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05.10.12 Music Week 7
FORMER SONY/ATV AND V2 MAN BECOMES HEAD OF A&R AT INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER
Kassner Music hires Charlie Pinder I
PUBLISHING BY TIM INGHAM
ndependent publisher Kassner Music has appointed former Sony/ATV MD Charlie
Pinder (right) to the position of Head of A&R. Pinder, who will work
alongside Alex Kassner and report directly to MD David Kassner in his new role, started his career as an A&R talent scout at East West Records before joining Sony/ATV Music Publishing where he signed Travis, Razorlight, Gary Barlow, Katie Melua, Catatonia, Sleeper and KT Tunstall amongst others. He was appointed managing
director at Sony/ATV, and steered the company to a No.1 market share position in the UK before moving to V2 Records as Head of A&R where he worked with artists such as Duke Special, Cold War Kids, The Rakes and Lethal Bizzle. In recent years he has worked
in artist management overseeing the careers of Alex Cornish and
Pinder picks: Charlie has already signed Grenades for the Wall and Jamie Morrison
operations as a key part of its long-term, creative strategy, which aims to build on the company’s heritage. Pinder, whose appointment is
acclaimed Icelandic artist and composer Ólafur Arnalds. Kassner Music, which was
originally formed in 1944 by Edward Kassner, oversees in excess of 100,000 copyrights. It has a diverse catalogue of songs
that includes hits from the 1950s to the present day by artists ranging from Vera Lynn and Bill Haley and the Comets to Beyoncé Knowles and Chris Brown. Kassner Music see this strengthening of its A&R
effective immediately, will oversee all A&R activities at Kassner Music whose current roster includes Joe Stilgoe, Jungle Brothers’ Nathaniel ‘Bam’ Hall and DJ duo Trafik. He has already made several new signings to the company including hotly-tipped Swedish duo Grenades for the Wall; ex-Noisettes member/writer Jamie Morrison and production team Cassetti. Pinder said: “I am so happy
to be back doing what I love - music publishing A&R, and with Kassner Music, a company
that has music publishing and great songwriting in its DNA. It’s more important than ever to offer writers and artists that full-time hands-on support and joining the excellent team at Kassner Music I will be ideally placed to do that.” David Kassner, MD of
Kassner Music said: “Charlie Pinder is one of the most experienced music executives in the business with a track record second to none in A&R and music publishing. “He is, in my opinion, the quintessential A&R person. We really understand each other and share a passion for great songwriting. We are delighted to have him join our team.”
Artists lined up as John Peel Festival set for Norwich event
The John Peel Festival of New Music will launch at the annual Norwich Sound & Vision event next week, featuring more than 50 bands playing over three nights. Artists booked include Liars,
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and Errors. The festival will open on Thursday, October 11, with a fundraiser for the John Peel Centre For Creative Arts, held at Epic in Norwich’s Magdelen Street. Sheila Ravenscroft, Peel’s
widow, is patron of the festival - a joint initiative between Norwich Arts Centre and Norwich Sound + Vision. “I’m very pleased that an organisation like Norwich Arts Centre is keeping the spirit and legacy of John’s passion alive,” she said. The John Peel Centre for
Creative Arts is in Stowmarket, Suffolk, close to John Peel’s home of many years, where Ravenscroft
Norwich-bound: Liars (below) and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (right) while (bottom, from left) speakers include John Kennedy, Simon Raymonde, Ryan Farley and John Robb
It promises opportunities for
still lives. It has an overriding vision to encourage an eclectic programme and non-elitist view of the arts with participation open to all. Norwich Sound + Vision 2012 will take place between
October 11-13. This will be the third year of the conference, which boasts international delegates, speakers and performers coming to the city to discuss the music, film and multi-media industries.
execs and artists to ‘network, reach new markets, forge new partnerships, learn, be inspired and enjoy an amazing line-up of bands, artists, films and events in the creative, yet business-like environment of one of the UK’s most charming cities’. Speakers at this year’s
conference include XFM’s John Kennedy, Bella Union’s Simon Raymonde, Warner/Chappell’s Ryan Farley and Louder Than
War’s John Robb. NS+V director Adrian Cooke
said: “I’m overjoyed at these new developments for the conference and very happy that we are in a position to raise funds for the John Peel Centre. “John was always interested in
hearing something new and I like to think he would have felt at home at our gigs, helping people to discover new bands.” For more information, visit
norwichsoundandvision.co.uk.
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