Music Industry Moves: New West Records Signs Joe Pernice, Acquires Pernice Brothers Back Catalog
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
+ Singer-songwriter Joe Pernice has signed with New West Records for future releases as well as his back catalog, which includes solo work and albums by the Pernice Brothers. The news arrives ahead of the 25th anniversary of Pernice Brothers’ breakout album “Overcome by Happiness,” originally issued by Sub Pop Records in 1998, which will be available for the first time on vinyl and as a deluxe edition package on May 19. The album is widely regarded as an indie gem of its time, with songs that nod to the easy listening AM radio sounds of Pernice’s childhood growing up in New England.
Said Pernice: “To be honest, if I hadn’t been pleasantly surprised by how impressed I was by New West’s treatment of the deluxe vinyl release, I wouldn’t be saying this right now. It became evident to me over a few months that New West gets what I do… whatever that is. And working together beyond the ‘Overcome’ project felt right and made sense to my partner at Ashmont Records and me. We’re really looking forward to having New West be stewards of my back catalog and some new Pernice records moving forward.”
More from Variety
+ Nederlander Concerts has promoted Jamie Loeb to senior VP of marketing. She will continue to report directly to chief executive officer, Alex Hodges.
“[Loeb] was instrumental in getting us through the height of the pandemic and a successful rebound last year with our return to a full schedule of performances,” commented Hodges. “She has helped Nederlander Concerts maintain its position as one of the most important independent promoters in North America.”
Loeb first joined Nederland Concerts in 2008 as VP of marketing overseeing online development, marketing initiatives and promotional campaigns for Nederlander’s venues and bookings at third-party facilities. She additionally began volunteering for NIVA (National Independent Venue Association), where she helmed #SOSFest, a three-day virtual festival with headlining performers Foo Fighters, Miley Cyrus, the Roots and Dave Matthews Band. The festival raised more than $3 million for the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund.
“I have always been proud to be part of such a dynamic team that is dedicated to bringing exceptional live experiences to fans,” Loeb said. “I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to continue contributing to the growth and success of our company in this new role.”
+ TJ Landig moves up to senior VP of marketing at Warner Records. Based at the label’s Downtown LA headquarters, Landig reports to the executive VP of marketing and artist development, Dionnee Harper.
“[Landig] has played a key role in so many incredible campaigns that have helped break new acts and really make an impact for our artists,” noted Harper. “As we continuously evolve and strengthen our marketing capabilities, we’re lucky to have a thoughtful, imaginative leader like him amongst our ranks.”
Throughout his 16-year tenure at the label, Landig has handled campaigns for Joji’s chart-topping “Glimpse of Us” as well as Mac Miller’s “Swimming” album and posthumous, Grammy-nominated “Circles” album. Landig also manages and oversees Warner Records’ partnership with 88Rising which includes Joji and Jackson Wang, who is set to perform at Coachella this year.
+ The Country Music Association has made four new promotions to its team: Tiffany Kerns to senior VP of industry relations and philanthropy; Catharine McNelly to VP of communications; Ben Balch to senior director, accounting and financial planning, and Michael Farris has been elevated to senior director of business strategy and insights.
“Tiffany, Catharine, Ben and Michael are all key strategic and forward-thinking leaders across a variety of teams at CMA,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA chief executive officer. “They each display unwavering commitment to CMA’s mission while continuing to innovate and create solutions-based strategies in their respective fields.”
+ Brazilian singer and actress Any Gabrielly has signed to Republic Records.
Gabrielly was discovered in 2017 by “American Idol” creator Simon Fuller who commented, “Any is one of those exceptional artists that are simply impossible to ignore. She is destined for extraordinary things ahead. I am so delighted to partner up again with Monte Lipman to introduce Any to the world and create a new star.”
Added Any, “I’ve never been more ready and excited to dive even deeper into my own artistry and get to share that with people. As always, a huge thank you to Simon Fuller who has believed in me from day one and continues to support my dream.”
+ The Other Nashville Society (TONS) revealed its inaugural “TONS Next” class of artists in front of a packed house of organization members and VIP guests at Analog in Nashville on April 4. Annie DiRusso (rock), Brian Brown (hip-hop), Brooke Alexx (pop), Daniel Nunnelee (alt-folk) and Isaia Huron (alternative) have all been chosen as this year’s rising artists to watch.
“Last year, in our fifth year of existence as an organization, a collective lightbulb went off for us Co-founders. If more non-country artists are developed, nurtured, and broken globally out of Nashville, then all boats rise for this community as a whole,” shares Josh Collum, TONS co-founder. “So, that’s our aim with TONS Next. We’re placing a bet on these five artists and we’re going to do our part to accelerate their rise.”
TONS co-founders, a designated Leadership Group, and over 1,500+ members (including artists Gayle, Joy Oladokun, Jake Wesley Rogers, and Charlotte Sands) will serve as a mass advisory board for the selected artists.
+ Oak View Group (OVG) has promoted Drew Gershenson to VP of content for Acrisure Arena and OVG’s Southwest division. He will report to John Page, senior VP of Acrisure Arena, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and OVG360 Facilities.
Gershenson will continue to lead the day-to-day programming of his previous role as director of booking for the Acrisure Arena. He will also support other OVG-managed properties in the Southwest Region including Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, Calif.; Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona; and Tahoe Blue Arena, which is scheduled to open this summer in South Lake Tahoe.
“We have all worked hard to make Acrisure Arena a premiere destination for artists to play and fans to attend,” said Gershenson. “I look forward to collaborating with my incredible colleagues in the Southwest Region to strategically align content and bookings for our venues and foster new and existing relationships and opportunities for OVG.”
Tuesday, April 4
Haitian artist-producer Michaël Brun has signed with Capitol Music Group’s Astralwerks label, the company announced on Tuesday. Now based in New York, Brun has racked up more than 100 million combined global streams with his solo releases and collaborated with J Balvin (on his Latin Grammy-winning “Colores” album), Ed Sheeran and Mr. Eazi. He also teamed up with Balvin on the single “Positivo,” which was tapped as the theme song for Telemundo’s 2018 FIFA World Cup coverage.
“I’m truly grateful to be working together with the Astralwerks team to release this body of work,” Brun said. “I’ve worked across many genres throughout my career, from electronic music to the sounds of the Caribbean, Africa and Latin America. This new music reflects all of those experiences, and I’m grateful that the team at Astralwerks are helping to bridge those sounds with the rest of the world.”
+ Sofia Ilyas has joined the Beatport Group in the newly created role of chief community officer. In addition to overseeing the company’s diversity, inclusion and social action efforts, Ilyas will head corporate communications to manage global partnerships with DJ and producer community organizations.
“As we continue to evolve and grow Beatport around the world, we want to ensure we continue to have a positive impact on our customers, our employees and the global dance community at large,” said Robb McDaniels, CEO of the Beatport Group. “Sofia has a proven track record at building coalitions among music, hardware and technology communities and accelerating diversity and equity initiatives within our industry, which makes her perfect to lead this very important new role at Beatport.”
Before her Beatport stint, Ilyas was a director at headphone company Nura, where she spearheaded PR and marketing strategy. She also led her own PR and marketing agency Float, where she executed campaigns for DJ Sasha, Dishoom, Christian Löffler and more.
+ Tidal has launched its new Live in-app feature for HiFi and HiFi Plus subscribers to share music listening sessions without physically being together.
When starting a Live session, Tidal subscribers can choose the session name and share a link for others to join. Anyone with the shareable link will be able to join a Live session, making it easy for groups of any size to come together and find other music tastemakers.
“Through music, we are giving fans a way to connect with each other or with other creators, brands, and personalities through simple, one-click sharing,” said Agustina Sacerdote, global head of product at Tidal. “Using Live offers music fans a simple route to finding new music from other fans in-app or wherever a link is shared. We’re excited to see how Live is used to power moments through sharing music and bringing people together.”
Monday, April 3
On the heels of the Band Perry’s hiatus announcement, co-founder Kimberly Perry has signed to Records Nashville/Columbia Records in pursuit of a solo career.
“From the moment I met the team at Records, their appreciation for my journey and my vision for the future as a solo artist has been overwhelming,” Perry commented about the signing. “Everything came together so organically, and it felt right from the very start.”
Based in Nashville, Perry will release a new body of work that “promises to be her most honest and intimate,” per the press release.
In an Instagram post, Perry detailed her move to Nashville where she’s been busy “writing songs with the town’s (and the world’s) greatest writers as a solo artist for the first time in my life. I’ve reconnected with myself and my creative center – it’s all been so beautiful.”
“We’re so excited at Records Nashville to welcome Kimberly Perry as a solo artist with her return to country music,” added Barry Weiss, Records founder and C.E.O.
The Band Perry is the trio of siblings behind hits like “If I Die Young,” “Better Dig Two,” and “Postcard From Paris,” to name a few. On March 27, the group announced they would be embarking on a “creative break” to focus on our individual creative pursuits.
+ Hipgnosis Song Management has acquired the catalog rights of “Despacito” co-writer Erika Ender, whose work as a trilingual (English, Spanish and Portuguese) composer ranges from pop to tropical music.
The company has acquired a 100% interest in the Panamanian singer-songwriter’s publishing copyrights (including the writer’s share of performance). This includes all songs released or utilized through her Sony Music Publishing deal from 2007 through 2019, namely “Despacito” and over 25 No. 1 singles. The acquisition has been made on behalf of Hipgnosis Songs Capital, a partnership between Hipgnosis Song Management and funds managed by Blackstone.
Said Ender, “I’ve always believed that music is eternal. I’m confident my songs are in good hands with Merck and his team, and they will do their best to keep my catalog active, present and alive, as they honor and recognize that the songs are the seeds to the entire music industry, the message that touches and marks people’s lives and where it all begins.”
“Despacito” received a song of the year nomination at the 2018 Grammys, making Ender the only female Latin artist in the ceremony’s history to be named in the category. She’s also the youngest person to be inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Ender was represented by Oswaldo Rossi and Pamela Klein at Rossi, P.C. and Sergio Lopes at LCTM Brandbuilders.
+ Grammy-nominated producer WondaGurl (Mariah Carey, Pop Smoke, Travis Scott, Jay-Z, Drake and Kanye West) has signed Canadian producer, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Chris LaRocca to her Wonderchild imprint in partnership with Red Bull Records.
The R&B/pop artist is just the second artist to join the roster, following the addition of Toronto rapper Jugger in 2021. LaRocca has written and produced records for Kali Uchis (“Deserve Me ft. Summer Walker”), Bryson Tiller (“I’m Ready For You”) and Boslen (“Levels”), among others but it’s his anticipated EP “perhaps!” that will take center stage in 2023.
+ Deutsche Grammophon has signed Joe Hisaishi to an exclusive agreement that spans his work as a composer, conductor and pianist. Hisaishi’s work is most notably featured in the Studio Ghibli animations of director Hayao Miyazaki, with his first release on the label being a series of symphonic arrangements from the films titled “A Symphonic Celebration” slated for release this summer.
“I love the fact that Deutsche Grammophon pays special attention to both creativity and sound quality,” says Hisaishi. “Working with its team of dedicated professionals to conjure new symphonic worlds for classical music lovers will be a joy.”
“Joe Hisaishi’s compositions are a fresh and genuinely original approach to symphonic music that is still rooted in the classical tradition,” says Dr. Clemens Trautmann, president of Deutsche Grammophon. “He reaches millions through his scores for the screen and attracts capacity audiences to all the major concert halls around the world. Together with our close partners at Universal Music Japan, we aim to document his irresistible music with signature recordings made by excellent musical partners such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Wiener Symphoniker.”
+ Marni Greenberg, formerly head of music communications at YouTube, has been tapped as VP of communications at Sofar Sounds.
“Marni is the smartest, most passionate communications executive in music that I know, as demonstrated by the amazing relationships she’s built over 20 years in music,” said Jim Lucchese, CEO of Sofar Sounds. “Her understanding of the space and ability to story tell make her the perfect fit for our Sofar team. I’m thrilled to be working with her again.”
Before her time at YouTube, Greenberg was the head of product and partnership communications at Spotify.
+ Amy Van-Baaren has been appointed as the inaugural chief impact and culture officer of Resident Advisor.
Van-Baaren started as an intern in RA’s Berlin office in 2012 and later joined the team’s London HQ as festival coordinator, later stepping up to head of festival partnerships before more recently moving into the head of community role.
Her leadership role will see the continuation of RA’s philanthropic efforts, which according to the company, have raised over £500,000 ($600,000) since 2014. Van-Baaren will also oversee the internal company culture, community partnerships and RA’s non-profit jobs board Doors Open.
“One of the things I’m most excited about is Amy developing new RA foundation, which we hope will increase the scale and scope of our community impact work. We’ll be announcing further details on this in the coming month,” added David Selby, RA’s CEO. “I’m delighted to be announcing her step up into this newly created role, which further cements our commitment to our community impact work and wider mission to create a more sustainable ecosystem for the electronic music community.”
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
