4 MusicWeek 24.01.14 NEWS NEWS IN BRIEF
nSIOBHAN BAILEY: George Michael’s one-time personal assistant Siobhan Bailey has died suddenly, aged 56, from natural causes. She worked as his PA for more than 20 years, having been recruited in the eighties by Simon Napier-Bell to work at his and Wham! co-manager Jazz Summers’ company Nomis Management. nMIKE MARTINOVICH: The manager of acts including My Morning Jacket and Flight Of The Conchords has aligned with Red Light Management and will retire the Flatiron Management name. Former My Morning Jacket tour manager Eric Mayers will re-join Martinovich to be part of his team at Red Light. nSTREAMING SERVICES:Music streaming providers in the UK must halve their subscription prices in order to convert more consumers to paid tiers and boost profits - that’s the conclusion of a new report from global independent professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), which urges UK providers to reduce their prices to US levels. nNEON GOLD: Following its relationship with Columbia, Neon Gold has signed a new deal to become an imprint under the Atlantic Records umbrella. Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman, co-chairmen of Atlantic in the US, who will manage the deal, have in the past developed imprints Fueled By Ramen and Canvasback. nPPCA: The Australian recorded music rights organisation distributed a record AU$33.6 million (£17.97m) to artists and record labels in the 2012- 2013 financial year. The sum, which took in the 12 months to December 2013, was an annual increase of almost 16% on the previous year’s AU$29m (£15.5m) distribution. nMUSIC SALES GROUP: The Independent music publisher has swooped for family-run French publisher Éditions Alphonse Leduc. Founded in 1842, Éditions Alphonse Leduc became a family business that started by specialising in piano tutors then expanded to acquire operatic works by Rossini, Bellini, Weber and more. Now under the fifth generation of the Leduc family, its more recent publishing acquisitions have included works by Olivier Messiaen, Francis Poulenc, Jacques Ibert, Henri Dutilleux and Joseph Canteloube.
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.com 14 ALBUMS COMING THIS YEAR VIA BMG, SONY UK, INDIES AND MORE
Raw Power spreading its wings R
MANAGEMENT n BY TIM INGHAM
ock management giant Raw Power has a whopping 14 albums on
its release slate this year, and is turning to some innovative models to bring them to market. LPs due from the company in
2014 include three from priority acts on Search & Destroy, its JV label with Sony Music: Mallory Knox, Don Broco (pictured) and While She Sleeps. Of Don Broco’s new album,
slated for release in October, Raw Power commercial director Don Jenkins told Music Week: “We have massively high hopes. Sony has really supported the act. They were playing to 30 people in a pub two years ago - they played to 3,000-plus people at the Roundhouse in December.” Elsewhere, Jenkins said Raw
Power had signed a “very exciting” unannounced deal with Virgin/EMI for one of its up- and-coming British artists. The management company
will also deploy a services model for some albums, including the fifth studio LP from hardcore act Cancer Bats - which will be issued via BMG Rights Management. BMG’s model sees the company agree to supply a project fund to artists, which is then recouped according to an artist-friendly revenue split. “BMG is a very exciting
model,” Jenkins told Music Week. “Because you have to do publishing and [master] rights at the same time with them, the planets have to align a little bit. “It puts a bit of onus back
on Raw Power to deliver a global campaign. BMG are not partaking in any live or merchandise revenue - and for
Don Broco, signed to Sony JV Search & Destroy
“Signing a deal with BMG for Cancer Bats put the onus back on Raw Power to deliver a global campaign. Alexi [Cory-Smith] is absolutely great” DON JENKINS, RAW POWER
rock bands, the truth of it is that’s where all the action is. Alexi [Cory-Smith, BMG Chrysalis SVP] is absolutely great. When the time’s right in terms of signing a publishing deal as well as masters, BMG would probably be a very good fit for a lot of other bands.” Raw Power will also release a
handful via traditional ‘indie’ labels on both sides of the Atlantic in 2014, from artists such as Funeral For A Friend (Distiller), Miss May I (Rise Records) and Of Mice & Men (Rise Records). The latter act sold 150,000 of their last LP in the US, and Jenkins said Raw Power have their eye on quarter of a million sales for the new album. Of Mice & Men will tour the US supporting Bring Me The Horizon - another Raw Power act - in February and March over 37 dates.
Acclaimed electro/rock act
Modestep, meanwhile, are currently free agents, recording an album currently pencilled in for a late Autumn release. The London act released their debut LP, Evolution Theory, on Polydor/Interscope last year. “We negotiated a way out of
Universal for them,” said Jenkins. “They sold 13,000 albums in the UK alone, but it just didn’t seem to have the backing behind it in the US to connect. “This band does massive live
business - we were doing 2,000 cap venues across America for 35 dates on the back of Evolution Theory. Only 10% of bands are doing those numbers. Now they’re in a great position: they’ve got everything they need to make their own record. There’s strong interest from the majors and we’re talking to individual investors, too.”
Jenkins revealed that
Modestep have just taken on Soloman Parker at CAA as their live agent, who is credited with helping The Prodigy return to major league live stages. Other titles on Raw Power’s
slate include the second solo LP from Charlie Simpson, following 2011’s Young Pilgrim, which was released via Pledge Music and [PIAS]. Produced by Steve Osborne, Jenkins explained that the former Busted and Fightstar man’s new LP “moves him into Bon Iver territory”. It is backed by a private investor, and will be issued via [PIAS]. “Charlie bypassed the whole
McBusted thing because he’s not that guy now - it’s a grown-up sound,” added Jenkins. “He could have taken a huge cheque, but he’s clearly full of integrity. Young Pilgrim sold 40,000 copies, so we’re feeling confident.” Further LPs will come from
artists such as Sleepwave - thought to be close to be signing with US label Epitaph - and new act Turbo Wolf, who have been in the studio with Royal Blood producer Tom Dalgety.
TURNING JAPANESE: RAW POWER’S LONG-TERM STRATEGY IN FAR EAST
Raw Power is increasingly striking up business partnerships in Japan, and even considering launching an arm of the company in the much- misunderstood market. The UK firm co-manages two Japanese rock
acts, taking responsibility outside the territory: Crossfaith with Sony Music Artists and ColdRain with a local independent management firm. New records are expected
from both this year. “ColdRain sold 25,000 [of their last album] in Japan, and play 5,000-cap venues,” said Don Jenkins. “The singer speaks fluent English, which we hope will really help with global promo.” These management agreements will also
see Raw Power acts playing in Japan this year, benefitting from local partners. Miss May I and Of Mice & Men are both due
to tour the country in 2014. “Like we’ve done with our US office run by
Matt Ash, I don’t think we’re too far away from launching a Raw Power Japan, with [local] people on the ground,” said Jenkins. “We’ve done so much business out there, the opportunity is presenting itself. I’d expect it around April/May time, or later this year. It’s certainly a current conversation.”
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