DEALS
🎓
The BRIT School has announced that collecting society PRS For Music has agreed to enter a new partnership with its music department. “The partnership will enable The BRIT School to remain free to all performing and creative arts students, as the two organisations work together to develop and nurture the talented individuals who enrol at the school”, says a statement.
🎧
The Rough Trade independent record store chain has announced a new partnership with Cambridge Audio, updating the sound systems in its East London, West London, Bristol, Liverpool and Berlin locations. “Cambridge Audio are the perfect partner, offering unparalleled audio quality for music fans across all genres”, says Sam Allison, Head Of Events And Partnerships at Rough Trade. “With the brand’s premiere sound engineering, Rough Trade can now provide the best immersive sonic experience for customers in-store. Together, we aim to set the standard for excellence in retail audio”.
🎸
Guitar amp maker Marshall’s in-house record label Marshall Records and Peermusic have launched new joint venture Marshall Records Publishing. “The Marshall brand is synonymous with ground-breaking music”, says Peermusic’s European President Nigel Elderton. “For over 60 years, Marshall has amplified the sound of the world’s most talented artists and, for nearly 100 years, Peermusic has championed songwriters and music creators. The opportunity to align with the Marshall team is a perfect fit for our creative culture at Peermusic. We look forward to working on some exciting projects together”.
APPOINTMENTS
🎹
Pianist Alexis Ffrench has been announced as a new ambassador for music education charity Restore The Music. “It is an honour to be invited to join Restore The Music as an Ambassador”, he says. “I am passionate about universal access to music education, regardless of background, and I firmly believe in the transformative power of music”.
LEGAL
⚖️
An appeals court in Texas has declined to block the court order obliging Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino to sit for a deposition in relation to the Astroworld lawsuits. The judge overseeing the hundreds of lawsuits filed following the 2021 Astroworld tragedy last month ordered the deposition, meaning Rapino must answer under oath questions posed by lawyers working for the Astroworld victims. Live Nation has worked very hard to try to stop the deposition from happening, arguing that Rapino was not sufficiently close to the organisation of Astroworld 2021 to justify such a thing. To that end, it asked the Texas First District Court of Appeals to intervene, but the appeals court has now declined to do so.
LABELS
🇺🇦
Pan-European indie label trade body IMPALA has announced Pomitni as its first Ukrainian member. "Our country should be adequately represented in various international associations, specifically music ones”, says label founder Iryna Gorova. “Over the past two years, the Ukrainian music industry has developed significantly: the number of artists has almost tripled. And the prospects are ambitious. In order to accelerate this development and promote Ukrainian music, it is important for us to engage the experience of our European colleagues. Therefore, joining IMPALA is an important step both for the country's music industry and for us as a leading Ukrainian label”.
ARTIST MANAGEMENT
🚀
Generator has partnered with the Music Managers Forum on a new training and development programme for artist managers in the North of England. “Generator has long focused on creating sustainable and inclusive opportunities for those in our region and is aware of the changes needed to make the industry more viable and fairer for all”, says Generator CEO Mick Ross. “Partnering with MMF on this programme is an exciting development of our commitment to fostering new talent and strengthening networks in both our local and regional community”.
DIGITAL
🧸
Child-focussed technology company Gabb has launched a new premium version of its kid-friendly streaming service Gabb Music. The expanded service offers the ability to create custom playlists, search the app’s music library and listen offline. “This is the first time a music streaming service that includes all genres has been built from the ground up with kids in mind first and foremost”, says Kerri Fox-Metoyer, Gabb’s Head Of Entertainment. “It’s a streaming service that parents can trust out of the box”.
INDUSTRY PEOPLE
💻
BSI Merch founder Andy Allen has launched a new music industry co-working space in East London - House Of Music And Entertainment, or HOME. The building on Commercial Street - intended to be the first in a network around the UK and Europe - offers desks and private offices, meeting rooms, a podcast studio, street-front retail units and an event space. “There are plenty of co-working spaces in major cities but we wanted to create something that brings the independent community together and gives them an opportunity to interact with their peers”, says Allen.
AWARDS
🏆
The winners of this year’s ARIAS radio industry awards were announced at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London last night. Among them, Annie Nightingale was posthumously given the Pioneer Award. See the full list of winners here.
ARTIST NEWS
🌹
Amy Winehouse has posthumously received a BRIT Billion Award to mark her music passing a billion streams in the UK. The trophy was accepted by her parents Mitch and Janis, who said in a joint statement, “We of course wish that Amy was here today accepting this award in person, but it’s amazing that she is still winning awards for her incredible talent and achievements. It’s wonderful that her music is being discovered by new audiences of young people who love it just as much as her contemporaries. We are so proud of Amy. Thank you”.
GIGS & FESTIVALS
👟
Travis Scott has announced UK shows at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on 13 Jul and (in theory) Co-op Live in Manchester on 16 Jul. Tickets go on general sale on Friday.
RELEASES
🍿
Blur will screen new documentary ‘To The End’, about their latest reunion, in cinemas around the UK and Ireland on 19 Jul. Find cinemas and book tickets here.
💥
Hinds have released new single ‘Boom Boom Back’ featuring Beck. Their fourth album ‘Viva Hinds’ is out on 6 Sep, and they will play Lafayette in London on 13 Sep.
7️⃣
Koreless is back with new single ‘Seven’.
📹
Kokoko! have released new single ‘Bazo Banga’. Their new album ‘BUTU’ is out on 5 Jul.
🏰
Keeley Forsyth has released ‘The Hollow’, the title track from her new album, which is out this Friday.
