New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Downtown
Music Publishing has signed a multi-territory administration deal with John Butler, Australia's most acclaimed and successful independent musician, best known as the guitarist and lead vocalist for
John Butler Trio (JBT). Through this deal, Downtown will administer more than 100 compositions from the band's critically-acclaimed catalog, including songs that have yet to be released.
The announcement coincides with John Butler Trio's recently released seventh studio album, Home (2018), debuting at #1 on the Australian ARIA Album Charts. This marks the group's sixth Top 10 album, and fourth #1 album following Sunrise Over Sea (2004), Grand
National (2007), and April Uprising (2010).
John Butler Trio has received multiple awards, including APRA's Song of the Year for "
Zebra" (2004), Blues &
Roots Work of the Year for "
Only One" (2014), and ARIA's Best Male Artist for "Sunrise Over Sea" (2004).
Commenting on the signing, Butler said "I'm stoked to start this new era with Downtown
Music Publishing. I'm really looking forward to working with all the talented team and sharing my new album Home as far and wide as possible. A definition of "luck" I once heard from a colleague goes something like this: luck is when preparedness meets opportunity -- so good luck to us all!"
"John Butler is an immensely talented artist, songwriter, musician, and wonderful person. Home is a masterpiece -- his finest songwriting to date. We're so honored that John has chosen Downtown to represent his music around the globe," added Rachel Kelly, Downtown's Creative
Director and Head of Sync in Australia and New Zealand.
Added
Daniel Lloyd Jones, Head of UK A&R/SVP of International Creative, "Rachel
Kelly has a clear vision for what she wants to achieve in Australia and this statement signing just shows her intent! John is a tour de force and a huge addition to the global Downtown roster!"
John Butler Trio is currently on tour in the UK, with dates to follow in Europe, US, Canada, and Australia, playing at the iconic Sydney Opera House forecourt.
Stella Donnelly and The Teskey Brothers, also both recent signings to Downtown, will join the tour in Australia.
Continuing to grow its global footprint, Downtown opened its Sydney doors in February 2017, with the appointment of Rachel
Kelly as Creative
Director and Head of Sync for Australia and New Zealand.
Kelly is responsible for establishing and promoting Downtown's brand and catalog across Australia and New Zealand, signing and developing local songwriters, artists, and producers, and more efficiently collecting songwriting royalties.
About Downtown
Established in 2007, Downtown
Music Publishing is one of the world's leading rights-management firms with offices in major music markets around the globe, including New York, Nashville, Los Angeles, London, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Paris, and Sydney. The company's catalogue spans over seven decades of popular music, encompassing some of the world's most beloved songwriters and artists including The Beatles,
John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Ryan Tedder, Benny Blanco, Hans Zimmer, The Kinks, One Direction, Mötley Crüe,
Robin Thicke, Naughty Boy, Hardwell, Sturgill Simpson, Santigold, Carla Bruni, and Social Distortion. Downtown
Music Publishing is wholly owned by Downtown & Company, which also owns New York-based Downtown
Music Studios and Songtrust, the world's largest technology platform for songwriting and music publishing royalties, which powers global royalty collection from over 120 territories and more than 20,000 unique income sources worldwide.
