Coinciding with the celebration of Def Jam Records’ 40 th — which was observed with a big performance featuring LL Cool J, Public Enemy and more at the VMAs Wednesday night — Universal Music Sweden has announced the launch of Def Jam Recordings Sweden. Led by Mattias Caliste, the label will “continue to follow the blueprint of the iconic label,” according to the announcement. Its initial roster includes hip-hop artists as
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Asme and Sarettii, rap veteran Sebastian Stakset and up-and-comer Zikai. Caliste will be joined by Hamid Jamshidi and Hermon Alemseghed in the A&R and production areas.
Caliste was an artist in the group Fjärde Världen, a producer and founder of the record label Stadsbild, and most recently managing director of Virgin Music Sweden. He said: “It is a great honor for me to start up Def Jam Recordings in Sweden. Def Jam raised me! I grew up on artists like Public Enemy, EPMD, LL Cool J, Redman & Method Man, Warren G and many others who all released some of their most outstanding albums under Def Jam. The label has a legacy that is incredibly important for hip hop as both a genre and a subculture.”
PR vet Lily Golightly has joined High Rise PR, the long-running firm that reps Billie Eilish and Finneas, Travis Scott, Duran Duran, Tove Lo, Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music, George Michael’s estate and many others. She joins from Verve Label Group, where she worked closely with Jon Batiste, Samara Joy, Madison Cunningham, and others. Previously she spent seven years at 300 Entertainment — working with Megan Thee Stallion, Young Thug, Gunna and many others — and also owned the independent consulting company No Big Deal PR.
High Rise founder Alexandra Baker said, “I have admired Lily’s work for close to a decade now. She’s thoughtful, strategic, and is highly respected in our field. She is a terrific addition to the High Rise family — we are so lucky to have her.”
Wednesday, Sept. 11
Concord Records and Fantasy Records have merged as a combined brand and will keep the name Concord Records . Under the purview of co-presidents Margi Cheske and Mark Williams, the label will
This new iteration of Concord Records will develop and represent artists including Allison Russell, Daffo, John Vincent III and Matt Berninger, in addition to Esperanza Spalding, Lindsey Sterling, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Taking Back Sunday, Seether, the Offspring, and Thirty Seconds To Mars.
“This merger allows Concord to best utilize our global platform while maintaining the boutique level of service artists have come to expect,” said Tom Becci, chief executive of Concord Label Group. “I know Mark and Margi share this notion, and their combined resources, alongside their complementary skill sets, will be a real benefit to the artists we serve.”
Cheske added, “This merger will allow us to better maximize our resources in service of those visions. Ultimately, this means a much more global, interconnected approach—allowing us, in concert with our incredible roster of artists, to bring their music to audiences around the world.”
Cheske and Williams, who have known each other since they worked together at Virgin Records, are based in Los Angeles and report to Becci.
Pictured above (L-R): Margi Cheske, Mark Williams, Tom Becci.
+ Universal Music Group has launched its 2024 “ Use Your Voice ” campaign.
Launched in 2020, this year’s voting initiative will utilize educational tools and other resources to mobilize eligible employees and other voters throughout UMG’s U.S. communities to vote in the 2024 U.S. general elections. This year’s campaign is supported by UMG’s All Together Now Foundation, the company’s Task Force for Meaningful Change (TFMC) and °1824, UMG’s creative services division.
Lucille Wenegieme, HeadCount’s executive director, said, “As we head into this pivotal election, our partnership with Universal Music Group through the ‘Use Your Voice’ campaign is about more than just registering voters. Together, we’re making sure that every voice is not just heard, but impossible to ignore. At HeadCount, we partner with organizations that see the value of a multi-pronged approach to civic engagement to ensure we are reaching as many voters as possible – this is no different. We are so grateful for UMG’s strategic support during this election cycle. Together, we’re inspiring a new generation to actively participate in shaping their future.”
+ Audiomack has partnered with Mogul , a royalty tracking platform, to provide an estimated 30 million monthly users to track their Audiomack royalties alongside all other revenue sources.
Mogul launched this year and is credited for “help[ing] more artists track and recover $150 million and supports income and registration tracking of [over] 100 distributors, publishers, PROs and platforms,” per a press release.
+ Concord Music Publishing has inked Nashville-based country artist Erin Kirby . The worldwide publishing deal includes Kirby’s full catalog and all future works.
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“The very first time I heard Erin’s voice on a worktape, I was all in,” said Melissa Spillman, VP of A&R at Concord Music Publishing in Nashville. “She has the kind of pure vocal and songwriting talent that is true to country music, and we are so excited to partner with her. I am eager for fans to discover the incredible human and artist Erin is, and I look forward to celebrating the many musical successes in her future.”
Tuesday, Sept. 10
What do Shaboozey, Teezo Touchdown, Odetari and Kenya Grace all have in common? They were a part of SoundCloud ‘s “Ascending” global artist development program that’s been in pilot mode since March 2023.
“Ascending” initially launched as a pilot in the UK with Grace before expanding to the United States with Odetari in August 2023. SoundCloud introduced the program publicly for the first time on Monday with singer and producer Laila! as it’s September spotlight artist.
Discovered by SoundCloud’s A&R Talent Identification team last year, Laila! was signed to a joint venture alongside Sickamore’s IIIXL Studio. SoundCloud reports Laila!’s global weekly streams have surged from 1.6 million to 6 million since April 2024, with her latest single, “Not My Problem,” earning 44 million streams, globally, across all streaming platforms since its June 2024 release.
The “Ascending” package includes the placement of billboards in key locations such as New York City, London, and Los Angeles, curated playlists, engaging social media content, premiere on-platform exposure, and other growth marketing efforts. To qualify as an Ascending artist, you must be a SoundCloud “Next Pro” subscriber, a signed artist releasing new music during the promotion month, and demonstrate rising engagement or stream growth on the platform.
+ The Oriel Company has announced the addition of Grace Jones and Kaeleah Isaac to their team.
The public relations firm tapped Jones as VP and Isaac as manager, with both industry veterans working out of the Oriel’s Los Angeles office.
Jones began her career as a newsreader at triple j radio and was recently at Grandstand Media, where she handled artist campaigns and communications for festivals, brands in the music space, and corporate PR for music executives. She brings a roster of artists including Courtney Barnett, girl in red, Muna, Alvvays, Royel Otis and mxmtoon, to name a few.
Isaac arrives with five years of experience and expertise in communications, having helped develop national press strategies for artists including Lainey Wilson, Zac Brown Band, the Chainsmokers, Drake and Jason Sudeikis, among others.
+ Universal Music Publishing (UMPG) has signed producer and songwriter James Ford to an exclusive, global administration deal.
Ford has worked with Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode via Foals, Florence and The Machine, Haim, Gorillaz and Jessie Ware. He has toured globally as Simian Mobile Disco and with the Last Shadow Puppets, among others. Ford has also produced albums for the likes of Blur, Pet Shop Boys, Fontaines D.C., the Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons.
Pete Simmons, head of A&R for UMPG UK, said, “It’s not every day you get the opportunity to work with somebody as influential as James. He has been involved in quite literally all of my favourite records over the past 15 years or so. From Gorillaz to the Arctic Monkeys, Florence and The Machine, all the way back to Simian Mobile Disco – one of the first things I ever ‘discovered’ as a teenager. I look forward to seeing what our creative ideas – and my collection of shorts – can add to his career.”
+ Emmy Feldman is the new head of A&R for boutique music publisher OTM in the U.S.
Feldman helped develop and open the Brooklyn outpost of Rough Trade Record Shops and also spent seven years as an A&R manager for Atlantic Records.
+ Toikido has entered a strategic partnership with Magic Star , the global kids and family division of The Orchard , to become the official global music distribution partner for all Toikido music releases.
Magic Star will leverage The Orchard’s distribution network to bring Toikido’s music to new audiences. Darran Garnham, CEO of Toikido, said, “This collaboration marks a significant milestone for Toikido as we continue to innovate and expand our presence in the entertainment industry. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve created and look forward to working with Magic Star in a fun and innovative way.”
Added Will Speer, MD and co-founder of Magic Star: “Toikido is a fast paced and highly creative organization within the entertainment space and music is a huge part of their DNA. We are thrilled to be partnering with them to help maximize and grow their music even further.”
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