New Signings: Warner Music Nabs Ylvis, WME Inks Leah Turner, Maximum Artist Adds Lalah Hathaway, Warner/Chappell Signs Danny Orton

Mitchell Peters
·3 min read

Here’s a look at the latest artist signings across the music industry. Billboard.biz is interested in your company’s new signings. Please send announcements to Mitchell.Peters@billboard.com for inclusion in our regular report. Click here for the last signings post. 

RECORD LABELS

— Downtown Records signs Mas Ysa (real name: Thomas Arsenault), who has toured with such artists as Deerhunter, Purity Ring, Delorean and RZA. Mas Ysa plans to release his debut EP in 2014, with a full-length album to follow on Downtown.

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— Fearless Records welcomes power-pop foursome the Downtown Fiction. The band is touring this fall with labelmates Tonight Alive. the Downtown Fiction’s third studio album is slated for release early next year.

— Bigger Picture Group adds country rock band Blackjack Billy. “All of Nashville started noticing Blackjack Billy when they were selling over 10,000 tracks a week, then I saw them live and knew they were a perfect fit for Bigger Picture,” Bigger Picture president Michael Powers said in a statement. The band is signed to Open Road Recordings in Canada.

— Eclectic rock act Tantric inks with Pavement Entertainment to release its fifth studio, “37 Channels.” The set was released Sept. 17 and is the band’s first studio album since 2009’s “Mind Control.”

— Norwegian YouTube sensation Ylvis signs with the Warner Music Group. A source with knowledge of the negotiations says the label coughed up “huge” money to lock down the duo following its success on YouTube with “The Fox.” Warner Music is promoting the single, helmed by producing team Stargate, to top 40 radio.

— Pop singer Betty Who signs a U.S. label deal with RCA Records days after a YouTube video of a flash mob marriage proposal that incorporated her single “Somebody Loves You” went viral. The 21-year-old singer/songwriter’s deal is with RCA in the U.S. and Columbia in the U.K.

BOOKING AGENCIES

— William Morris Endeavor (WME) signs California-raised singer/songwriter Leah Turner. WME’s Risha Rodgers and Rob Beckham will serve as booking contacts. Leah is also represented by Morris Management president Clint Higham and is signed to Columbia Nashville.

— ICM Partners signs Toni Braxton in all areas. Her next album, “Love, Marriage & Divorce,” will be released on Dec. 3. Braxton was previously signed to APA.

— The Billions Corporation adds Thumpers (responsible agent: Trey Many), Sleep (Andrew Morgan) and together PANGEA (Morgan) to its roster. The Billions Corp. also books such acts as Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons, Vampire Weekend, HAIM, Rhye and the Postal Service, among others.

— APA Nashville’s latest roster addition includes singer/songwriter Mallary Hope. She has penned songs like “Georgia Peaches” (Lauren Alaina) and “King Of Apology” (Jana Kramer). Hope is managed by McGhee Entertainment and signed to Sony/ATV Music Publishing.

— The Agency Group signs Slaves (for worldwide, excluding North and South America/responsible agent: Ross Warnock), AHMIR (worldwide/Larry Shields), Colby O’Donis (worldwide/JJ Cassiere), Matthew and the Atlas (worldwide/Jules de Lattre), Goose (worldwide, excluding North America/de Lattre), Christine and the Queens (worldwide, excluding France and North America/de Lattre), Hookworms (North America/Alisa Preisler) and Badboxes (North America/Justin Bridgewater).

— Paradigm adds Paul Weller (responsible agents: Marty Diamond, Steve Ferguson) and To Kill A King (Diamond) to its roster.

ARTIST MANGEMENT

— Maximum Artist Group announces R&B singer Lalah Hathaway as its newest client. The announcement was made by Maximum Artist Group founder/president Mitchell Solarek. The Nashville-based company also manages Natalie Grant, Danny Gokey, Donald Lawrence and Bernie Herms.

— Hit-maker Desmond Child and Latin music promoter Debbie Ohanian sign Cuban-American artist De La Torre to their new management company So Success Entertainment. De La Torre is currently putting the finishing touches on his new Child-produced album.

PUBLISHING

— Warner/Chappell Nashville signs a worldwide co-publishing agreement with country music songwriter Danny Orton. His credits include songs by Rascal Flatts, Chicago and Tim McGraw. Orton also co-wrote the new single for Dan+Shay, “19 You & Me.”

— ole concludes a worldwide publishing deal for songs written by artist/songwriter Josh Dorr. The agreement also includes Dorr’s catalog of more than 150 copyrights.

 


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