Parlophone Poach Sony UK A&R Boss For Australian Operation

Parlophone has drafted in RCA UK's head of A&R to head up the label's Australian operations as the Warner imprint completes its core staff team under new boss Mark Poston.

James Roberts has been appointed Parlophone Australia's Head Of A&R from his role as Senior A&R Manager at RCA UK – the Sony imprint with Pink and Beyoncé in its roster – in London.

Making up the rest of the team is Loretta Bogard, who moves from Head Of Artist Relations to Head Of Creative Liaison and A&R Manager, and Mark Wilson – the man behind signing The Kite String Tangle, Jones Jnr and Oscar Key Sung on the quiet last year – who will work across A&R for both Parlophone and Atlantic.

“This is a really exciting opportunity to be part of Parlophone's growth in a territory I love and one which continues to build in importance as a source of innovative new music and global hits,” Roberts said today in an email circulate to Warner staff. “I'm especially looking forward to working with Tony [Harlow Warner Music Australia's Managing Director], Mark and the brilliant team they have assembled.”

Roberts' spent eight years in roles at Sony, culminating in his position at RCA UK, and during that time he established his own Ugly Truth label. It will continue as an indie with intermittent releases, having cut ties with Sony.

His appointment is the fire piece in Poston's “core team”, which he has been assembling since being named Managing Director Parlophone & Warner Bros. Records Australia in January, a year after he left EMI. They are looking towards releases from Coldplay, Kyle Minogue, Lily Allen and David Guetta in the coming months.