Decca have welcomed Rhys Lewis and The Wandering Hearts to the Decca family in style, with the label hosting an intimate showcase event last night at east London’s Hoxton Hall.

The new signings both took to stage in the evening, with country quartet The Wandering Hearts performing first. They grabbed the audience of Decca contacts by playing a number of brand new tracks. Oxford-born soul singer Rhys Lewis was up next, serenading the audience with the accompaniment of his backing band. He performed his current single I Know The Feeling and fan favourite Waking Up Without You.

The Wandering Hearts’ marketing manager Chris Kershaw helped with the organisation of the event along with Decca senior product manager Holli Sullivan. He says, “We wanted to create a special evening to showcase two of our priority development artists. The focus was on getting a really strong turn from media, retail, sync and brand contacts, as we set up both of these artists for their debut albums which will be coming later this year and in Q1 next year.

“The two artists really complement each other and we liked the idea of combining their performances into one evening at a lovely venue to create more of a gig vibe as opposed to a standard showcase.”

Rhys Lewis has spent the past year in studios between London, Nashville, Stockholm, LA and Berlin, writing and recording music. His debut single Waking Up Without You became a Spotify sensation as it went straight to the number one spot on the Viral Chart, racking up millions of streams, and his headline show at London’s Servant Jazz Quarters sold out in just 48 hours.

The Wandering Hearts made their debut this year, being discovered by Decca only half an hour after uploading their first demo. It’s been a jam-packed year since, with the band playing at C2C: Country to Country festival, sold out headline shows, supporting Brothers Osborne, and playing festivals across the summer. The Folk-Americana four-piece have been championed by many music professionals, and been compared to The Shires, The Lumineers, Chris Stapleton and Fleetwood Mac.

New music is coming from both artists very soon. The Wandering Hearts are currently working on their debut album with producer Pete Hammerton which is due to be released later this year, and are supporting Tom Petty at British Summer Time this Sunday. Rhys Lewis has been playing a number of festivals, and will be doing some European dates in the autumn.

It’s been five months since Abbey Road opened the doors to its new studios: the Gatehouse and the Front Room – both built with the intention of making the magic of Abbey Road more accessible to emerging artists.

Sessions have been constant since the studios opened in March, and while a few established artists like Nile Rodgers, Jess Glynne, Skrillex and James Bay have taken full advantage of the state-of-the-art facilities, an array of up and coming artists have booked studio time, including JP Cooper, NAO and Oh Wonder. Grime artists Novelist and Jammer have also stepped away from their own home studios to try out the new spaces and the full Abbey Road experience.

Abbey Road’s head of brand and marketing Mark Robertson says, “The new studios were built into the existing fabric of Abbey Road, and all the artists we’ve interviewed have talked about them having the same special vibe as the rest of the building. We’ve had nothing but amazing feedback, particularly about the expertise and efficiency of our engineers, as well as the gear on offer and design of the rooms. One of my favourite quotes was from Novelist who said, ‘I feel just as legendary as the legends. I’m getting the same sound quality, energy, freedom and openness towards my music. It’s a blessing to be part of it’.”

Abbey Road further pushed the message of the accessibility of the studios by joining up with Metro to hold a Battle of the Bands competition. The competition was judged by the legendary Nile Rodgers, Metro’s music and arts journalist Malcolm Jack and Abbey Road engineer Matt Mysko. They went through over 500 entries, with the challenge of picking the best five tracks.

Last week, Abbey Road announced the winner of their competition as Australian four-piece The Bloom, who moved to London in search of their big break and to develop their music. Their indie track Burn Bright impressed both the judges and the public, with Metro describing it as “instant ear-candy.”

“We had a mammoth turnout with this competition, way more people applied than we expected,” adds Mark. “Nile was the one who got the final vote on the shortlist, but together the judges picked a really diverse mixture to go before the public vote. The finalists reinforce the fact that Abbey Road is open and accessible to everyone, no matter who you are or where you’re from.”

The Bloom were up against tough competition; the four runners-up were London-based pianist Florence Sabeva, Nigerian singer and keyboardist Tolaní, Swedish trip-hop group Brödet and Maidstone’s Beatles-inspired band Best Intentions. You can hear all the shortlisted entries on the competition website.

The Bloom have won a day’s recording in one of the new studios, and their record will be mastered by one of Abbey Road’s award-winning engineers.

Jax Jones is riding high following the worldwide success of his smash single You Don't Know Me. He looks set to continue his winning streak, joining up with pop superstar Demi Lovato and the UK's fiercest MC Stefflon Don for his latest single Instruction. Released via Polydor, the track is growing from strength to strength, which has propelled since the arrival of the vibrant music video.

The accompanying Carnival-themed video perfectly visualises the song's summer vibes, with Jax’s two collaborators adding extra swag and confidence to the video. In a week, it has racked up nearly ten million views on YouTube, and has peaked in the top 10 on the iTunes chart.

The continuous pick-up of Instruction has seen the video labelled as Box’s Fast Track video of the week and MTV's Most Wanted.

The track is doing equally well on the airwaves, climbing National Airplay chart, has been added to playlists at Kiss, Capital and across Bauer stations, as well as an A-List add at BBC Radio 1.

Jax's music is rooted in the hip hop, grime and house music he was surrounded by in his teenage years. These influences come through both in the studio and in his wild live sets - most recently in his sold out 'House Work' UK tour - where he helms all the instruments himself, layering them upon beats and bass for a fresh, modern take on an old-school sound.

You Don't Know Me has had over 275 million combined global streams and gone multi-platinum around the world, and with over 6.3m total Shazams, it flew to the number one spot on Shazam globally, making it Jax's biggest hit to date.

Jax Jones is in the midst of a busy summer, with appearances at Tomorrowland, Reading & Leeds, and Boardmasters to name just a few.

BBC Radio 5 Live came down to Island Records HQ in Kensington this week, handing over the mics to staff and artists to offer behind-the-scenes insight into the workings of the label. Hosted by Nihal Arthanayake, the show was taken over by Island for three hours, with exclusive interviews and performances from the likes of JP Cooper, Sigrid, Donae’o and Jessie Ware.

Island, being known for their culture, history and legacy as much as the extensive range and talent of their roster, were approached by the team at Radio 5 Live as part of a mission to offer more to their listeners. Their previous behind-the-scenes show focusing on the RAF’s Red Arrows proved a hit with the station’s listeners. Island were able to cover all eras and areas of the business and received high praise on social media and from the BBC team.

Island president Darcus Beese opened the show, which featured both upcoming and established artists. JP Cooper was interviewed and performed live, while Sigrid joined the conversation by phone to talk about signing to the label and releasing new music. Jessie Ware was accompanied by her marketing manager Johnny Brocklehurst to discuss the secrets of maintaining a long and successful career in the business in the run-up to the release of her third album Glasshouse.

Legendary Island Records founder Chris Blackwell provided many fascinating insights in an interview from his home in Jamaica, while Nihal also landed an exclusive chat with U2’s Adam Clayton, shared his memories about signing to the label. Island’s head of urban division Alex Boateng was joined by Donae'o and Bossman Birdie, where they talked about the urban culture and its growing influence in the UK.

The team at Island then talked about their jobs – the process of signing an artist, what makes a good marketing campaign and how things such as streaming and the digital world has evolved the music industry throughout the years. Newer members of staff bought a fresh energy when they came on to talk about their experience at the label before Darcus Beese came back on to close the show.

The publicity team’s Elspeth Merry says, “What a unique, terrifying and amazing experience! Once the nerves settled and we got used to 5 Live broadcasting live from the sofas (and hearing Darcus' voice come through our speakers as well as across the floor) we all had a fantastic time being part of such a huge event for Island. Nihal was an amazing ringleader, navigating through every facet of the company.”

Listen back in full here

Demi Lovato is one of the most followed artists in the world, with 61.1m followers on Instagram and over 49.3m on Twitter, so it’s no surprise her fanbase have been front and centre of Polydor’s UK campaign for her sixth album Tell Me You Love Me.

Polydor celebrated the release with fans at an album launch party at London’s Cuckoo Club earlier this week. Attendees at the candy-filled party got to hang out with Demi, be the first to hear tracks from the album and take part in a Q&A. There were more exclusive initiatives for UK fans, including a limited edition CD which sports a UK-only cover and includes a Demi-written postcard. Demi promoted the party heavily on social media, particularly Instagram, along with the pre-order link.

Polydor junior marketing manager Molly Ferrier says, “We’ve been able to have a lot of fun with the fan-facing elements of this campaign. Demi has a highly engaged core fanbase so we’ve strived to do something that really includes Demi’s UK fans and rewards them for being so engaged and supportive. It was great to see fans enjoy the new songs and meet Demi in such an intimate environment.”

The album follows three recent hits for Demi in the UK: its lead single Sorry Not Sorry peaked in the Top 10 and topped the trending chart, as well as holding a place in the Top 20 on iTunes and Spotify for over a month. She’s also had a global hit with her labelmates Jax Jones and Stefflon Don with Instruction, and collaborated with Cheat Codes on No Promises.

After joining Nick Grimshaw on Radio 1 and making an appearance on the Jonathan Ross Show, Demi headed back to the US to take part in Vevo Live today, answering questions from fans around the world, as well as an intimate audience gathered at Vevo’s HQ. The broadcast will be used to premiere exclusive performance videos, with fans able to share their reactions through a dedicated chat box.

Anyone can take a step closer to the Abbey Road experience by using the studios’ first ever app, Topline. The free app helps musicians record their musical ideas instantly and precisely, sketching the beginning of a song as it happens. You can share files easily, sing over imported tracks, add lyrics, tags and pictures, find previous work quickly, and always have space for new ideas by syncing songs to your cloud storage.

“As the recording process changes in ever dynamic ways, music making becomes more democratic,”  says Abbey Road’s senior digital manager Dominika Dronska. “We want to ensure that Abbey Road remains at the heart, and are actively looking for new ways to take our expertise beyond the walls of Abbey Road to support and enable creativity across all groups of music makers.”

To develop Topline, Abbey Road worked closely with emerging songwriters and producers from across London to understand their creative needs. They all shared a big concern about losing original song ideas – either through not being able to capture them easily when they occurred or by having issues locating them later.  This sounded like a challenge that Abbey Road could readily solve, and they did so by designing the intuitive and simple-to use-app with music at its heart.

Topline is the latest in a series of innovations designed to bring the Abbey Road magic closer to a wide range of music makers. This includes the online mastering and mixing alongside Abbey Road Red, a start-up incubator which has guided emerging music tech companies to success, as well as the opening of two new affordable studios and a Metro-sponsored Battle of the Bands competition.

Topline was launched this week on IOS in the UK, with plans to take it to the rest of the world. You can download the app today via the App Store – click here.

Universal Music UK teamed up with Urban Development at last week's BBC Introducing host Amplify event to curate and participate in a series of panels looking at issues including diversity, social media and the power of playlists.

Polydor’s marketing manager Tasha Demi spoke on a panel entitled ‘smashing the glass ceiling’, while Island’s Urban Division Manager Alex Boateng discussed building careers in urban music. Tasha Demi says, "“I had such a great time sitting on the panel at Amplify. I met so many amazing young people who actually ended up really inspiring me. To sit in a room with a bunch of like minded people to discuss something we all love – music – is the best feeling. I wish I knew about events like this when I was trying to land my first jobs in music!”

There were also A&R surgeries featuring Zeon Richards and Rich Castillo of Polydor – who both offered tips and feedback to emerging artists.

The joint effort was an extension of an existing relationship between Urban Development and Universal Music UK which sees Universal take a prominent role in the organisation's regular Industry Takeover events, with the aim of inspiring and helping young musicians as well as encouraging the next generation of executive talent.

All the sessions at Amplify proved hugely popular, with standing room only for anyone who didn't get there well ahead of kick off.

Rich Castillo said: "It was really good to give back at the Amplify A&R session. It's important that new artists get the opportunity to speak directly to music industry people on the frontline."

BBC Introducing hosts Amplify took place at London's ExCel from 6-8 October. There's an overview of the event here. You can find out more about Urban Development here.

Decca President Rebecca Allen had an afternoon to remember last Friday when she was named Business Woman of the Year at the Music Week Women in Music Awards.

Rebecca has led Decca through one of the most triumphant periods in the label’s history, enjoying success with breakthrough artists The Shires and Gregory Porter, as well as chart-topping duo Michael Ball & Alfie Boe, who had the best-selling album of 2016 and Christmas number one with Together. The duo recently scored another number one with their follow-up Together Again.

Becky, who was presented with her award by Imelda May, says, “I am truly thrilled to have won Business Woman of the Year. It’s a great honour to lead Decca and I’m so passionate about this label, our artists and the people I work with – I couldn’t have achieved this without their support. This is a constantly evolving industry and I am so proud to be able to be part of that change.”

Highly regarded for her passion, determination and ground-breaking attitude towards every area of music, Rebecca has pledged to turn the historic label into a ‘global music entertainment business’ and has since expanded the label into other areas including the launch of Decca Publishing, Decca Luxe and the new label imprint Mercury KX.

Working her way through the ranks, Rebecca joined Universal Classics & Jazz 17 years ago as a press assistant, later rising to the role of director of media. She remained with the label after it was renamed Decca Records in 2009, becoming General Manager in 2012, Managing Director in 2014 and then President this year – the first female president at any UK major label.

During her time at Decca, Rebecca has signed major artists including legendary film composer Ennio Morricone and Norwegian songstress Aurora. She has united two beloved singers Michael Ball and Alfie Boe and turned them into a best-selling duo, has put UK country music in the spotlight with the success of The Shires, helped bring jazz to a wider audience with Gregory Porter and Melody Gardot, and championed young classical stars such as Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Nicola Benedetti and Milos. Rebecca continues to work closely with many high-profile artists including Rod Stewart, Andrea Bocelli, The Lumineers and Ludovico Einaudi.

The Shires manager Steve Morton was one of many to sing Becky’s praises in a tribute video shown at Friday’s awards. He says,  “Becky is a rare breed- running Decca requires thinking outside the box. Many of their acts don't follow the standard route to market, each project requires a unique strategy. You only have to have one meeting with Becky to see her in action- she overflows with ideas, strategies and a unique approach to each release. More importantly, she is a dream to work alongside with the most amazing vibrant personality, and quite simply never gives up. As a manager of artists what else could you ask of someone driving your campaign.”
 
Read about all the winners at last week’s awards here.

Island Records marked the launch of the mayor’s London Needs You Alive campaign last week with an Island Life event featuring a guest appearance from grime MC Bossman Birdie.

Bossman Birdie is one of the influencers at the forefront of Sadiq Kahn's anti-knife crime campaign which aims to inspire 12-16 year olds in and around London to realise their potential. In 2016, knife crime across England and Wales rose by 14%; this year it has already claimed the life of 40 Londoners under 25.

Island got involved with the campaign after being approached by a contact from the AMV BBDO agency. For over two months, senior digital marketing manager Faye Williams has been working with the Island team to get the it off the ground.

Faye says, “This campaign aims to spread a positive and inspirational message – we want it to trickle down from our artists and partners to the young people of London. We were keen to help out with the campaign as the issue of knife crime is close to a lot of our hearts, and a serious problem that London is facing, yet it’s something people are not sure on how to combat. This launch is simply an opportunity for anybody to indicate if they would like to come on board to support, with phase two utilizing that support led by the Mayor’s team.”

Island held their launch party to spread the campaign's intentions and message. It was attended by contacts, creatives, influencers and artists, including Kiko Bun and Blessed, and ended with a performance from Bossman Birdie who showcased his new track Good Good, which was released the same day.

Bossman Birdie has been working with the campaign team to capture content which shares his story of growing up in London, telling how he turned himself around to become a well-respected figure in the UK’s urban music scene. The North London MC was seen sharing his insights in a BBC London News piece about the campaign launch last Wednesday evening.

Speaking at the campaign’s launch, Bossman Birdie said, “The London Needs You Alive campaign really resonated with me and I now want the opportunity to communicate to the youths of London that it is possible to make changes to create a better life if you just stick at it, whatever your skills are.”

Various campaigners and figureheads have joined Bossman Birdie in supporting and facing the campaign, including Virgin EMI’s urban poet Hussain Manawer as well as rapper Yungun and blogger The Slumflower.

The announcement encouraged anybody keen to support the campaign to simply share the video or logo with #LondonNeedsYouAlive on social media.

London Needs You Alive follows in-depth research and analysis with communities and young Londoners who are most affected by knife crime. It also has the support of youth workers and families who have tragically lost loved ones and are now dedicating their lives to tackling the issue. It will be supported by an educational toolkit for schools and community groups, which will roll out in the coming months.

It seems that Island are well on the way of making Sigrid the next big popstar. The label signed the small town Norwegian last year with no fan base or online presence, but Sigrid enters the new year as one of the most hotly tipped artists, and the winner of  BBC’s Sound Of 2018.

BBC have been early supporters of the rising star, recognising Sigrid for her “stunning Scandipop bangers” and “confidence and charisma that belies her 21 years”, as reasons she made the longlist. Speaking of her win on Radio 1 this morning, Clara Amfo described her songs as “anthems” and she received praise from Annie Mac about her versatility, calling her "literally the perfect pop star".

Aged just 21, she is one of the youngest artists to receive the honour - beaten only by Adele who was 19 when she topped the 2008 list.

She appears on a number of prolific tipped lists for this year, including MTV’s Brand New, Vevo dscvr, Ticketmaster’s New for 2018, and Apple Music New Artists, as well as lists from Amazon, The Line of Best Fit and Billboard.

Sigrid burst onto the scene last February with the release of her debut single Don’t Kill My Vibe, marking the start of an establishing year for the singer. Despite having no following, the single racked up a triumphant 4.2 million streams in just three weeks. Her talent was showcased with the DKMV EP, which was made up of catchy pop songs such as Plot Twist, as well as showing off her voice in powerful ballads like Dynamite.

Other highlights from her year included facing Topshop’s international Christmas campaign, recording the opening track of the Justice League soundtrack, and receiving a nod of approval from Sir Elton John.

Sigrid will head on a sold out eight-date UK tour in March, where she will be playing at London’s O2 Empire. She will also be taking on one of her biggest festival yet, performing on the Beyoncé-headlined night of Coachella in April. She’s been in the UK this week for a heavy promo trip, so expect to see lots more to come from the star in the upcoming months and throughout the rest of the year.

Over the last two weeks, 38 trainees from East London Arts & Music (ELAM) have been working with many of the teams across Universal Music. They finished their work experience with a showcase in our Kensington High Street cafe (pictured is Lucy Kevil with guitarist Molly Burman)

Sarah Parke, who has been working with the UK communications team has interviewed some of her fellow trainees to get the lowdown on their time at Universal. She said: “By having conversations with my peers they would agree that the past two weeks have been an incredible experience. Learning about the industry has been an eye opener, particularly seeing just how much works goes in behind the scenes. I think one of my personal highlights was being able to watch Jhené Aiko in concert where she performed her latest album at KOKO Camden. An hour of queuing in freezing temperatures was well worth it!”

Jennifer Damian who worked with UMC’s A&R team says, “I found the whole two weeks fun and pretty interesting. I have learnt a lot of new things about jobs that I didn’t even know existed, and I feel that the things I have learnt to do will help me in the future. My highlight was visiting the EMI Archives. It was so interesting to learn about the history of EMI and see how all the music we have is stored.”

Lily Cowan, who has been working with the international marketing team said, “I have loved spending two weeks here and I don’t want to leave! I have learnt so much and met some brilliant people. Working here has also given me a different perspective on the music industry which I am grateful for.”

Polydor A&R trainee, Ellie Carney said, “I’ve found my work experience really beneficial to me and my career. Meeting people with experience in the industry and networking has been a big highlight. Getting to know how the world of A&R works has also been amazing.”

Naomi Frimpong, who has been working with Polydor’s marketing team said, “My experience has allowed me to understand what will occur when I become an artist in terms of promoting music and how it will be advertised on different platforms such as Snapchat and advertisements on TV or online.”

Universal Music is a founding partner of ELAM, the free school for 16-19-year-olds set up in September 2014 by Will Kennard, one half of Virgin EMI recording artists Chase & Status. This is the fourth year Universal Music has taken trainees and ahead of the work experience, the HR team hosted a workshop at the school to provide the students with practical advice on writing cover letters, putting together a CV and how to gain the most out of their experience. Universal Music also provides masterclasses and mentors for many of the trainees throughout the year.

ELAM continues to go from strength to strength and last year was given the highest possible grading - “Outstanding” – in its first inspection by Ofsted, the UK government’s Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills.

AMF/Virgin EMI’s Loyle Carner, who is up for two awards at next week’s BRIT Awards, has kicked off the year in style after winning Best British Solo Artist at last night’s NME Awards. Loyle used his acceptance speech to shine alight on ADHD and Dyslexia. He said: “If you’ve got ADHD and Dyslexia, keep answering back and keep answering questions. ADHD is a superpower.” In 2016, Loyle set up Chilli Con Carner, a cooking school for children with ADHD.

 There were two more wins for Virgin EMI. Bastille picked up Best Collaboration for their single with Craig David, I Know You, while Lorde picked up Best International Artist while also being nominated for both Best Track and Best Live Artist. In a recorded message, she said NME understood Green Light like almost no-one else.

Polydor’s Stefflon Don, who opened this week’s awards show with a fierce performance of her single Ding-a-Ling alongside Skepta, picked up Best New Artist to add to her recent MOBO for Best Female Act. The rapper continues to make waves in the UK urban scene after breaking through with the recent success of her single Hurtin’ Me and featuring on Instruction with Demi Lovato and Jax Jones. On collecting her award, she spoke of her appreciation for the UK and declared that “This is for the women”.

In more success for Polydor, Haim took home Best International band for the second time since 2014. The Los Angeles based sisters thanked NME for always being champions of their music and teased their UK tour when chatting backstage.

On the back of their Mercury-nominated album, Love In The 4th Dimension, Fiction’s The Big Moon beat off stiff competition from the likes of Charli XCX, Pale Waves, and Dua Lipa to claim Best Music Video with their western classic, Sucker.

Ariana Grande was announced as Hero of the Year following the traumatic events at her Manchester concert last year. A statement from her team said that Ariana, an Island artist in the UK, would like to dedicate the award to the people of Manchester, “the brave young men and women who stand together.” Her One Love Manchester concert following the incident was also honoured as Music Moment of the Year.

Abbey Road Studios was named 2018 Studio of the Year at the Music Producers Guild (MPG) Awards this week.

The prestigious award came after a pivotal year for Abbey Road which has seen its biggest transformation since opening 86 years ago. In 2017 Abbey Road added to the legendary Studios One, Two and Three with the addition of:

• two new studios designed to make the magic of Abbey Road more accessible to emerging artists.  The Gatehouse and the Front Room are two smaller rooms built into the fabric of the facility and retaining the same creative vibe as the rest of the building.  They have already played host to JP Cooper, Jess Glynne, James Bay, Skrillex, Ben Howard, Nao, Mura Masa and Kelela as well as grime MCs Novelist and Jammer BBK, and legends like Nile Rodgers and Noel Gallagher.

• A Mix Stage for film sound post production that is Dolby Atmos® Premier accredited and IMAX audio compatible, extending Abbey Road’s iconic film score business with the ability to create the final sound mix, blending the score, sound effects and dialogue. It has already won the ‘Best New Audio Facility’ award from Resolution magazine.

• A new production suite The Garage– home to new Abbey Road residents Neighbourhood Management and their roster, including the much-tipped Dave.

Isabel Garvey, Abbey Road Studios’ MD says: “We are honoured and thrilled to have won Studio of the Year at the MPG Awards. Last year was a transformative year for Abbey Road with the launch of three new studio spaces making the Studios more accessible to all artists. The award, therefore, comes at a hugely relevant moment for us.

“Abbey Road Studios would not be what it is without the amazing recording, mixing and mastering engineers, technical team and all the staff who work so hard to make Abbey Road the magical inspirational creative place that it is. I am humbled every day by the talent we have in this wonderful building - this award is theirs.”

_{Assistant Engineer Paul Pritchard with the award}

Last year the main studios hosted recordings by Liam Gallagher for this album As You Were, Florence + The Machine, Mabel and Stefflon Don among many others. Abbey Road remains one of the leading destinations for recording award-winning scores, with 2017 repertoire including  Alien:Covenant, Baby Driver, and Black Panther.

Among other highlights, Abbey Road has continued to support the endeavours of music makers of all levels of experience, all over the world with:

• the launch of Abbey Road’s first app – Topline – a free app to capture song ideas while on the go, designed with emerging songwriters and producers from across London.

• enhanced online services, whereby anyone anywhere in the world can have their track mixed and mastered by Abbey Road’s award-winning mixing and mastering engineers

• new audio products such as the award-winning REDD Microphone – a $4,500 product receiving consistent acclaim from artists, producers and studios, plus 10 out of 10 reviews – and the ground-breaking Abbey Road Vinyl Plugin.

Creatively, Abbey Road appointed legendary photographer Jill Furmanovsky as Abbey Road’s ‘artist in residence’.  Jill has an incredible history with the studios, capturing iconic moments with Pink Floyd in the 1970s and Oasis in the 1990s.  As part of this new role, Jill has photographed orchestral sessions as well as Mura Masa, Nile Rodgers, Novelist, DJ Yoda, JP Cooper, Royal Blood and Noel Gallagher.

The Abbey Road Shop continues to be a focal point for the 500k visitors to the zebra crossing, with new product ranges being introduced – from a unique collaboration with The Beatles to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Sgt Pepper to a new interpretation of the 1972 Abbey Road logo.

Following a whirlwind two years including sold out US tours, a UK number two single and a BRIT nomination, Calum Scott has released his much anticipated debut album via Virgin EMI in the UK.
 
Calum first shot to fame in 2015 after reaching the final of Britain’s Got Talent. The following year, he independently released a cover of Robyn’s Dancing On My Own, which surpassed 550m streams worldwide as well as earning him a top two hit in the UK and a 2017 BRIT nomination for Best Single. That round of success earned him a record deal with Capitol worldwide.
 
Virgin EMI’s campaign for his debut album has capitalised on Dancing On My Own’s success. Last year’s single You Are The Reason has been a focal point with Virgin EMI triggering a groundswell of fan activity via an innovative online activation allowing fans to send a virtual message in a bottle to the ‘reason’ in their life. The track’s official video has already amassed over 58m views on YouTube, rising to 75m across all video versions.
 
A duet of You Are The Reason with Leona Lewis was also released ahead of Valentine’s Day last month and was performed on The One Show and Lorraine, firing the track into the Top 20 on iTunes with streams doubling within two weeks.
 
The album has already been well received, with Calum starring on the cover of Gay Times, the magazine hailing the debut as “impressive and affecting”.
 
Marketing manager Ian Carew says, “We started working with Calum in 2016 when he released his cover of Robyn’s Dancing On My Own which went on to become that year’s biggest selling single by a UK artist.
 
“We always knew that he had so much more to offer as he has an incredible voice and the lyrics to his original songs like You Are The Reason really connect with people. There will be much more to come from the Only Human album this year.”
 
Calum has also announced his first headline UK Tour, which kicks off in Dublin next month.

Island’s urban division are heavily involved in forthcoming British crime thriller THE INTENT 2: THE COME UP.

Island have joined forces with independent distributor Vertigo Releasing for the UK and Ireland release of the film which is the prequel to the underground 2016 hit The Intent. Written by and starring both Nicky Slimting Walker (It’s A Lot) and Femi Oyeniran (Kidulthood, Adulthood) the gripping thriller was shot on the streets of London and Jamaica and features well-known faces across grime music and previous stars of British urban films. The cast includes Virgin EMI’s Krept & Konan, Island’s Fekky, BET nominee Ghetts, dancehall artist Popcaan, BAFTA winner Adam Deacon (Kidulthood), Ashley Chin (Anuvahood), Sharon Duncan-Brewster and Dylan Duffus (The Intent).

Island’s urban division are acting as cultural advisors to the production, while also assisting on the curation of the film’s soundtrack.

Island president Darcus Beese says “We are really excited to be in business with Nicky and Femi, these guys have made a dope film and we want to help them bring it to as big an audience as possible. With the new Urban Division under Alex Boateng, Island is looking to be involved in, and to affect, the culture in new ways and this film gives us the opportunity to be a part of the film making process and to shine a light on the incredible talent, writers, director and, actors in this country.”

Nicky Slimting Walker and Femi Oyeniran add, “It has always been our dream to work with a record label as we’ve always believed they have more understanding of the commercial potency of Black British culture. Island’s history made them a perfect home for us. To be able to team up with Vertigo who have brought us some of the most successful home-grown films in the past decade makes this a winning combination.”

THE INTENT 2: THE COME UP centres on Jay (Ghetts) who has big dreams; but his ambitions are crippled by his allegiance to both his crew and Hackney crime boss Beverley (Sharon). Jay sets about laying the foundations for his own organised crime ring with the help of Mustafa (Adam Deacon). Things are going well until Beverley discovers his disloyalty, and an ill-fated robbery in North London and a trip to Jamaica tears the crew apart. All the while, their actions are being monitored by an undercover Met Police officer, who has been deployed to integrate himself into the crew.

The film is slated for UK and Ireland release this Autumn.

Next month, Universal Music staff are will be taking part in both the Universal Music Ride and the 2018 London Marathon for inspiring causes and charities.

On May 22, the annual London Marathon returns and this year’s runners from Universal Music - Carolyn Agger, Kris Maher, Lee Jenson, Callum Galbraith, Serena Butterworth, Tony Fletcher, Tom Jones and Michael Pickard - have been training and fundraising for the big day.

Tony Fletcher (pictured below), senior TV manager at Island, is taking part in this year’s marathon for Marie Curie. Tony lost his Dad to cancer last year and Marie Curie supported his family throughout their last couple of weeks together at the charity’s hospice in Liverpool. Marie Curie work to help families cope with terminal illness through their nurses, volunteers and at their hospices.

Tony says, “I really don’t know how the family would have coped without Marie Curie and so I really want to try and give something back and had the bright and foolish idea to run the London Marathon. I have never done anything like this before, the last time I ran was over 25 years ago in the school relay team!”

Kris Maher, A&R manager at UMC, is running for Ambitious about Autism, a national charity for children and young people with autism. Kris has always wanted to raise awareness of mental health and has been volunteering for Dexter (a young boy on the spectrum) for the past five years. Ambitious about Autism provide services, raise awareness and campaign for change - studies show that the disability affects 1 in 100 people in the UK.

Kris says, “Getting to know Dexter, seeing him grow up, spending time with him and helping his family has been an amazing experience and has made me want to help raise awareness and money for anyone who is on the spectrum. I have never run or attempted to run a marathon so this will be a big task for me!” As an extra incentive, Kris is growing his beard and not shaving until he has completed the race.

Also from UMC, A&R co-ordinator Carolyn Agger is proud to be running for Rethink Mental Illness after being inspired by Mind Over Marathon, a BBC series that followed a group of 10 runners affected by mental health who competed in the 2017 London Marathon. Carolyn is aiming to raise £2000 for the charity, which work to change attitudes for millions through campaigning as well as supporting 60,000 people every year to get through crises and live independently.

Carolyn says, “Training throughout the winter, particularly in the snow, has been pretty tough but I’m proud to be running for Rethink and am now really looking forward to the challenge!’

Lee Jenson, director of marketing at UMC, has always wanted the run the London Marathon and has decided to support MS-UK, a small national charity dedicated to empowering people affected by multiple sclerosis to make the most of today, and live life to the full. Lee is close to people who suffer from the condition and MS-UK provide support through professional services that include a national helpline, a wellness centre and counselling service.

For Serena Butterworth, senior licensing co-ordinator at UMC, the marathon has always been something she’d like to take part in and so she is running this year for Alzheimer’s Society. The charity supports anyone affected by dementia and aim to keep those with dementia connected to the people who matter most in their lives. There are 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to over 1m by 2025. Serena lost her grandmother to Alzheimer’s last month and so has a very personal connection to the charity through assisting and advising her family.

Serena says, “So far the training for this has been more challenging mentally than physically, I’m looking forward to the day though and am ready to take on the challenge!”

Tom Jones, commercial partnerships assistant, has Cystic Fibrosis and is planning to raise £2500 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. The UK charity focusses on raising awareness of cystic fibrosis, whilst fighting to allow those with the condition to live a healthy, happy and non-limited life. Over 2.5m people in the UK carry the faulty gene that causes the disorder and Tom wants to prove that despite having it, he won’t let it restrict him from running the 26 miles.

Tom says, “I personally feel that a condition should never hold you back from doing what you want in life and if anything, the training really helps my lungs so it’s a win-win! If I can increase the awareness of the charity and shine a spotlight on what CF entails, it makes it easier for the next person with CF and shows them that despite having the condition you can still achieve and take part in events like the marathon - then that’s my job done. Let’s see off cystic fibrosis!”

Michael Pickard, radio promotions manager at Virgin EMI, and his partner Sarah set themselves a challenge to complete the Great North Run, Liverpool Half Marathon, London Marathon and Mount Kilimanjaro climb. With two complete, they are now preparing for the London Marathon. The pair have already raised £1500 for the Cancer Research UK and £1434 for Macmillan and in memory of the two family members they both lost to cancer, they hope to raise £4000 in total. Macmillan support those with cancer and their families and Cancer Research UK aim to help beat cancer faster.

Callum Galbraith (pictured above), communications manager, is running for Addaction, one of the UK’s largest charities directly tackling the stigma and perceptions around addiction and mental health problems, as well as providing hands on services for people and families in need. Callum decided to run the marathon as a personal challenge but also because of how the Addaction ethos connected to him.

Callum says, “Addiction and mental health are an ever-growing concern in our society and I believe people should have access to help wherever possible and be able to talk about their issues freely without fear of repercussions. Training six days a week has been tough, but it’s been so worth it. I’m really looking forward to the big day.”

Four years after the release of the chart-topping I Forget Where We Were, Island’s Brit-winning troubadour Ben Howard has announced details of his new album.

Noonday Dream, due out on June 1st, is being welcomed with the seven-minute epic A Boat To An Island On The Wall, which launched on Wednesday as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record on Radio 1. Noonday Dream has also been made available to pre-order alongside details of Howard’s European tour which includes two nights at Hammersmith’s Eventim Apollo on June 13 and 14.

Island marketing manager Sam Flynn says, “Ben is a timeless, unique artist who is unlike any other on our roster. He’s a true visionary and we are excited to see him bring his new sounds into 2018.”

Ben’s first album, Every Kingdom, released in 2011, debuted at number seven on the UK album charts before going on to sell a million copies. In 2013, Ben capped a fantastic two years by picking up two Brit Awards for British Breakthrough and British Solo Male Artist.

When Prince Harry marries Meghan Markle next month, the ceremony will be recorded live and released on Decca Records within hours of the service ending. Decca is capturing the entire Royal Wedding service which will include a performance by their star cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason.

Last June, Prince Harry saw 19-year-old Sheku play at an event in London in support of the work of Antiguan charity The Halo Foundation, and was clearly impressed with his performance. Sheku says of the opportunity, “I’m so excited and honoured to perform at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding. I was bowled over when Ms Markle called me to ask if I would play during the ceremony, and of course I immediately said yes! What a privilege to be able to play the cello at such a wonderful event. I can’t wait!”

Sheku, who won BBC Young Musician 2016 and released his debut album Inspiration this year, has garnered huge critical acclaim for his performances with The Times describing him as “spellbinding” and “magnetic”, ensuring that this Royal Wedding performance is sure to be an unforgettable one.

The official recording of the Wedding Service, to be held at Windsor Castle on Saturday May 19, will be available to listen to at home that same day and released into retail stores around the world from May 25 through Decca. The physical album will include a special collector’s booklet and will also be made available on vinyl.

Decca President Rebecca Allen, says “Decca is hugely proud of its historical connections to The Royal Family and is very much looking forward to recording, and making available within hours, this truly special event. This unique and prestigious occasion will be available to stream across all music platforms globally - a first for a Royal Wedding.”

Decca will make a donation per album sold to support the charitable work of The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. The Royal Foundation is used as the main vehicle for Their Royal Highnesses' philanthropic activities and Ms. Markle will join The Royal Foundation as its fourth Patron.

Confirmed to perform at the wedding ceremony alongside Sheku include Welsh soprano Elin Manahan Thomas, The Choir of St George’s Chapel and Christian gospel group The Kingdom Choir. The orchestra will be made up of musicians from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the English Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonia all under the direction by James Vivian, Director of Music at St George’s Chapel. The album will be produced by one of the world's finest classical record producers, Anna Barry.
 
Decca previously recorded and released the Wedding of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011, as well as the Wedding of The Prince and Princess of Wales in 1981, and the Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997. This uniquely original new recording will be the next in a historic line to mark major milestones for The Royal Family, and it will be entering the homes of millions across the world.

Post Malone’s loyal community of UK fans have helped drive him to the top of the UK album charts this week with his sophomore album Beerbongs & Bentleys, released this week by Island.

The genre-defying maverick has also stormed the UK singles charts with three tracks from the album (the maximum number allowed by new chart rules) making the Top 20 today. On Post Malone’s home turf in the US, where he is signed to Republic, Beerbongs & Bentleys went platinum in just four days and has smashed first day streaming records on Spotify with 79m global streams.

Island have focused much of their marketing online and rolled out an interactive “if you were Post Malone, what would your album name be?” feature alongside plastering outdoor billboards and posters across London.

Island marketing manager Ciara Hanley says, “His success has been astonishing and overwhelming, I feel that the speed at which he’s created a loyal community of fans in the UK following the success of rockstar came out of nowhere. Post Malone is a real global streaming artist who shows the true power of streaming and, coming from a YouTube background, the power in DIY. The success now is truly rewarding and great to be a part of, I don’t think anyone could have predicted this amount of support. Now with this album, I feel there’s so much more to come, we’re really looking forward to what the next few months have in store.”

Beerbongs And Bentleys represents yet another creative breakthrough for the 22-year-old since the success of his 2016 Top 10 album Stoney.The track listing includes the four-week chart-topper rockstar as well as current Top 10 hit Psycho.

Island will be welcoming Post Malone to the UK for Wireless Festival on Friday July 6 and Reading and Leeds on Friday August 24.

Virgin EMI have been whipping up excitement ahead of this week’s release of James Bay’s highly anticipated second album, Electric Light.

The album launches as a follow up to his 2015 internationally acclaimed, BRIT and triple Grammy nominated debut, Chaos & The Calm, and will be accompanied by UK tour dates including a London show at The Roundhouse on May 29.

The record marks a new phase for James where he aspires to push his musical boundaries and transform his style, as he noted, “If I had to describe my first album visually it would probably be a flame - while this new album is about a real sonic and artistic evolution for me. The feeling of a 100 watt bulb expanding and brightening is what I envisioned. Electric Light came to my mind and I knew it was perfect.”

The campaign has targeted album pre-orders from the outset, with recent releases Wild Love, Pink Lemonade, Us and Slide, all being made available to fans who pre-ordered the new album

Wild Love has already amassed over 15m Spotify streams, with Pink Lemonade‘s intergalactic-themed music video quickly hitting the 3m view mark. Across the globe James has already earned widespread critical acclaim from the likes of NME, Time, GQ, Rolling Stone and Billboard.

James is set for a run of sold out UK dates to coincide with the album release, as well as an expanded North American tour later in the year.