Cooking Vinyl is launching an office in Australia, working with Universal‘s Caroline Label Services as its exclusive distribution partner in the territory.
Cooking Vinyl Australia will sign both local and international artists and represent the wider Cooking Vinyl Records roster in Australia and New Zealand. It will be jointly headed by Australian music industry veterans, Leigh Gruppetta, formerly General Manager, Music at Shock Records (with previous posts at Warner Music, Festival Mushroom), and Stu Harvey, former Senior International Label Manager at Shock (previously with Jive/Zomba, Mushroom and UNFD). Shock’s long-term CEO David Williams left the company at the end of 2011.
CV Australia will offer services such as strategic project management to a number of renowned local and international labels. These include BMG Rights, Dine Alone, Kemado, Lex, Mexican Summer, New Damage, Resist and Stones Throw. There has been early chart success via an ARIA top 4 debut for City and Colour‘s The Hurry and The Harm.
Said Martin Goldschmidt, Cooking Vinyl founder & CEO “Having enjoyed our best ever year in 2012 in the USA with Marilyn Manson, The Cult and The Cranberries, Australia was next on the list for Cooking Vinyl’s international expansion plans. Tim (Janes, Caroline Label Services), Leigh and Stu have looked after us for the last decade in Australia. Getting them into Cooking Vinyl Australia is a dream. It’s our friends and the A team for Australia.”
Stu Harvey commented “I’ve always been a huge fan of the modern, artist-friendly approach that Cooking Vinyl takes. They understand their role in the team and how to play it. I was thrilled to be approached and very excited to join such a progressive music company.”
Leigh Gruppetta added “The opportunity to be a part of Cooking Vinyl’s continued growth in the global market is beyond exciting. I’ve always held the label in very high regard and have watched it develop a truly progressive and dynamic model over the years. To be welcomed into the Cooking Vinyl family is incredibly humbling.”
General Manager of Caroline Label Services Tim Janes said “Cooking Vinyl is effectively our first new label partner under our just-established Caroline Label Services Australia, and we couldn’t be happier. Martin and his team have continually evolved their business to suit the changing needs of artists and the recorded music market, and they will continue to be desirable label partners due to their innovation and passion.
“The label has enjoyed some great success over the years in Australia and establishing Cooking Vinyl Australia is an exciting initiative that we just had to be a part of. We can’t think of a better team to drive their Australian business forward than Stu Harvey and Leigh Gruppetta. We’re incredibly excited about the potential of this label partnership and the artists it will bring into the fold”.
[Pictured: Leigh Gruppetta (left) and Stu Harvey (right)]Music Business Worldwide
