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Eyre raising: Island plots US synergy for
return of ‘true artist with a killer voice’ Ella Eyre has “spirit, energy and loves collaboration”, says Louis Bloom after winning bidding war
BY ANDRE PAINE
Island Records president Louis Bloom has told Music Week that the label “fought hard” to sign Ella Eyre.
Eyre was unsigned during her recent features on hit singles. Answerphone (Parlophone) with Banx & Ranx peaked at No.5 and has 723,498 sales (OCC). “We’ve always been fans of Ella,” said Bloom. “She was the one who got away when she first signed [to Virgin].
“It’s so amazing to have the opportunity to work with her, she’s still really young and at the start of something incredibly special.” Eyre’s 2015 debut album, Feline, peaked at No.4 and has sales of 97,006. With 6,043,049 monthly Spotify listeners, Eyre has enjoyed a chart revival as a featured artist, including Sigala’s hits Came Here For Love (1,086,190 sales – OCC) and Just Got Paid (483,129). “Answerphone was charting quite high and Louis brought it to my attention that she might be unsigned,” Annie Christensen, Island A&R director, told Music Week. “Ella is a fantastic performer and an amazing writer, she’s just a true artist.”
Island will issue a run of tracks ahead of a potential 2020 LP release. Lead single Mama (out August 2) was recorded with Banx & Ranx and features US singer Kiana Ledé. “Ella has got an amazing relationship with Banx & Ranx and they are just brilliant producers, really good fun, amazing energy,” said Christensen. “The sound of the songs that we’ve got is very international, there’s a Latin flavour to some of the tracks.” Bloom said Eyre was a key signing for the new leadership team, following the departure of Darcus Beese to head up Island US.
“Ella Eyre is a fantastic performer and she’s an amazing writer”
Annie Christensen Island
Eyre style: (Back row L-R) Steve Pitron (Island), Jamie Binns (Lateral) Charlie Arme, Jennie Harris, Victoria Becks (ex-Tileyard) George Simpson (Island) (Front row L-R) Natasha Mann (Island), Annie Christensen, Ella Eyre, Louis Bloom, Olivia Nunn (Island)
“We fought really hard to win that deal, there was a lot of competition on it and we won her trust and the contract,” said Bloom. Eyre will be released via Island in the US as the sister labels look to strengthen their transatlantic partnership.
“It is great synergy for us,” said Bloom. “I went out to LA a few months ago around the Grammys and we went to a studio with Ella, who played Darcus all the new music and he completely flipped out. It’s going to be a big one for both of us.”
Beese has a long-term relationship with Eyre’s team at Lateral Management, who represent Taio Cruz.
“We’ve got our eyes on global domination, we want to conquer America,” said manager
TAKE A BOW TEAM Madonna
Management: Guy Oseary/ Sara Zambreno
Madame X Peak Chart Position: No.2 Label: Polydor/Interscope
(Maverick Management) Live Promoters: Arthur Fogel (Live Nation)/ John Giddings (Solo) Marketing: Stephen Hallowes (Polydor) National Press: Barbara Charone (MBC PR) Radio: Jodie Cammidge/Laurence
08 | Music Week 01.07.19
Pinkus/Gavin Hughes (Polydor) Online Press: Ashley Matthews (MBC PR) Commercial: Gareth Evans/Jess Acreman (Polydor) TV: Sarah Haddow/ Jessica Spaine (Polydor) Streaming: Paddy McLean (Polydor) Digital: Fiona McAuley/ Danny Ingham (Polydor)
X smoker: Madonna
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and Lateral’s senior partner, Jennie Harris. “Darcus respects Ella as an artist.” Charlie Arme, co-founder of Tileyard Music, said Eyre has made international in-roads in markets including Poland and Germany. The firm co-manages Eyre. “It’s a case of building on that and making sure she gets as far and wide as possible and collaborates with artists directly,” he said. Harris described Eyre’s “spiritual journey” to a writing camp in Jamaica to launch the new career phase with Island.
“She fits with what we want to be as a label in terms of being pioneering,” said Bloom. “She has spirit, an energy, loves collaboration and has a killer voice – and Island Records has always been about killer voices.”
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