Peermusic UK has signed a joint venture with legendary UK radio personality Bob Harris and the music platform Under The Apple Tree (UTAT), which he founded.
The deal establishes a publishing division for UTAT via the joint venture.
Bob Harris OBE has been involved in the UK music scene for the best part of fifty years, having established a worldwide reputation as one of the most influential broadcasters of his generation, from his work in the 1970s on BBC Radio 1 and the Old Grey Whistle Test TV shows to his current program Bob Harris Country on BBC Radio 2.
In 2011, Harris received an OBE for his services to music broadcasting. He has twice been named International Music Broadcaster of the Year by Country Music Association – who also awarded him the prestigious Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award in 2012.
He is also a fellow of University of Northampton, has received a UK Heritage Award, a Mojo Medal and was inducted into UK Radio Hall of Fame in 2009.
“Bob Harris is a consummate music man who has championed many iconic artists and songwriters throughout his career. He continues to be a trusted guide to millions who have music at the centre of their lives.”
Nigel Elderton, peermusic UK
Harris is also a respected and successful writer, having co-founded Time Out magazine in 1968 and currently has his own column in Maverick Magazine.
In 2015, he published the second edition of his autobiography Still Whispering After All These Years.
Harris, his wife Trudie and their son Miles run the multi award-winning Whispering Bob Broadcasting Company (WBBC) – an independent boutique production house.
WBBC curates and captures Under The Apple Tree Sessions in Harris’s own Apple Tree Studio – highlighting the best emerging talent from UK, US and elsewhere.
The team have additionally made programs for BBC Four and SkyArts – including Bob Harris: My Nashville and the Back To…TV series and won two Sony Radio Awards for the radio documentaries The Day John Met Paul and The Sandy Denny Story both broadcast on BBC Radio 2.
Following two sold out shows during Country Music Week, Under The Apple Tree will be at Country Music Week 2019 again with a showcase at Bush Hall on October 24 featuring peermusic’s new signing Foreign Affairs along with Robert Vincent and Curse of Lono.
Under The Apple Tree will also be hosting an evening of acoustic music at Groucho Unplugged on October 27, 2019 featuring Robert J. Hunter, Waiting for Smith, Hattie Whitehead, and Karima Francis.
“Bob Harris is a consummate music man who has championed many iconic artists and songwriters throughout his career. He continues to be a trusted guide to millions who have music at the centre of their lives,” said Nigel Elderton, President, Europe & Managing Director, peermusic UK.
“We could not be more thrilled to be working with Bob, Trudie, and Miles on their Under The Apple Tree project by launching this new joint venture music publishing initiative. Judging by some of the music I have been hearing we can look forward to big things ahead.”
“With over 1 million online fans of the Under the Apple Tree platform and a presence at many major venues and festivals across the UK and beyond, Under The Apple Tree is quickly becoming the place to find your next favourite artist.”
Dylan Myerscough-Harris, peermusic UK
Dylan Myerscough-Harris, A&R Manager, peermusic UK, added: “When Bob gives his support to an artist, people listen.
“With over 1 million online fans of the Under the Apple Tree platform and a presence at many major venues and festivals across the UK and beyond, Under The Apple Tree is quickly becoming the place to find your next favourite artist.
“The reputation UTAT has built for itself within the industry is second to none, and we are very excited to be working with team UTAT to take their platform to the next level.”
“I am massively proud that UTAT has now signed a joint venture with peermusic, the biggest independent music publishing company on the planet.”
Bob Harris
Bob Harris said: “We have been filming and recording Under The Apple Tree sessions for the past few years and have discovered a catalog of wonderful new talent.
“I am massively proud that UTAT has now signed a joint venture with peermusic, the biggest independent music publishing company on the planet.
“It will give all of us the opportunity to get behind the new talent that comes into our studio and really help the artists we love and believe in to get their music out to audiences across the world.”
Pictured [Left-Right]: Miles Myerscough-Harris, Creative Director, UTAT Publishing; Bob Harris, Executive Director, UTAT Publishing; Nigel Elderton, European President, peermusic; Trudie Myerscough-Harris, Director, UTAT Publishing; Dylan Myerscough-Harris, A&R Manager, peermusic UK and Marc West, Head of A&R, UTAT Publishing. Music Business Worldwide