Grammy and Mercury Prize-nominated Scotland-born singer KT Tunstall is the latest songwriter to strike a partnership with Primary Wave Music Publishing.
In addition to acquiring a 50% stake in Tunstall’s music publishing catalog, the deal includes a 50% share of all royalties from Tunstall’s master recordings, which continue to be distributed by various labels across the globe.
Today’s news follows the company’s acquisition last week of the music-publishing catalog of award-winning songwriter Dan Wilson.
Last month saw Primary Wave buy a stake in the music publishing catalog and master recordings of singer and songwriter Leo Sayer.
A week before that, the company acquired a majority stake in the publishing catalog of legendary singer, songwriter and Fleetwood Mac member, Stevie Nicks.
The singer’s partnership with Primary Wave will include access to the company’s marketing and publishing infrastructure, which includes digital strategy, licensing, synch opportunities, and film & TV production.
Primary Wave will also work with KT to market her name and likeness, in addition to managing all daily digital marketing activities.
This partnership includes her hit songs Other Side of the World, the Grammy nominated Black Horse and the Cherry Tree, and Ivor Novello winning Suddenly I See.
Both Black Horse and the Cherry Tree and Suddenly I See, written solely by Tunstall, were featured on her debut album, 2004’s Eye to the Telescope.
A memorable TV performance of Black Horse and the Cherry Tree on Later….with Jools Holland debuting her signature loop pedal helped launch the album and single.
Upon its release the song debuted on Billboard’s Hot 100 charts, ultimately reaching the Top 20.
It was awarded Best Track by Q Magazine in 2005 and received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Suddenly I See was the third single from Eye to the Telescope. Released in August 2005, the song became her highest charting single in the UK.
In 2006, the song was placed in the opening scene of the film The Devil Wears Prada and continued to be placed across a variety of television shows and films, including Ugly Betty, Grey’s Anatomy, Blind Dating, and more, as well as in various commercials for Best Buy, Walmart, and Kellogg’s.
With the help of these two singles, Eye to the Telescope went on to be certified multi-platinum, selling millions of copies across the world.
2006 also saw the release of KT Tunstall’s Acoustic Extravaganza, a collection of acoustic versions of songs from Eye to the Telescope (and its single b-sides). It included a cover of Golden Age by Beck.
“KT is a rare songwriting talent who writes songs that move you with a story. We are honored to have her in the family.”
Larry Mestel, Primary Wave
In 2007, she released her sophomore album, Drastic Fantastic, which peaked at No.3 on the UK chart and marked Tunstall’s highest showing to date on the Billboard 200 at No.9.
Shortly after the release of Drastic Fantastic, KT released a six-track festive EP, entitled Have Yourself A Very KT Christmas.
Three years later she would return with Tiger Suit. She followed the album with Live in London in March 2011 and later that year released the under-the-radar The Scarlet Tulip EP.
After a brief break, she returned to the studio in 2012 and recorded Invisible Empire//Crescent Moon (pictured), which arrived in 2013.
Her second live album – Live in London (from the Islington Assembly Hall) was recorded in 2013. In 2016, marking her permanent move to California, Tunstall released the Golden State EP, a precursor to KIN – the first of a proposed trilogy. KIN peaked at No.7 on the UK charts.
Her third live album, Live at O2 Shepherds Bush Empire – followed in 2016.
The second instalment of the trilogy, WAX, arrived in 2018, with lead single The River named one of Rolling Stone’s Songs You Need To Know.
A fourth live album titled Live at The Barrowland Ballroom Glasgow was recorded with an all-female band behind her and released in 2019.
“I have been a fan of KT from the moment I saw her first showcase at Virgin Records in 2005,” said Larry Mestel, CEO & Founder of Primary Wave Music Publishing.
“KT is a rare songwriting talent who writes songs that move you with a story. We are honored to have her in the family.”
“It is absolutely re-energizing in today’s challenging music landscape to connect creatively with Primary Wave.”
KT Tunstall
Tunstall added: “First and foremost, I consider myself a songwriter.
“It is absolutely re-energizing in today’s challenging music landscape to connect creatively with Primary Wave and to discover our mutual joy for the craft of songwriting, and still hold it in greatest of respect.”Music Business Worldwide