Two more Melbourne acts have landed worldwide publishing deals. Tash Sultana signed with Kobalt, fast-rising music services company for artists, songwriters, publishers and labels set up as an alternative to the traditional music biz model. It covers administration for all past and future songs (including her EP which has been streamed 100 million times) as well as global synch and creative support services.
Dew Process Publishing struck a world deal with Melbourne-based multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Evan Klar (AKA Stefan Niedermeyer). It follows his signing to EMI and his album Deepest Creatures picked up by US label Play Nice Records/Interscope for US release.
Dinosaurs still roam among us. The Doctor Browns pub in Middlesbrough, England, stopped female-fronted bands after customers complained that women “can’t sing male rock” and refused to come if female musicians were booked. The pub’s female manager shrugged she didn’t know much about heavy rock but “the customers demanded it and they’re my bread and butter.”
The Living End’s manager Rae Harvey is calling on the music industry for help with her Wild 2 Free animal welfare charity, which she set up with her partner Sayo Prentic on the NSW Far South Coast. It has a focus on raising orphaned Eastern Grey kangaroos. They are looking for memorabilia or merchandise (signed or unsigned) that you can donate for their online auctions. Email [email protected] if you can contribute. You can also sponsor a joey or make a donation. It costs $1200 on average to get a joey released. More info at wild2free.org.au.
At triple j, Good Nights presenter Linda Marigliano steps up to Mornings, replacing Zan Rowe who’s starting a new pop culture show on ABC Radio. Ballarat-hailed Bridget Hustwaite takes over Good Nights. After eight years Dom Alessio is leaving Home & Hosed to become Digital Export Producer for Sounds Australia, building up the online presence of Australian musicians to fast track their global presence, and create playlists for them before they showcase at important trade events such as South By Southwest and The Great Escape.
How your past comments can come and bite you on your caboose. Thom Yorke, who famously called streaming services “the last desperate fart of a dying corpse” now has his solo albums up on Spotify…Five years ago when Calvin Harris and Adelaide DJ Filip Odzak were hanging out after Stereosonic in Sydney, Harris made a throwaway comment he’d do a celebratory remix of Spice Girls’ 1996 hit ‘2 Become 1’ if Australia got marriage equality. Odzak was on social media reminding him of this a nano-second after the law went through, and the cry has gone viral.
Photographer Zo Damage, who picked up the special achievement gong at the Age/Music Victoria awards, has opened a pop-up shop called Save The Sound at Vic Market (Shop 115 Therry St) selling her prints and merchandise.
