Australian publishing imprint Embassy Music Publishing has signed a worldwide sub-publishing deal with stalwart local label The A&R Department, it has been announced.
The new deal will serve to broaden the reach and development prospects of The A&R Department's esteemed roster — boasting the likes of Harts, The Occupants, KIT, Polarhearts and Magic Bones, with previous collaborators including Meg Mac, SAFIA, Ayla and The Getaway Plan — at the same time as further cementing Embassy's footprint in Australia.
Embassy Music Publishing is an arm of The Music Sales Group, an umbrella title for a collective of international companies that, in Australia and New Zealand, is run by managing director Jane English, who recently invested in kick-starting (not Kickstarting, to be clear) Embassy's Australian presence and sees the A&R deal as "an important first signing for Embassy here in Australia".
"The A&R Department has built a solid reputation for discovering high-calibre, professionally focused artists … we can see from their track record the potential for success in our new arrangement," English said in a statement.
For his part, The A&R Department founder and producer Matt O'Connor — a former A&R manager for Warner — says there is an element of serendipity to the deal.
"The new arrangement with Embassy is perfect timing for where we are at as a company," he said in a statement. "Embassy works with its Music Sales affiliates in territories around the world, which will give us the opportunity to broaden our reach internationally whilst we jointly develop our artists locally.
"I am very excited with this new pairing."
Both figures' sentiments were echoed by Embassy's creative manager, Rob Scott, who said, "I am very pleased with this first announcement for Embassy. It's great to be working with someone like Matt who shares with me the same passion for A&R and contemporary music."
