Alternative Songs, a joint venture between artist management company Various Artists and Stellar Songs, the music publishing division of Tim and Danny Music, has announced a number of new signings.
Based in London and Los Angeles, Alternative Songs is headed by executive Joe Etchells (former EMI, Universal Music Publishing, BMG Publishing and Wildlife Entertainment), who joined Various Artists as Head of A&R and Artist Development last year.
Alternative Songs, which is administered by Downtown Music, has signed Glen Roberts, RNDM BEATS, DeijuVHS & Ed Cousins.
British music executives Tim Blacksmith and Danny D (Daniel Poku), co-founders of Tim & Danny Music, won the Sir George Martin Award in 2023 at The A&R Awards – the UK-focused ceremony presented by MBW, in association with Abbey Road Studios.
The execs were also recognized in the Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours in the UK in 2022. Both Tim Blacksmith and Danny D received MBEs (order of the British Empire) for services to music.
Glen Roberts is a UK-based songwriter whose credited songs have streamed over 400 million times and include co-writes on Aurora’s No.1 album (in Norway) The Gods We Can Touch and the UK Top 5 album Skin by Joy Crookes.
He has written six BBC Radio1 ‘Hottest Records in the World’ and has collaborated with Valencia Grace, Rachel Chinarauri, NOTD, Lighthouse Family and many more.
He also co-wrote the England Women’s World Cup anthem Call me a Lioness.
RNDM BEATS recently scored a Capital Radio Big Top 40 No.1 in the UK with Craig David and Wes Nelson and has worked with the likes of Aitch, Black Sheriff, Ella Henderson, Yungblud, Claudia Valentina, Robin Knightz, Talia Mar, Cate Canning, Arthur Hill and Daniel Briskin, alongside collaborations with Litek, Whyjay, Neave Applebaum, iO, KZ & more.
DeijuVHS was recently nominated for a MOBO.
Joe Etchells said that, “Deij struck us as an artist fusing Linkin Park and The Prodigy which excited us accordingly”.
Added Etchells: “Pulling a very young multicultural crowd to his raucous live shows Deij brings such an intense and immediate physical reaction that members of the Various Artists team have already been caught up in multiple moshpits and circles of death.
“Deij is a future superstar and will be releasing multiple tracks this year.”
“WE’RE OFF TO A GREAT START WITH THESE FOUR SIGNINGS, WE’RE HERE TO STAY AND WE’RE LOOKING TO ADD TO OUR GROWING POOL OF TALENT.”
JOE ETCHELLS, ALTERNATIVE SONGS
Also joining the Alternative Songs roster is long-term Various Artists client Ed Cosens, the Sheffield-based songwriter/producer who is also the guitarist in seminal band Reverend and the Makers.
He has enjoyed recent success co-writing the hit single In The Dark by Sophie & The Giants x Purple Disco Machine, which was the biggest airplay record across Europe in 2023.
Joe Etchells added: “We’re off to a great start with these four signings, we’re here to stay and we’re looking to add to our growing pool of talent.
“Alternative Songs exists to offer the chance for songwriters and producers to come in from leftfield and deliver mainstream success!”
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