Entertainment One has cemented its ambition to crack the UK music market with the addition of dance music management company Hardlivings.
Hardlivings looks after British dance acts Riton (pictured), Duke Dumont producer Jax Jones and TIEKS.
The latter is behind Ministry of Sound track Sunshine feat. Dan Harkna, which has been rising up the UK Singles Chart recently (currently at No.15) thanks to a sync for Fiat’s 500 TV advertising campaign.
eOne has been best known for its film and TV production work, but also runs a thriving music division which operates across management, label and publishing.
Hardlivings is helmed by Dan Stacey (pictured, right).
Previously, Stacey managed and A&R’d the rise of Duke Dumont, who enjoyed two Grammy nominations, two UK #1 singles and over 3 million single sales.
Prior to that he was an A&R at Nick Worthington’s 679 Recordings where he signed UK artists Plan B and Kano, and put together the seminal Run the Road grime compilations.
Stacey and his team will be based in eOne’s London office.
The Hardlivings deal follows similar arrangements with independent Canadian recording, publishing and artist management firm Last Gang (Lights, Arkells, Diana Gordon), which was acquired by eOne in March.
As part of the arrangement, Last Gang founder Chris Taylor was named CEO of eOne Music.
The Ozone Management Group of Companies – WRC Management (Kaytranada, Sango, STWO, Pomo, Lou Phelps) and People’s Champ (Ryan Hemsworth, Badbadnotgood) – also sit under eOne.
Discussing the Hardlivings deal, Taylor (pictured) said:
“Dan has built an incredible roster of talent by nurturing creative ability to its full artistic potential.”
chris taylor, eone music
“Dan has built an incredible roster of talent by nurturing creative ability to its full artistic potential.
“eOne Music’s global resources and network will enable Dan and his artists to maximise that potential on a worldwide basis.”
Stacey added: “Chris and I first crossed paths working together on Death From Above 1979 shortly after he launched Last Gang. Since then, he’s been a true force in the industry.
“I’m very excited to extend our working relationship under eOne Music, which will undoubtedly provide an incredible multidimensional platform for my artist rosters to blossom in the years ahead.”
In January, eOne acquired Americana/folk specialist Dualtone Records, home of The Lumineers. The band’s latest album on Dualtone, Cleopatra, topped the Billboard 200 in April.
In the same month, Taylor hired Meg Symsyk – who spent the previous eight years in artist management at Toronto’s SRO Management/Anthem Entertainment Group – to help run eOne Music internationally.
eOne Music parent Entertainment One has offices in Canada, the US, the UK, Ireland, Spain, the Benelux, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
In addition to Dualtone and Last Gang, its sub-labels include gospel brand Light Records and Broadway specialist DRG Records.
Its label roster includes top-selling rapper The Game and former Destiny’s Child member and gospel artist Michelle Williams.
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