UK-born Transgressive Records, run by founding directors Tim Dellow, Toby L and Lilas Bourboulon, is expanding into the US.
Widely respected executive Jack Hedges – formerly of Atlantic Records and Sony Music – is joining the company as its first General Manager, North America, effective immediately.
Canvasback Music, the “boutique” label imprint that Hedges ran with A&R veteran Steve Ralbovsky will form part of the new structure, operating as an imprint within Transgressive Records under Hedges’ leadership.
Launched in 2006 by Steve Ralbovsky, Canvasback Music previously operated as an Atlantic Records imprint, after inking a worldwide partnership with the Warner Music Group-owned label in 2009.
Canvasback’s roster has been home to artists including Alt-J, Frightened Rabbit, Ben Gibbard, Briston Maroney, Ben Scheuer, MICHELLE, Jealous of the Birds, and more.
Transgressive has confirmed that all new Canvasback signings going forward will be released “in partnership with Transgressive” and that Canvasback’s current and former catalog and roster will remain with WMG.
Today’s news arrives just over a year after MBW reported that Firebird Music Holdings had made a substantial investment, and acquired a significant stake, in Transgressive Records.
Firebird is backed by Raine Group and co-founded by Nat Zilkha and Nathan Hubbard. US-based Zilkha is a former Partner at KKR in December 2021, while Hubbard is a former CEO of Ticketmaster and a former global head of Media & Commerce at Twitter.
Under his tenure at Atlantic Records and Sony, Jack Hedges has spent two decades overseeing creative, A&R, marketing and strategic endeavors of artists including The War On Drugs, alt-J, Frightened Rabbit, Death Cab For Cutie, GROUPLOVE, Manchester Orchestra, Briston Maroney as well as up and coming Transgressive Records signing MICHELLE.
“From Grammy wins to Billboard album chart breakouts, Hedges has been at the forefront of supporting breaking talent through to its rise to the top,” said Transgressive in its announcement on Wednesday (February 14).
According to Transgressive, Hedges’ role at the company in the US is “to attract and develop a new wave of progressive artists, both breaking and established”, as well as to strategize across the company’s existing global roster.
Hedges will also oversee the “hiring and nurturing” of new executive talent to join the company in the coming months.
“Transgressive exemplifies the values of excellence, artistry and integrity that has defined Canvasback for the last 17 years and there is no one I trust more to help carry that legacy into the future together.”
Jack Hedges
Jack Hedges, Transgressive Records’ General Manager, North America, said: “I am so proud to join the team at Transgressive and I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead their expansion into North America.
“Transgressive exemplifies the values of excellence, artistry and integrity that has defined Canvasback for the last 17 years and there is no one I trust more to help carry that legacy into the future together.
“They are truly a world-class label and I’m inspired and humbled to be at the ground floor of building out a global operation.
“As we look forward to a bright new era ahead, I’d like to acknowledge my good friend and mentor, Steve Ralbovsky, and thank him for all these years of music and friendship. I am honored to continue this journey we started all the way back in 2006.”
“Jack is most definitely the right person to guide Transgressive Records and its roster through to new heights in the world’s biggest music territory. We’re also honoured to become the custodians to Canvasback – a label imprint we have joyously collaborated with over recent years, alongside both Jack as well as Steve Ralbovsky.”
Toby L, Tim Dellow and Lilas Bourboulon, Transgressive
In a joint statement, Transgressive Company Directors Toby L, Tim Dellow and Lilas Bourboulon, said:
“In recent years, Jack Hedges has been all of a friend, collaborator, business partner, and now quite wonderfully serves as our first ever North American hire, in the newly created role of General Manager, North America.
“As anyone that has met or worked with Jack will know, he is driven, wise, connected, kind, compassionate and possessive of that all-too-rare skill to both lead as well as work seamlessly within a wider team. He has an independent heart with major experience, and we’re certain is going to ensure that we will be able to deliver success at a globally competitive level without losing or diluting the soul of a project.”
They added: “With his impeccable taste, a reputation for being universally revered by artists and colleagues alike, not to mention a glorious penchant for underground music, Jack is most definitely the right person to guide Transgressive Records and its roster through to new heights in the world’s biggest music territory.
“We’re also honoured to become the custodians to Canvasback – a label imprint we have joyously collaborated with over recent years, alongside both Jack as well as Steve Ralbovsky. It too was selective in its signings, and utterly eclectic in its tastes – we’re delighted to carry the torch onwards.
“With independent music thriving, Transgressive is experiencing its most exciting, adventurous and dynamic era since we formed. With 2024 also marking our 20th Anniversary (more on which shortly…), this truly feels like a new beginning. We cannot wait to see where it will lead.”Music Business Worldwide
