontman of the Plain White T’s. The agreement includes the band’s biggest commercial hit, “Hey There Delilah,” and other tracks including “A Lonely September,” “Take Me Away,” and “Radios in Heaven.”
“Hey There Delilah’ is literally sung, hummed, or lip-synced in every corner of the world,” said Steve Salm, Concord’s chief business development officer. “We are excited to have made this acquisition which now gives Concord ownership in both the recording and underlying composition of this evergreen song.”
Released as a single on their RIAA Gold-certified album, “Every Second Counts” in 2007, “Hey There Delilah” went on to earn Plain White T’s two Grammy nominations and hit to No. 1 in eight countries between 2007-2008.
On the song catalog acquisition and ongoing partnership with Fearless Records, Higgenson stated, “I’m very grateful for the relationship I have built with the Concord and Fearless teams, and I’m excited to move forward into the future with them.” Higgenson was represented by his longtime attorney Scott Bradford of Selverne Bradford, PLLC.
+ WME has brought on Josh Javor to join the agency’s London office as partner and co-head of London’s music department. Javor will report to and work hand-in-hand with Lucy Dickins, WME’s global head of contemporary music and touring.
“Josh has not only built a roster of artists that shape music, he’s also been an integral part of building the international touring industry as we know it today,” said Dickins. “With Josh coming on board, our London office is doubling down on being the leading team in the region and on the international stage.”
Added Javor, “Steve Strange and I built an incredible business at X-Ray over the last 18 years through teamwork and passion for our artists. I’m excited to start this next chapter at WME and to continue this legacy with the team in London and across the world.”
Javor comes from X-Ray Touring where, for the last 17 years, he has helped shape the careers of artists including Coldplay, Eminem, Queens of the Stone Age, Phoebe Bridgers, Modest Mouse and Snow Patrol. Working with new and emerging artists to stadium and festival headliners, Javor has also represented such artists as Alice in Chains, Boygenius, Jimmy Eat World, Cigarettes After Sex and Jenny Lewis, among many others.
+ Ntertain Studios and music label Neon16, led by Latin hitmaker Tainy and Lex Borrero, have announced an expansion of their partnership with the NFL for the 2023 season.
Now in its third year, the collaboration will include a multimedia content series featuring music and artists from Neon16 (roster includes Tainy, Alvaro Diaz, the RudeBoyz, etc.) as well as custom social video content.
“Music is a leading passion point for Latinos, and we feel this partnership is an ideal platform for celebrating our Latino players and connecting more deeply with our fans,” said Javier Farfan, a cultural strategist at the NFL. “This content series brings together the commonalities of artists and athletes and their inspirational stories from humble beginnings, as they reach the top of their careers and their goal of stardom. Working with Ntertain and Neon16 allows us to authentically tell these stories with the creative vision of tastemakers at the forefront of Latino culture, music and entertainment.”
“We loved the concept of having our artists collaborate with Latino NFL players to create something as unique as an original song,” said Borrero. “While both share Latino heritage, we know that artists and athletes also share a common drive to succeed, the talent to shine and the work ethic to thrive in their respective careers. Unifying these traits and the mutual love and respect for music has led to some incredible art that we can’t wait to share with fans this season.”
In addition to the multimedia content series featuring NFL Latino players, Rmand is one of three Neon16 artists to feature in this year’s NFL Shop commercial, also scored by a Neon16 beat, along with fellow emerging stars Alex Ponce and Nashy-Nashai. They will produce four tracks exclusively for the NFL and its 32 clubs to use as part of their soundtrack to the 2023 season.
+ Kobalt has promoted Alaine Fulton to VP of creative and clearance synch. In her role, Fulton will oversee the London-based synch team, including strategy across synch functions in creative, clearance and licensing administration. Fulton was previously the director of UK-based creative and clearance synch.
“It’s a privilege to be part of a company that places paramount importance on impeccable customer service to its clients,” said Fulton. “During my professional career, I have yet to encounter a more dedicated and hardworking team than the Kobalt Global Synch team. Our ongoing commitment to finding the very best opportunities for our clients is second to none. I look forward to bringing a unique and fresh perspective to the business whilst motivating the team toward achieving great results. I want to thank Rob and Kobalt for giving me this opportunity to step up and lead the team. We work with an incredible roster of talent, and I am passionate about showcasing their art every day.”
In the past year, Fulton has negotiated and closed deals with Samsung, Lexus, and the new Greta Gerwid-directed “Barbie” film, amongst others. On the music front, she’s worked on campaigns for songs from the Pussycat Dolls (“Don’t Cha”) and the Kid Laroi (“Forever & Again”).
Tuesday, Aug. 16
Elektra Entertainment has elevated Jacob Fain to the role of executive vice president and head of A&R. Fain will continue to work out of Los Angeles and report to Elektra President Gregg Nadel.
After joining Elektra in 2020, Fain signed country star Bailey Zimmerman to the Warner Music Group label. He previously held a publishing role at Sony Music Publishing and also signed Grammy-winning artists such as the Chainsmokers and Leon Bridges, as well as Of Monsters and Men, Russ, and Chase Rice, among others.
“Jake is a standout A&R with incredible, creative instincts shaped by years of experience,” said Nadel. “He has an innate ability to form genuine, meaningful relationships and has helped our artists at every stage of their career articulate their vision and surpass their potential. I’m thrilled for him to take on this much-deserved new post.”
Prior to Sony Music Publishing, Fain worked in A&R at Republic Records and marketing at RCA Records.
+ We Are Moving the Needle has appointed Skye Landgraf as its first director of partnerships and programs. The announcement was made today by Emily Lazar, We Are Moving the Needle’s founder.
Based out of Washington, D.C., Landgraf will spearhead the growth of WAMTN through the expansion of its core programs, including WAMTN’s Scholarships Program and College/University Chapters, as well as its annual Fix The Mix Report. Skye will also work to expand WAMTN’s institutional partnerships.
“In just two short years, WAMTN has already made a difference in the careers of women and non-binary individuals pursuing careers behind the boards, but we still have much work to do,” said Lazar. “Bringing in Skye, whose decade of experience in the nonprofit world, deep knowledge of music, and commitment to gender inclusivity and equity, will allow us to make an even bigger impact on our industry.”
Landgraf joins We Are Moving The Needle with experience as a non-profit leader with more than a decade of experience in fundraising. She also served as the director of institutional advancement for the American Association of University Women, as well as the associate director of foundation relations at George Washington University.
+ Oak View Group has tapped Ade Patton to direct and oversee their global finances as chief financial officer. Patton joins from his previous post as chief financial officer of HBO Max/Global DTC at Warner Bros. Discovery and previously held investment management roles at Millennium Management LLC and Citadel LLC.
Said Tim Leiweke, OVG’s chairman/CEO, “I’m pleased that ADE will be joining OVG as our new Chief Financial Officer. He is a seasoned financial executive who has helped lead world-class companies, and I look forward to having him on our team to help guide OVG’s continued strategic and sustainable growth at scale.”
“I am both proud and excited to join [OVG],” added Paton. “We truly have an opportunity to transform the sports, live entertainment, and hospitality industries globally, and I am eager to join the world-class management team that Tim and Irving Azoff have assembled.”
+ The Society Management has signed bassist Blu DeTiger to a new representation deal for her future fashion endeavors. Her music-related releases and ventures will remain under the purview of Alt Vision.
Blu released her debut EP “How Did We Get Here?” in 2020 and has since racked up over 120 million global streams to date. She has toured with acts such as Sabrina Carpenter and Charlie Puth. She’s also performed with Dominic Fike, Caroline Polachek, Chromeo, Bleachers and Fletcher and was also featured as a special guest in Olivia Rodrigo’s “Driving Home 2 U” film on Disney+.
“I’m so excited to be working with the Society family! I’m very passionate about the fashion and beauty world and I’m really looking forward to expanding and exploring this side of me,” said Blu. “Some of the most inspiring talent is on the Society roster and it’s an honor to be able to join them.”
+ The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) has hired Melissa White, as director of membership, and Jasmine Lopez-Alvarez as marketing manager. In their new roles, White will oversee A2IM’s label relations and membership engagement strategy, while Lopez-Alvarez will manage marketing initiatives and work to expand membership.
“We are delighted to welcome Melissa White as Director of Membership and Jasmine Lopez-Alvarez as Marketing Manager. Their experience and passion for independent music will play a crucial role in developing our reach and furthering our mission,” said Richard James Burgess, CEO of A2IM.
White got her start as an executive assistant at Tommy Boy label and Tracklib, the online marketplace for sample clearance. At Tracklib, she was promoted to music catalog director. Lopez-Alvarez is the founder of multimedia platform UnPeeled and was a marketing manager for the San Francisco music venue Bottom of the Hill.
+ Tom Becci has joined Concord in the newly created role of chief executive. He will oversee Concord’s entire recorded music division, inclusive of global frontline label and catalog operations.
“Having admired the work of Concord for years, I am thrilled to join this incredible company,” says Becci. “It is abundantly clear that the Label Group’s passionate, dedicated team works day in and day out in service of its artists and has built something truly unique. With the help of the label presidents, the entire Concord staff, and inimitable artists like Pierce the Veil, Killer Mike, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Allison Russell, and so, so many more, I can’t wait to continue building on what has been established and usher Concord Label Group into a new era.”
Becci got his start in the music business as the manager of special projects for EMI North America and comes to Concord with over 30 years of industry experience, most recently a seven-and-a-half-year tenure at Red Light Management.
While at Red Light, he developed the artist roster to include Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Lady A, Sam Hunt, Chris Stapleton, and more. Prior to Red Light, Becci was the COO of Universal Music Group Nashville and was responsible for the signing of the Brothers Osborne.
From Variety US
