December 2008
ABC MUSIC PUBLISHING
Andrew Morris, (The Wilson Pickers) has his own new solo album together with its release planned for the New Year. Needs & Wants, Andrew’s fourth album, follows on beautifully from his Union Bars CD. www.andrewmorris.com.au
Beccy Cole, just returned from Europe and the UK, is completing material for her much-awaited next album, building on her songwriting success from Poster Girl and Lifeboat. Beccy’s Live @ Lizotte’s DVD/CD continues to be a high performer as does the singer/songwriter herself who has been successfully touring Australia as a solo artist as well as part of The Songbirds with Sara Storer and Gina Jeffreys. www.beccycole.com
Rod Auld, has written and produced his first solo album Four Walls & A View. Rod’s song “Back To You” from the current Jonah’s Road album was featured in Neighbours (performed by Dean Geyer). Rob’s band, Jonah’s Road, is also on tour performing at sell out shows around the country with Australian music legend, Jon English. www.jonahsroad.com.au
Songwriter Bob Pigott has released Songs About Us - a CD of his favourite songs along with a fun ‘bonus’ story, “How I Didn’t Become The King of Pop”.
ALBERT MUSIC
Ohad Rein (aka Old Man River) has signed an exclusive publishing agreement with Albert Music. Ohad has had local and international success with his debut album Good Morning spawning the singles “La” and “Sunshine”
Ohad was recently in the Albert Studios recording his version of “Music Goes Round My Head” for the Easyfever Project. www.oldmanrivermusic.com
Scotsman Ed McGuire, had been busking and backpacking around the world, then found life was good in Australia and has settled here to write and record his music. Now signed to Albert Music for a publishing and recording deal, Ed’s debut album is in the works for 2009. www.myspace.com/edmcguire
Shelley Harland originates from the UK but found her musical muse while living in NY for six years. Following a move to Australia, Shelley has created a wealth of original and collaborative works. Now signed with Albert Music for the world Shelley is in the final stages of completing her debut album. The single “Wonder” is being prepared for release. www.harlandmusic.com
Born in PNG, raised in Brisbane, now based in Melbourne – 22 year old Megan Washington has signed an exclusive publishing agreement with Albert Music. Megan has recorded her debut EP due for release at the end of 2008. Having toured with Old Man River, Ben Lee and Paul Grabowsky, Megan also won the Best Female singer at the 2008 Bell Awards. myspace.com/meganwashington
The Easyfever Project combines 20 cover versions of songs originally recorded by The Easybeats and Stevie Wright. Albert Music Studios were running hot for months as many of Australia’s leading contemporary artists recorded their versions of Vanda, Young and Wright’s compositions.
The result is a fitting tribute to one of Australia’s greatest pioneer bands and a fresh contemporary look at the songs that made the music go round our heads.
www.myspace.com/easyfever08
FINTAGE PUBLISHING
Jason Mraz’s hit single “I’m Yours” is featuring in Channel Seven’s new series Packed to the Rafters. Norman Parkhill of InSync Music Services was music supervisor for the series. The San Diego-based troubadour is published by Fintage Publishing and is a regular visitor to Australia. His August tour was a sell out.
Fintage also recently did a deal with Nicky Chinn for "You Must Have Had A Broken Heart" (Nicky Chinn/Jorgen Elofsson) sung by Westlife. Fintage Publishing & Collection Australia B.V. also welcomes The Gaslight Anthem to its roster of clients.
HILLSONG PUBLISHING
In September, Hillsong Publishing presented CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing International) with a plaque commemorating over 10 years of partnership. CCLI license over 300,000 churches around the world for music reproduction, representing in excess of 200,000 songs. Hillsong currently have 25% of the Top 500 songs licensed through CCLI in Australia.
Hillsong also recently achieved RIAA Gold status in the USA on their “Best of” compilation Shout To The Lord – Platinum.
Hillsong writer Mia Fieldes, has seen recent success in the USA, with the album Today Is The Day by Integrity Music artist, Lincoln Brewster. Mia co-wrote five of the ten songs with Lincoln. The album debuted at #2 on Billboard Top Christian & Gospel Albums chart.
MUSHROOM MUSIC PUBLISHING
Mushroom Music has just signed emerging indigenous artist Dan Sultan and co-writer Scott Wilson. Coined as “the Black Elvis”, this smooth hip shaker plays soul, R’n’B and horn-addled disheveled blues; with a big set of lungs and a whole lotta soul. Since releasing independent album Homemade Biscuits in 2006, Sultan has extensively worked the festival circuit, toured with John Butler Trio and The Waifs, played in Ireland and the UK and was a unforgettable contribution to Kev Carmody’s Cannot Buy My Soul stage show. Sultan is soon playing Meredith Music festival and is also due to have a role in forthcoming Australian feature film Bran Nu Dae. Mushroom looks forward to spreading the word about this amazing talent far and wide.
A mightily impressive roll call of rockers will join Neil Finn for an as-yet-untitled studio project, Billboard reports. Many of the guests will also join the Crowded House genius for a series of live shows. Neil's quite famous son Liam will be there in the studio with his dad, along with Radiohead's Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway; Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, John Stirrat, Glenn Kotche and Pat Sansone; Smiths' legend Johnny Marr; Soul Sebastian Steinberg, plus the great Lisa Germano. Except for the boys from Wilco, those aforementioned artists all collaborated with Neil on the 2002 live set, Seven Worlds Collide. And just to make this delicious project even better, all proceeds from the new musical adventure will go to a good cause - Oxfam.
Mushroom Music have recently inked some of Australia’s finest offerings including synthetic pop/futurist house masters Cut Copy, international drum and bass sensations Pendulum, iconic dark knight Rowland S Howard and local hip-hop innovators Downsyde.
Mushroom have also harvested a fresh crop of homegrown talent with new Nash Chambers protégé, Matt Joe Gow, and visionary producer Noam Dishon (Bliss N Eso’s Flying Colours ). Californian Americana/soul hybrid The Delta Spirit and Chris Shifflet’s Foo Fighters side project Jackson United are both recent inductees to our direct international catalogue.
Our notably active TV and film department have flowed through high volumes of Mushroom music to our exclusive programs - Home and Away, Neighbours, Top Gear and Out of the Blue; in addition to obtaining key syncs in new series Packed to the Rafters, City Homicide, Battlefronts and The Strip. Our licensing team has also secured a significant Heineken campaign for Chris Knox in the US, while Paris Wells and Josh Pyke are benefiting from the exposure of their respective Myer and 3 Mobile ads.
NATIVE TONGUE
Native Tongue welcomes new signing Gin Wigmore. Gin’s recent showcases in New York, San Francisco and LA resulted in Universal/Motown signing on to release her debut release Extended Play throughout North America. The EP is currently available in Australia through Island Records.
New Zealand singer/songwriter Steve Abel has also joined the Native Tongue stable. His second album Flax Happy is out now and features guest vocals from Jolie Holland and Anika Moa.
Native Tongue and Boomtown Records have teamed up to sign Brisbane screamo act The Amity Affliction. Their debut album ‘Severed Ties’ was released in October and charted #26 at ARIA.
Cut Off Your Hands have released their debut album You And I through Inertia and are set to play a bunch of Summer festivals to promote the release including Falls, Southbound and Laneway.
Native Tongue has recently landed two placements for Brisbane rock band Black Mustang in Channel 10’s hit series Californication. “The One” and “Little Box” will feature in Series Two.
The hit single “Where the City Meets the Sea” by Melbourne rockers The Getaway Plan has been placed into Australian feature film Prey starring Natalie Bassingthwaighte. “Entr’acte” by The Getaway Plan will also feature in Channel 7’s hit drama City Homicide as will music by Ford Turrell and Black Mustang.
Native Tongue have also secured placements for Seether and Papa Roach in Australian feature film Crush starring Chris Egan, Minuit in Brisbane feature film Storage and The Jesus & Mary Chain in Australian surf movie Bombora.
Native Tongue has gained Brunettes member Jonathan Bree the job of scoring new South Pacific Pictures TV series, The Go Girls. David Long is scoring Weta Digital's children’s series The Wotwots and Gibson Group's teen series Paradise Café.
Don McGlashan has written the score for Dean Spanley a UK/NZ feature film starring Peter O'Toole and Sam Neill.
SHOCK MUSIC PUBLISHING (SMP)
Darwin based singer-songwriter Leah Flanagan has signed a global deal with Shock Music Publishing. Leah has had an exciting couple of years, winning several awards and performing locally and overseas. Leah's new album will be released through Vitamin in October.
SMP has recently signed two very talented Sydney bands: Talons have created a sizeable amount of interest, notching up some significant supports and festival appearances. They are currently working on their first full length album. Punk Rock Brotherhood, Fait Accompli has spent much the first half of 2008 finalising their new EP 666.
Also recently signed to a world deal is Ricki-Lee Coulter. Five Top 10 singles across two Gold albums, International releases in the UK, Europe and Japan and a commitment to song writing will see Ricki-Lee continue to grow as a writer and artist globally.
Sleep Parade have emerged with one of the best debut albums of the year - Things Can Always Change. Produced by Melbourne-based auteur, Forrester Savell, the record is musically ambitious, immaculately crafted, and sonically sublime.
Mz Ann Thropik has been playing Australia-wide for six years. Starting off as a punk rock riot girl band, shifting through heavy rock influences and adding a little sassy gothabilly, followed by a twist of pop, she's become her own sound. Currently in the studio finishing her debut album, Mz Ann Thropik headlined the Under the Blue Moon festival in Newtown in October.
New signings: alt-country roots rockers The Jolenes, HipHop pioneers Def Wish Cast , film composer Maurice D'Abbruzo , Sasha Ion, and film/TV/jingle composers Sam, Jamie & Sean Fonti (Caligula, Primary).
Other news: agreement signed with Casablanca Media Publishing, Canada, for representation of SMP local writers works, both publishing and masters. German/UK publisher Element Music sign to SMP for Australia/NZ.
SHOUT! PUBLISHING
SHOUT! PUBLISHING is pleased to announce the recent signing of Luke Munns, front man and song writer for local Sydney band, LUKAS. (Photo attached). SHOUT! is looking forward to working with Luke, known for his passionate writing and quality production skills.
UMPG
UMPG writer and NZ based hip-hop heavyweight Savage has achieved an RIAA certified Gold single in the U.S. with his infectious track ‘Swing’ feat. Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em- selling over 900,000 copies in the process.
‘Swing’ was placed in the hit Judd Apatow feature film ‘Knocked Up’ by the UMPG LA licensing team and became the unofficial theme song after being selected as the DVD title music.
The ‘Knocked Up’ feature and the groundswell of stateside interest in Savage led to an exclusive recording deal with Universal Republic in North America (Jack Johnson, Amy Winehouse).
‘Swing’ is currently burning up at U.S. radio scoring 5 current placements across the Billboard charts, including 3 Top 20 and 2 Top 40 positions, most notably Savage sits at #40 on the Billboard 100.
“Savage is a unique talent and along with Nathan and Aaron he has crafted a truly memorable track in ‘Swing’. The international success of ‘Swing’ illustrates the power of teaming a brilliant song with an aggressive international publisher. UMPG was relentless in ensuring that this song achieved an international audience and our Australian and U.S. licensing teams have really delivered for us in helping breaking the Dawn Raid catalogue in North America.” says UMPG’s Head of A&R/Creative Heath Johns before concluding that-
Savage’s debut international album Savage Island is scheduled for a December 23 release in North America through Universal Republic and will feature appearances by platinum U.S. artists and producers including Akon, Soulja Boy, Baby Bash, Rock City, Pitbull, Sean Paul and Boo Yaa Tribe.
WIRRIPANG
In 2007, Wirripang celebrated the 80th birthday of the Australian/New Zealand composer Hugh Dixon by producing and launching in New Zealand a CD of his works, A Little Lovely Dream.
July 2008 marked the launch of the CD Harp in the Highlands to celebrate the 70th birthday of Ann Carr-Boyd. The CD was launched at the State Library; Wirripang partner, Brennan Keats spoke of both Ann's and his parents being involved in the 2FC Orchestra, inaugurated during 1932. He noted that the Sydney Symphony's origins have been traced back to the Farmer's Cafeteria Trio which was the original 2FC broadcast ensemble in 1923.
Early this year Wirripang acknowledged the 50th birthday of Phillip Wilcher by producing the CD Into His Countenance. The CD has enjoyed unprecedented success and has recently been adopted by one business house for "phone-on-hold" purposes, a tribute to this melodious composer.
All Wirripang CDs are broadcast by the ABC, the MBS network of stations and selected community radio stations throughout Australia.