Label: Atlantic Records and TAG Music

Band Members: JULES IS DEAD

Management: Joanne Setterington - Indoor Recess Inc.

Legal: Lyndra Griffith-Harnden - Edwards Creative Law

Publicity: Christina Kotsamanidis

Web: julesisdead.com

A&R: Gabe Saporta and Karina Szlasa (TAG), Pete Ganbarg (Atlantic)

JULES IS DEAD, a solo artist from the city of Barrie, Canada, represents somewhat of an iteration of the vintage emo/pop-punk movement during the early 2000s. The singer-songwriter was born nearly two decades after fellow Canadian rockers such as Sum 41, Simple Plan, Avril Lavigne and Fefe Dobson blazed a trail in the popular genres with classic debut albums and iconic videos. Jules was introduced to emo during the global pandemic of 2020, when she turned to her father’s old pastime for recreation.

“My Dad had the video game Rock Band when I was younger and then it went in the basement for a really long time, until [the Covid-19 lockdown period] and then I started playing it because I was extremely bored at my house,” recalled JULES IS DEAD. “[That’s how] I found bands like AFI, My Chemical Romance, Paramore, and Jimmy Eat World.”

Having been inspired by a new found love for emo from the 2000s, the young instrumentalist embarked on a solo career as well as a side-project with a riot grrrl band, after the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions concluded. Jules started performing acoustic renditions of music by the aforementioned emo artists at live venues in the city of Barrie. With lyricism influenced by Fall Out Boy and a Goth Rock aesthetic reminiscent of Amy Lee (from Evanescence), Jules also began uploading cover songs to social media platforms such as TikTok. Subsequentially, Jules’ riot grrrl band gained notoriety, fanfare and the admiration of one of the most recognizable names from the golden era of emo, Gabe Saporta (the lead singer of Cobra Starship).

“TAG Music, which is Gabe’s label, found the band,” Jules said. “He followed us and reached out to us. We did a meeting with him and then the band turned into just me. So, they flew me out to Los Angeles and we did five demos in five days and then at the end of the week we showed them to Atlantic Records. They have a joint venture with TAG Music and they signed me, which was crazy!”

Jules signed with Atlantic Records and TAG Music last November. This year, the 17-year-old released original songs like “My Own Hell” and “Red Is My Favorite Color.” In a full circle moment, Jules recently recorded a new track with Hunter Burgan from AFI. Soon, Jules would like to add more dream collaborations to a growing music catalog by teaming up with recording artists like Davey Havok (from AFI), Pete Wentz (from Fall Out Boy) Death by Romy and Meet Me at the Altar.

Producer: LANY

When LANY released “Cowboy in LA” on their third LP, Mama’s Boy, it resounded like a fitting blend of Nashville Indie music meets dream pop. Two full-length albums later, the Indie-pop trio is back with a follow-up effort called A Beautiful Blur. The track “It Even Rains In LA” kind of feels like a sequel to “Cowboy In LA,” or better yet, a harsh reality check for a hopeless romantic where love and genuine friendships don’t come as easily as they normally would in a small town far away from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. Elsewhere in the track list, Paul Klein shows off his head voice and falsetto in "Out of My League," a love song where fixation intertwines with adornment and envy. Overall, I Really Really Hope So is a solid indie pop project that hits like the memoir of an L.A. transplant navigating bachelorhood in one of the toughest American cities to find true love while holding on to his Southern roots. – Miguel Costa

Label: Epitaph Records

Band Members: Babebee

Management: Aaron Kovacs

Booking: Wasserman

Legal: Loren Wells/Well Kappel

Publicity: Jasmine Muldrow - jasmine@epitaph.com

Web: babebee.love

A&R: Sue Lucarelli - Epitaph

As a middle schooler in the city of Atlanta, GA, Babebee's artistic aspirations were fueled by their admiration for an array of musicians ranging from homegrown icons such as Outkast to international acts like Björk, Aphex Twin and FKA Twigs. But it was not until Babebee moved away to college during 2019 that they came into their own with a unique brand of alternative rock, electronica and bedroom pop that they dubbed “Fairy Mosh-Pit Music.” 

While majoring in film at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, Babebee released their debut EP, Portal of My Soul, drawing inspiration from musical influences and ongoing internal battle with depression. The multi-instrumentalist dropped a follow-up effort during a gap year, called Mind Over Matter. The project earned critical acclaim from media outlets like Pigeons and Planes, who extended an invite to their live showcase series (No Ceilings). Babebee’s rise in popularity culminated with several enquires from A&R managers at numerous record labels, including Epitaph Records.

“My first ever meeting [with Epitaph] was on my birthday, February 1st, the same day that I dropped my EP, Tainted in Our Memories,” Babebee recalls. “They were just like, ‘Hey we’d love to meet you.’ So, I went to their office where I met Sue (Lucarelli), the President, and Brett (Gurewitz), who founded Epitaph. It just felt like a very welcoming environment. I could tell that they were very artist friendly and they wouldn’t try to control my artistic direction. It feels like a family. It really was about the people rather than the name itself.”

Since signing with Epitaph, Babebee has released one single, called “Come With Me.” The young visionary put their background in film and editing to use by creating a storyboard for the music video before co-directing the production. Babebee’s upcoming EP with Epitaph remains their primary focus. However, in the future, Babebee would like to expand their filmography as a director, to full-length movies and music videos for other recording artists like Frank Ocean.

Producer: Peso Pluma

Prior to the release of Génesis, Peso Pluma officially became one of the most streamed recording artists in Latin America.  The arrival of Peso Pluma’s third studio album came amid substantial anticipation from pundits and it did not disappoint. The 23-year-old wrote and produced a majority of the songs on a track list that featured a noteworthy duet between himself and Eladio Carrion called “77.” Peso Pluma brought several collaborators into the fold for this LP, but one of the most dynamic vocal performances came during his “PRC” duet with Natanael Cano.

Overall, Génesis is regional Mexican/trap corridos album that showcases Peso Pluma’s cultural roots, vocal versatility, raspy tone and multi-faceted songwriting skills—all of which were evident in the album’s final track, “Bye.”

– Miguel Costa

The chronological tale of Vic Mensa cannot be told without mentioning his best friend from childhood, Chance the Rapper. Before they were famous, the two like-minded emcees forged a bond with the formation of a hip-hop collective called SaveMoney. Mensa established the group in 2008, a time when he sincerely believed that he would either die before the age of 23 or join the “27 Club” shortly thereafter with the likes of other talented musicians who died at the age of 27, such as Robert Johnson, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse. Today, Vic Mensa is a 29-year-old who’s a year and a half into sobriety. He’s also a revolutionary entrepreneur with foresight that extends far beyond his penchant for identifying his city’s brightest stars before anyone else. Although Chicago remains in his heart, Mensa’s ambition has steered his focus toward the native country of his father. He and Chance the Rapper recently co-founded a live music extravaganza in Accra, Ghana called the “Black Star Line Festival.” The inaugural event occurred on Jan. 6th and it garnered over 50,000 attendees.

Indeed, Vic Mensa has already lived a lifetime that very few real-life stories can parallel, and the best part is he’s writing it all down in what is shaping up to be a riveting screenplay based on his adolescence that he has tentatively titled “Hooligans.” Mensa is much more than a rapper. He’s also a rock musician, an activist, a philanthropist, a scriptwriter, and a businessman with a vision. We caught up with the Grammy-nominated artist to talk about what fans can expect from his highly anticipated sophomore album, the inspiration behind the Black Star Line Festival, his close friendship with one of the industry’s most iconic rock musicians, and more.

Music Connection: We understand that congratulations are in order! The Black Starline Festival that you co-produced with Chance the Rapper debuted in Accra, Ghana during the first week of January. When we think of some of the most polarizing Black music festivals of all time, the Harlem Cultural Festival (1969), the Afropunk Festival (founded in 2005), and the Roots Picnic (founded in 2008), immediately come to mind. What are some of the cultural music events that helped inspire the making of the Black Star Line Festival? 

Vic Mensa: There was a festival that happened in the ‘70s at Independent Square (a famous venue in Ghana) called Soul II Soul with Tina Turner and some others. Honestly, I’ve never seen the documentary (a film based on the live event by Denis Sanders). My father was there, and he told me about it. At a later moment, they stated that it was kind of like an “African Woodstock.” “Festac,” which happened in Nigeria (during the year 1977), was like a diasporic and African meeting of the minds and was also an inspiration. But in truth, I never studied any of them. I know that they happened. I don’t think the primary inspiration for the “Black Star Line Festival” was other festivals; it was ideologies such as the Pan-Africanism of Kwame Nkrumah and the thoughtscape of Marcus Garvey, who was an inspiration to Chance and myself, as well. I do think that “Dave Chappelle’s Block Party” was very influential in this as well. 

MC: One of the biggest differences between the Black Star Line Festival and the aforementioned concert events is that you seemed to be more focused on bridging the gap among Black musicians worldwide, whereas your predecessors based their events primarily on music curated by African Americans. Why was this a critical point of focus for you, as opposed to honing in on the Ghanaian artists in your father’s homeland?

Mensa: The entire idea of the festival was born of my inherited position as a bridge between Black American and Africa. When I began to consider the creation of a diasporic musical festival, it was for that purpose. The connection between us, the celebration of our similarities, our unique differences, and our shared and different histories. So, from the jump, when I started to dream of this, the unique selling point, in my mind, was that there’s this tremendous gap between Black musicians of the globe and their fans in Africa.

I just started to think about how unsustainable it is for us to continually pass over them because our booking agents don’t book us in [international locations such as] Lagos, Nigeria, or Ghana, and Senegal. They book us in London, Paris, and Berlin. So that’s where we go. That’s not because the people in Lagos, Ghana, and Accra don’t listen to and love our music; it’s because the opportunities haven’t existed.

MC: Your approach to executive producing this event sounds strikingly similar to Ryan Coogler’s vision for the first Black Panther film with Marvel, during the production phase as he was preparing to direct the movie. Are you familiar with this filmmaker at all?

Mensa: Hell yeah, I know Coogler. He brought me out to Flint, Michigan for the first time when the [contaminated] water situation there was receiving national attention. He organized this amazing event, and I came down there to perform, debuting a super-political song called “16 Shots.” It was an impactful, controversial, and substantial moment.

MC: You grew up in the city of Chicago, the son of a Ghanaian father and an American mother of Caucasian descent. How did your multicultural background and Chicago roots help you navigate through the developmental years of your artistry as Vic Mensa?

Mensa: I grew up listening to all styles of music. I grew up listening to African music in our home. My uncle, Kofi Sammy (from the Okukuseku International Band) is a pioneer of highlife music in Ghana. He was a contemporary and close friend of Fela Kuti (the legendary Nigerian musician who pioneered Afrobeat), who used to stay at my grandmother’s house. So, Afrobeat music, highlight music, Hugh Masekela’s music, and world music were all being played in our house. 

My mom was a hippie in the ‘60s, and she attended Woodstock (1969). So, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, The Who, and other classic rock bands were being played. My parents were also huge fans of jazz music, so there was a lot of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Donald Byrd being played in my house. Really, there was no rap. But my Pops loved 2Pac. But not the music, he didn’t know nothing about his music; he just loved 2Pac’s revolutionary principles. 

So, the music that was given to me by my family was eclectic and worldly. As I developed my own taste for music, I began with rock & roll. But as I became an adolescent, hip-hop became my language. I learned about a lot of different styles of music by exploring hip-hop samples. And then, I played in a band in high school with my brother, a world-class jazz musician named Niko Segal. So, at the same that I was starting to [rap] for real, I was finding the expression of my place in the world, which was giving me my identity in the context of America as a young Black boy. 

    I was also being introduced to more depth of the different styles of music that my parents were listening to. I was always a rock & roll kid, but the references were getting deeper as I was starting to hone my instrument. So, within that space, I was never a one-dimensional musical mind. Because I was just a fan, I still am. I’ve always been a fan of many different styles of music.

MC: That’s interesting. Who were some of your favorite rock bands when you were a kid?

Mensa: When I was a little kid, I was just into what my mom was into. So, Guns N’ Roses was my favorite band when I was a little kid playing “Sweet Child O’ Mine” on the guitar. But I think the first rock music that really spoke to me was Nirvana. By the time I was in high school, I got deep into Rage Against the Machine because it kind of just spoke to so many sides of what I loved, and later on, I think I became obsessed with The Clash. 

MC: I used to love The Clash. They’re the best punk band ever!

Mensa: Yeah! The best band for sure! You know, later on, I got more into some hardcore punk shit like The Leftovers, The Crack, Fugazi, and shit like Joy Division...a lot of different shit. You know?

MC: Yeah. So, speaking of Rage Against the Machine, you and the lead guitarist have a lot in common. You’re both musicians from Illinois, you’re both bi-racial and his father is from Kenya. I’m curious, have you guys ever met?

Mensa: Are you talking about Tom Morello?

MC: Yeah, Tom Morello.

Mensa: That’s my brother!

MC: No way!

Mensa: That’s my boy! Me and Tom Morello do have a lot of similarities. We’re both super politically minded [and] of mixed race. Tom Morello’s my guy. He’s been solid with me for years. I think I first got in touch with Tom Morello when [Donald] Trump got elected. I’m just a huge fan of Rage Against the Machine. I’m sure he knew that before meeting me; I was also doing a lot of political music at the time, and he’s political. So, when Trump got elected, he did a concert in Los Angeles the same day of the [U.S. Presidential] Inauguration Ball. It was like the ‘Anti-Inauguration Ball’ and he had me come and play that show. It was me and Tom Morello playing with Public Enemy, also with Chris Cornell, and Audioslave. It was super dope! I’ve been rocking with Tom Morello ever since we did some music on one of his albums, and even when I was in a punk band, he brought us on tour with him. 

MC: Whether it is music related, an anti-violent stance regarding Chicago’s youth, social or political, you’ve always been a visionary that takes the initiative. When you formed the rap group SaveMoney, what were some of the biggest dreams that you and Chance the Rapper shared with one another regarding your future? And how many of those goals have manifested now that you’re both in your late 20s?

Mensa: When I formed SaveMoney, I was focused on lyricism and stealing. I was on my hip-hop sh*t and I was just trying to get fly, I wasn’t trying to help the community [laughs]. We were problem children, thieves and brawlers. At the same time, I think SaveMoney always had this soul of being the antithesis of your average rap sh*t. Which I think developed in different ways through the years. 

I met [Chance the Rapper] when we were both 14-year-olds, when we were both starting to rap and record. I think that the goal was always to be huge international artists and I don’t know how fully fledged that concept was in mind, in terms of specificity. I just knew I was good at this sh*t and that I had something to say and that I could make it. For all intents and purposes, I have to remind myself that I have done that. Although there are so many more things in my life that I intend to do. I thought that this rap sh*t would take me around the world. I thought that this rap sh*t would give me a platform where people like you want to speak to me and where kids listen to my lyrics and learn from sh*t I have to say in the way that I learned from Common, 2pac or Nas. All of that and more has taken place.

MC: Speaking of being an international artist, you blew up back in 2014 upon the release of “Down on My Luck.” The song dropped before the release of your debut album (The Autobiography) in 2017, and it was actually more popular internationally, in places such as Europe and Australia, than here in the U.S. How did touring in those continents spark your imagination as a creator and future entrepreneur?

Mensa: I think that I was just blessed to be able to have a global perspective at such a young age. I’m 29 now, I haven’t even hit 30, but I feel like I’ve lived a lot of lifetimes and I’ve been able to learn so much at a young age and experience so many different places. I’ve seen that humanity is much deeper than race, religion, creed, or culture. I feel blessed in that way. What it’s all taught me is that my true nature as this infinite being of consciousness is so deeply connected to every single thing, and I’ve seen so much of the planet. 

There’s still a lot more to see, but I’ve seen a lot and I know that the things we don’t see are far more substantial than what can even be viewed by the naked eye. 

MC: Earlier, I mentioned your debut LP, The Autobiography. What was it like working with the lead singer of Weezer (Rivers Cuomo) on one of the tracks from that album, called “Homewrecker?” He is an icon in alternative rock and a gifted songwriter. 

Mensa: Weezer is one of my GOAT bands, I’ve always loved Weezer since I was a little kid. When I was in high school, I got into Pinkerton (Weezer’s 2nd studio album) and that’s the album where I found the sample for “Homewrecker.” That was one of the beats that I made on that album, in collaboration with No I.D. (a music producer from Chicago). I just looped the sample and rapped on it; No I.D. gave me drums. When I got Rivers into the [recording] studio, and he was in the booth singing, he sounded exactly like the Weezer of my childhood and it was so dope to me. 

MC: Can you tell our readers about the making of your song “Kwaku?” I believe it depicts an origin story about you through the eyes of your father (Edward Mensa) shortly after he migrated to the city of Chicago from Ghana, right?

Mensa: It’s my Pop’s giving the background to me existing as I do. He’s close to the senior most-elder in his family lineage. My Pops is not a young man, he’s like 72 or 73. So, me recording my Pops in the basement of our house in my cellphone for that song was really just a small piece of the anthropological folkloric work that I need to do with my father while I have him, because we’re African people and a lot of our history is oral. That’s how we pass down tradition. Whereas my mother’s side of the family has a family tree. 

MC: Much like “Kwaku,” another emotionally insightful track from your recent I TAPE EP is a song called “Moosa.” It details your effort to free your friend, Brian Harrington Jr. (aka King Moosa), from prison through the legal system. Can you give us the backstory regarding the song’s inception and your friend’s reaction to your work contributing to his early release?

Mensa: That’s probably the single most significant accomplishment in my life, thus far. Through a twist of fate, the intervention of God and by harvesting my own power [along with] coincidence and synchronicity, I was able to help this brilliant brother of mine named Moosa, who was sentenced to 25 years when he was 14, to get home 12 years early. I’m forever altered by that…I’m forever changed by that…Few things have affirmed my purpose in my core like seeing the fruit of my labor and my energy result in the freedom of my brother in that way.

MC: Your first studio album dropped nearly six years ago. Since then, you’ve released a number of EPs along with a side-project by your punk rock band, 93Punx. The time has finally come for Vic Mensa to release his second solo album. Can you tell our readers what to expect from your new LP, musically?

Mensa: My new album is coming out in the next couple of months. I’m excited for it, man. It’s definitely some of my strongest music in a long time and very representative of my truths, which is the most I can ask for from my music.

MC: You’ve evolved so much as a musician and a person since fans were first introduced to you as a teen. What are some of the music genres that you’re going to incorporate into your second studio album? 

Mensa: It has African influences, rock inspiration, jazz inspiration and soul samples. I’m doing quite a bit of the [music] production for the album. Lyrically, it’s the story of redemption and I do believe that it’s going to be instrumental in directing my momentum into a new chapter of my life and my time as a performing musician.

MC: Can you tell our readers about one of your favorite collaborations from the album? 

Mensa: There’s a joint on there with Common that’s on my mind right now, because I’m [currently] on the South Side [of Chicago], and the song is just a play-by-play description of my environment on the South Side of Chicago. That’s a song that I really love.

Contact sashabrookner@gmail.com 

Label: Muse Group

Band Members: Lonnie

Management: Muse Group

Booking: Mark Cheatum - CAA

Legal: Greenburg Traurig, LLP

Publicity: Linda Carbone - Press Here Publicity

Web: officialmusegroup.com

A&R: Vincent Herbert, A. Wahab 

Since the inception of TikTok in 2018, a plethora of musicians have been discovered on the social media platform that has become an essential marketing tool for aspiring recording artists. Lonnie, an R&B singer from Orange County, CA, etched his name on the ever-growing list of budding stars when he began releasing songs like “Penelope” on his account in 2019. 

Initially, Lonnie’s entrepreneurial approach to creating content on other platforms, such as YouTube, led to his realization about the potential of monetizing original material. So, as “Penelope” garnered more attention online, Lonnie’s sister shared the track with DJ A-OH from Real 92.3, who subsequentially forwarded the track to the CEO at Muse Group, Vincent Herbert, and the rest is history.

“The day after [DJ] A-OH sent him the song, he was like, ‘Yo, I need to fly him out right now.’ So, he did and now we're here!” Lonnie recalls. “I recorded ‘One Night Stand’ in my bedroom with just me; I actually made the hook and some of the verse like 15 minutes before I hopped on the plane to get signed. I showed [Muse Group] that little demo, and they were like, ‘This is crazy.’ And now it's on the radio, so it's nuts!”

According to the young crooner, the decision to sign with Muse Group, back in August, was forged from a friendship and business relationship that evolved prior to making their partnership official.

“Muse was my home even before I signed, and Vincent really believed in me, so I could just tell something good was gonna come out of it,” Lonnie says. “All they do is treat me like family and I’m really appreciative of that and just love everybody in Muse. They allow me to do anything and just push out my ideas…They’re not trying to change me or make me into someone I’m not.”

In November, Lonnie dropped his follow-up single to “Penelope,” called “One Night Stand.” The R&B tune marked his official debut with Muse Group. As of January, the song garnered nearly one million views on YouTube and 500,000 plays on Spotify.

See Lonnie's video here:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q-3KyyndM_s 

Producer: Dios Mio

Currently Chasing Currency is a gritty revision of the ruggedness, fortitude and business mindset that Skitso displayed to forge his own path to prosperity. The album is a street tale about hustling hard in lieu of working a dead-end job. Vocally, the Los Angeles-based emcee sounds like Dipset legend Jim Jones on tracks like “Rain Showers” and “Non Stop.” From a music production standpoint, the tracks resonate like gangsta rap from the early to mid 2000s. – Miguel Costa

“We talked over Zoom once,” Ally recalled. “I just had a feeling about [Conor] and I just really like him. I also thought ‘he’s young and he knows the music industry is ever-changing.’ I felt that he was really up to date with the way the industry works now…My manager was also saying that [Conner] could be a really good fit.”

Terms of the joint-deal stipulated that Ally Salort was not only signed to Geffen Records but Conner’s independent label called Listen to the Kids and a separate imprint belonging to Pop Wansel’s manager. The signing was made official in January of 2022. In the months that followed the team commemorated the deal with “signing dinner” before working on Ally’s transition from being a well-known “cover band musician” to a brand-new recording artist. The 19-year-old released a music video for her debut single, “Stranger Things” in May and another video for her follow-up single “You’ll Never Notice” in September. Collectively, the tracks are a blend of R&B and Pop that resonate similarly to the early work of Alessia Cara and Ariana Grande. Ally’s third single, “Nostalgic” was published November and her debut EP should drop sometime during the first quarter of 2023. The music production will be handled by Ally’s Grammy-nominated music producer, Pop Wansel. All of the content will be released under the umbrella of Geffen Records.

Date Signed: January 2022

Label: Geffen Records

Band Members: Ally Salort

Management: Rene Symonds Tap Management

Legal: Debra White Loeb

Publicity: Christina Lo Duca UMG/Geffen

A&R: Conor Ambrose

Web: instagram.com/allysalort/

Label: Geffen Records/Listen To The Kids, Fish Grease

Management: Rene Symonds - Tap Management

Legal: Debra White Loeb

Publicity: Christina Lo Duca - UMG/Geffen

Web: instagram.com/allysalort

A&R: Conor Ambrose 

Ally Salort once roamed the hallways of the very same high school that SZA and Lauryn Hill attended, years after the Grammy winners were in their teens. Hence, the groundwork for a successful career in mainstream music was presented to her at a very young age. 

However, the latest music protégé out of Columbia High School in New Jersey forged her own blueprint upon being discovered by her music producer, Pop Wansel, and participating as a contender in a talent search for a roster spot with Atlantic Records back in 2018. Salort placed among the top contestants, and the knowledge she gained prompted her to upload videos by Top 40 artists such as Adele and Bruno Mars to her YouTube channel, once a week, in order to garner an organic fan following. She repeated the process for about two years until her rendition of “IDK you Yet” by Alexander 23 landed on the radar of Conor Ambrose. The musician-turned-A&R manager at Geffen Records reached out to Pop Wansel on Salort’s behalf about a couple of months later, and they negotiated a recording contract with the help of her manager.

“We talked over Zoom once,” Salort recalled. “I just had a feeling about [Conor] and I just really like him. I also thought, ‘He’s young and he knows the music industry is ever-changing.’ I felt that he was really up-to-date with the way the industry works now. My manager was also saying that [Conor] could be a really good fit.”

Terms of the joint-deal stipulated that Ally Salort was not only signed to Geffen Records, but also Conor’s independent label, called Listen to the Kids, and a separate imprint belonging to Pop Wansel’s manager. The signing was made official in January of 2022. In the months that followed, the team commemorated the deal with a “signing dinner” before working on Salort’s transition from being a well-known “cover band musician” to a brand-new recording artist. The 19-year-old released a music video for her debut single, “Stranger Things” in May and another video for her follow-up single “You’ll Never Notice” in September. Collectively, the tracks are a blend of R&B and Pop that resonate similarly to the early work of Alessia Cara and Ariana Grande. Salort’s third single, “Nostalgic,” was published in November, and her debut EP should drop sometime during the month of April. The music production will be handled by Salort’s Grammy-nominated producer, Pop Wansel. All of the content will be released under the umbrella of Epic Records.

Label: Range Music

Type of Music: Pop-Rock

Management: Jordan Dettmer and Matthew Graham - Range MP

Booking: CAA

Legal: Charley Londoño

Publicity: Jaclyn Ullman, Sarah Haberfeld and Katie Nelson - Grandstand

Web: coreyharpermusic.com

A&R: N/A

Seven years ago, a pop-rock/acoustic singer named Corey Harper signed a management deal with an up-and-coming pupil from Scooter Braun’s enterprise by the name of Matt Graham. In the years that followed, their trajectory up the ranks of the music world practically mirrored one another as Corey performed original tracks such as “Blind” and Matt helped navigate the business side of things, to the tune of one EP and two full-length albums. 

The unshakable bond that they formed during Graham’s presidential tenure at BRND MGMT is the primary reason why Harper decided to follow him to his next music business venture with Range Media Partners. “When Matt had the opportunity to take what we built together and mold it into Range [Music], it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time for us both in our careers,” Harper says. “We were so glad to be equipped with more firepower and amazing team members who wanted to be a part of what we were doing [and] also take it to a new level. I would follow Matt anywhere, honestly.” 

Harper’s decision to join Graham at Range Music was highly influenced by his talent manager, Jordy Dettmer, who was the first person to inform him about the new development and the favorable opportunities that the venture could present him with. Dettmer’s intuition has already paid dividends for Harper as Range Music has provided the Portland native with a litany of experienced team members who have been essential in the making of his upcoming album and the way in which a marketing plan for the project will be presented to the public.  

“Range was very instrumental in how the music came together in a lot of ways,” Harper explains. “I had a lot of songs written and recorded, but without my team, I wouldn’t have had the ability to let it be received in the most impactful way. There are so many creative and talented people in the Range community and I have been lucky enough to be connected with people who have helped me market myself and my music in a way that is intrinsic to my personality and that’s been a huge relief when it comes to releasing music.” 

The new partnership between Corey Harper and Range Music has boasted two single releases, thus far. “Pin Razor” dropped in June and the follow-up single, “2 Tickets,” was released in July. Harper’s debut album with Range Music is due out in September.