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Artist News Business News Deals Digital Industry People Labels & Publishers One Liners Releases
One Liners: Hipgnosis, Spotify, Wiley, more
By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 29 July 2020
DEALS
The Hipgnosis Songs Fund has acquired the catalogue of Rodney ‘Darkchild’ Jerkins, who will also join the company’s Advisory Board. Because you can never have too much advice. “If you are talking songs of cultural importance you only need to say ‘Darkchild’ and everyone in the world knows you are talking about the very best of the very best”, reckons well-advised Hipgnosis founder Merck Mercuriadis.
Kobalt has signed a worldwide publishing deal with country artist Jillian Jacqueline. “As a songwriter, I feel like I’ve found the perfect partner in this new season of my career”, she says. “I couldn’t be more proud to call Kobalt my home”.
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LABELS & PUBLISHERS
Universal’s Decca division and book publisher HarperCollins have partnered to relaunch spoken world label Argo Records, after old recordings were uncovered in the Decca archives featuring early career performances by actors including Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi and Prunella Scales. “When we first unearthed these Argo spoken word tapes from deep within our archives, most of them hadn’t been touched for many decades; it felt like we were discovering the modern spoken word equivalent of the Mayan artefacts”, says Decca’s Senior Catalogue Manager (Contemporary), Kevin Long.
DIGITAL & D2F SERVICES
Spotify has updated its group listening function so that people no longer have to be in the same place in order to use it, thus making it actually useful. Although this function was originally launched in May, it turns out music could only be initially shared if users were in one location. Now up to five people in different locations (and with premium accounts) can listen simultaneously together.
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APPOINTMENTS
Music charity the BRIT Trust has appointed Kobalt’s Mulika Sannie and artist manager and Ferocious Talent boss Kwame Kwaten as trustees. “They know only too well the power that music has to improve people’s lives – which lies at the very heart of our mission and all the work that we fund”, says trust Chair John Craig.
UK songwriter organisation the Ivors Academy has appointed sixteen members to its new Youth Council: Hope Winter, Imogen Williams, Andrew Chen, Carmel Smickersgill, Ellie Parker, Emma McGrath, Jake Morgan, Jo de Ruiter, Jo Ranger, Kizzy Crawford, Molly Welford-Toner, Rosie Frater-Taylor, Sahra Gure, Sam Johnson, Thomas Prince and William Davenport. Winter and Williams will co-chair the council and also join the main Ivors board.
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MEDIA
Bauer Media has announced it will launch LGBTQ+ pop-up radio station Hits Radio Pride next month. Going live on 28 Aug, the station will broadcast for six months. “Hits Radio Pride will offer a fresh and unique listen specifically created as a ‘listening home’ for every part of the UK’s LGBTQ+ community”, says Bauer Radio CEO Dee Ford.
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ARTIST NEWS
Wiley‘s Facebook and Instagram accounts have now been fully deactivated following his antisemitic posts over the weekend. “There is no place for hate speech on Facebook and Instagram”, said a spokesperson. “After initially placing Wiley’s accounts in a seven day block, we have now removed both his Facebook and Instagram accounts for repeated violations of our policies”.
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RELEASES
Blackpink have announced that they will release their debut album, ‘The Album’, on 2 Oct.
Korn have released a cover of ‘The Devil Went Down To Georgia’ with rapper Yelawolf. It is available exclusively via Bandcamp, where 100% of all proceeds are being donated to the non-profit organisation Awakening Youth. “I’ve always said it, but country music is some of the darkest ever”, says frontman Jonathan Davis. “‘The Devil Went Down To Georgia’ is a classic story, and we wanted to release it now to help others in need”.
Kero Kero Bonito are back with new single ‘It’s Bugsnax’, taken from video game ‘Bugsnax’.
The Lemon Twigs have released new single ‘No One Holds You (Closer Than The One You Haven’t Met)’. Their new album, ‘Songs For The General Public’, is out on 21 Aug through 4AD.
Leila Moss has released new single ‘Turn Your Back Around’. Her new album, ‘Who The Power’, is out on 7 Aug through Bella Union.
Kerbdog are reissuing both of their albums on vinyl in November. Pre-orders are open on Bandcamp now. “It’s truly humbling to be bringing out the two Kerbdog albums on vinyl”, says frontman Cormac Battle. “They’re for the fans who’ve supported us from the beginning and vindicated those albums across the years, for those who came on board after we thought the albums were dead and buried and also for ourselves – mainly because I have only one copy of the ‘On The Turn’ LP and I can’t afford to pay the extortionate prices on eBay!”
Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily – updated every Friday.
