AWAL, Kobalt’s recording company, has signed new artist deals with Liverpool indie-rock band The Night Café, who have extended their worldwide agreement, while hip hop artist Little Simz and her label AGE 101 has joined the roster.
The Night Café deal has been extended following two successful EP releases which amassed more than 20 million streams.
AWAL Recordings will offer the band a full range of services, including global marketing, campaign coordination, synch licensing, and global physical and digital distribution.
The signing continues a relationship with The Night Café’s manager, Simon Bobbett, who also manages fellow AWAL Recordings artists, The Wombats.
AWAL’s VP A&R, Matt Riley, said: “We’re delighted to cement a longer term deal with The Night Café.
“The Night Café join an ever growing bunch of artists finding success on their own terms, retaining control of their copyrights whilst accessing AWAL’s global team and expertise to empower their career.”
matt riley, awal
“Over the past couple of years myself, Zoe Warshaw and the team here at AWAL have been bringing them up through the gears in what is a fantastic artist development story for us.
“They join an ever growing bunch of artists finding success on their own terms, retaining control of their copyrights whilst accessing AWAL’s global team and expertise to empower their career.”
Bobbett added: “The band have been working with Kobalt / AWAL for a number of years now and it felt like the natural progression – when something is working why change it!
“The band have amassed over 20 million streams on their first 2 x EP releases, which for a new guitar band is really encouraging, and the support from Kobalt / AWAL to date has been crucial in reaching those numbers.
“We look forward to working with the label on the band’s debut album and what is exciting is these numbers are predominantly UK based.”
The deal with award-winning UK artist Little Simz and AGE 101 arrives ahead of her third solo LP which will be released soon.
AWAL will offer Simz a full range of services, including global marketing, campaign coordination, synch licensing, global physical and digital distribution, as well as label support for developing artists.
The company first worked with Simz to distribute her debut album A Curious Tale of Trials+Persons in 2015.
All in all, she has released two albums, three mixtapes and eight EPs through AGE 101.
Collaborators include Alt-J, Gorillaz, Kehlani, Stormzy, Kano, Khalid, Syd (The Internet), Bibi Bourelly, Chip, Mahalia, Jack Garratt and MNEK amongst others.
Paul Hitchman, President of AWAL, said of the deal: “Simbi is a truly independent artist in every sense, with a strong creative and business vision.
“Simbi is a truly independent artist in every sense, with a strong creative and business vision. The whole AWAL team is very excited to be back working together on her new record.”
Paul Hitchman, AWAL
“Having worked so successfully with Simbi and her management team on the first Little Simz record, the whole AWAL team is very excited to be back working together on her new record.
“Creatively this record is a big step forward, which opens up huge opportunity globally for such an innovative and influential artist, and we look forward to another successful partnership.”
Little Simz added: “The AWAL team truly understands my creative vision and where I want to take my music.
“I couldn’t be more excited to have their support as I continue to grow and expand my career as an independent artist on a global scale.”
Music Business Worldwide
