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6 MusicWeek 30.03.12 NEWS BBC SOUND OF WINNER ALREADY TOP 10 ON CONTINENT • UNIVERSAL PREDICTS LONG CAREER


Kiwanuka makes strides across Europe P


TALENT  BY TIM INGHAM


olydor-signed singer- songwriter Michael Kiwanuka has made a


splash across Europe with debut album Home Again – as Universal maps out an 18-month international campaign. After debuting in The


Official UK Albums Chart at No.4, the LP has gone Top 10 in four territories on the Continent – reaching No. 3 in Norway, No.5 in Belgium, No.7 in Holland and No.8 in Sweden. It has also gone Top 20 in Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Germany, Portugal and France. Perhaps even more impressively, the deluxe edition has peaked at No.2 on the iTunes album chart in Belgium and Sweden and hit No.4 in Holland. Universal VP of international


marketing Hassan Choudhury said: “It’s been so refreshing to see an artist who’s not necessarily led by radio singles be so commercially accepted at such an early stage. “We’ve done a lot of


groundwork with Michael in these markets. We had him out with Adele last year and on the Laura Marling tour. He won a lot of friends within the Universal family doing those support slots. I say it to a lot of artists: the love has to grow


European strides: Michael Kiwanuka is making inroads on the Continent


WHAT KATIE DID NEXT...


ANOTHER UK ACT doing rather well in the EU is Katie Melua, whose Secret Symphony LP is sold via direct distribution deals in each territory by Dramatico, rather than licensing. Melua’s fifth studio album hit


Top 10 charts across the continent in its first week including No.2 in Germany and Switzerland, No.3 in Austria and No.1 in Poland. It took the No.8 spot upon arrival in the UK. “We treat Germany and


France with just as much care and attention as we would the UK,” Dramatico MD Andrew Bowles told Music Week. “It’s up to us, with helpers in each territory, to promote and market through direct distribution deals.” The model makes Dramatico


a desirable option for artists looking to break territories from further afield, according to founder Mike Batt. “If an American or Australian artist comes to us and asks us to


“It’s been so refreshing to see an artist who’s not necessarily led by radio singles be so commercially accepted at such an early stage” HASSAN CHOUDHURY, UNIVERSAL


within the building first. Because of the way Michael has gone out to all the offices and met the key people, immediately that’s been a huge plus to the campaign.”


Following a warmly-


received showing at SXSW, Universal’s global campaign for Kiwanuka will now see key promo taking place in Austria,


Switzerland, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Choudhury added: “In this


job, you’re always having to sell things and push people into


release them all around the world, the answer is ‘Yes’,” he said. “We don’t have to ring up the


French MD and ask if they’d put it out in July. Even Sony or Universal have to do that. “When we say it comes


out globally on a given date, that’s when it comes out globally,” he continued. “It’s something that we can offer that a major just can’t.”


markets. But Michael has just been embraced everywhere. “We’d love for him to be a


massive crossover artist in the world of sales of Adele. That’s always what you aspire to. “We have a long-term plan.


At his tender age, I genuinely believe this young man will be making records for many, many years to come.”


Katie Sutherland April’s Breakout teams up with Pledge Music


Pledge Music will curate the acoustic stables at next month’s Music WeekBreakout event in London. The night will take place at


the Proud Galleries, Camden on Wednesday, April 11. As ever, Music Week


subscribers can book free entry at musicweek.com/breakout. April’s Breakout will include


performances from the Jess Hall Band, who recently signed a publishing deal with Eagle-i Music. Ryan Keen will also appear on the main stage, as well as folk-pop outfit The Rumour Said Fire and Becky Jones, aka


Saint Saviour. Meanwhile, Pledge’s acoustic


stable will host Warner/Chappell- signed singer-songwriter Katie Sutherland (left), as well as Hudson Taylor – Irish brothers who between them have clocked up over 2 million YouTube views. The stable will be headlined


by Danny Shah (above), the Scottish singer-songwriter who


bypassed major record companies to set up his own label, before making a pop video that received over 800,000 YouTube views in its first week – and won the support of Chris Moyles, Lauren Laverne and Andi Peters. “It’s fantastic for PledgeMusic


to be partnering with Breakout for a second time,” said Pledge A&R boss Paul Barton. “Breakout continues to be an important event for emerging acts and it’s a pleasure to be a part of it.” Breakout continues to be


managed and co-ordinated by award-winning UK indie promoter All Night Long.


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