The Core Entertainment and Universal Music Canada Launch Joint Venture; Steven Lee Olsen First Signing

Jem Aswad
·2 min read
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Management company the Core Entertainment and Universal Music Canada have announced a joint venture “designed to offer Canadian artists a collaborative and integrated approach to releasing music worldwide,” according to the announcement. The joint venture’s first recording artist signing is Grammy-nominated, Nashville-based Canadian singer-songwriter Steven Lee Olsen, who is set to release new music at the end of this month.

The Core will offer management services, creative direction and A&R development to artists, bringing key acts to Universal Music Canada for UMC’s consideration to sign to a recorded music deal. Artists signed will benefit from UMC’s insight and assets.

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The UMC team, led by Chairman/CEO Jeffrey Remedios and Executive VP/GM Kristen Burke, will work with the Core founders Kevin “Chief” Zaruk and Simon Tikhman and the Core Canada President Tracy Martin to select the acts.

“I’ve long admired Chief, Simon and Tracy’s individual strengths, smarts, and passions,” said Remedios. “Steven Lee Olsen is a prolific songwriter with a voice that demands to be heard. With his signing, UMC couldn’t be prouder to double down on our commitment to country music with Steven at the forefront.”

Tikhman, Zaruk, and Martin said in a joint startement, “The Core strives to work with the most innovative and authentic industry leaders, and there’s no doubt Jeffrey, Kristen and the Universal Music Canada team are among the best in the business,” said. “We’re thrilled to welcome country singer-songwriter Steven Lee Olsen to the family as our first joint signing and look forward to a long and successful partnership.”

Olsen was born and raised outside of Toronto, moved to Nashville in 2004 and first achieved success as a songwriter. His work has been recorded by some of Country music’s most significant artists like Keith Urban, Garth Brooks, Rascal Flatts, Billy Currington, the Judds, Dallas Smith and others. His song “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” performed by Keith Urban, was nominated for a Grammy, and he scored a No.1 in Canada with co-writing credits on the hit “Drop,” performed by Dallas Smith.

The Core Entertainment was formed in partnership with Live Nation in 2019. Its artists include Emily Weisband, Valley, Nate Smith, After Midtown, Bailey Zimmerman, and others.

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