Unbiased music writer Kobalt has signed a world publishing cope with Derrick Southerland, the Grammy- and Nation Music Awards-nominated songwriter finest identified for Ingrid Andress’ hit Extra Hearts Than Mine.
As a part of the deal, Kobalt has acquired a portion of Southerland’s track catalog, the corporate stated in an announcement on Thursday (July 10). The worth of the transaction was not disclosed.
Sutherland’s songs have gathered greater than 1 billion streams and secured movie and TV placements with ABC, Hallmark and Netflix, amongst others. He was nominated for a Greatest Nation Music award on the 63rd Annual Grammys for Extra Hearts Than Mine, which picked up the Music of the Yr prize on the Nashville Songwriters Affiliation Worldwide awards in 2020, in addition to Music of the Yr on the MusicRow awards.
Sutherland additionally labored with Andress on the gold-certified Woman Like, in addition to Seeing Somebody Else and Yearbook, which made Rolling Stone’s checklist of 100 Greatest Songs of 2022.
Past his work with Andress, Sutherland has co-written songs for Carrie Underwood, Jordan Davis, Vince Gill, Fletcher, Laci Kaye Sales space, Hunter Hayes, Breland, Charlotte Sands, Excessive Valley, Charles Kelley, Muscadine Bloodline, Tanner Adell, Blair Davie and Dallas Smith, amongst many others.
He labored on Kane Brown’s gold-certified Like A Rodeo and Joshua Bassett’s Disaster, which NPR named one of many Prime 10 Songs of 2021. Sutherland shares a writing credit score on Mitchell Tenpenny’s present hit Similar Moon.
“I’m so excited to be partnering with Kobalt,” Southerland stated.
“After I met with [Kobalt Music Group CEO] Laurent Hubert, [President and COO] Jeannette Perez, [General Manager/SVP of Creative at Kobalt Nashville] Stephanie Cox, [EVP/Head of US Creative] Rani Hancock, [Head of Creative UK] Kenny McGoff and so many others of the artistic workforce, I knew this was the place I wanted to be.
“[Kobalt’s] enthusiasm not solely about my writing and songs, however my goals and imaginative and prescient for the long run made this the right partnership to assist me accomplish my targets.”
Derrick Southerland
“Their enthusiasm not solely about my writing and songs, however my goals and imaginative and prescient for the long run made this the right partnership to assist me accomplish my targets. Big because of [Senior Creative Director] Kevin [Lane], who was with me for my first main label outdoors reduce and introduced me to this superb workforce. I’m wanting ahead to what’s coming on this subsequent chapter of our careers.”
Stephanie Cox added: “Derrick is without doubt one of the most gifted, prolific songwriters working in Nashville in the present day. He has the extremely distinctive potential to put in writing throughout genres which makes him an ideal match for Kobalt’s world ecosystem.”
“Derrick and I had the chance to work collectively early in our careers, and I’m ecstatic to have the chance to work with him once more,” Lane stated.
“His potential to craft songs that permeate the Nashville group whereas having multi-genre influence is uncommon. Mix that together with his relentless work ethic, and you’ve got a real artistic drive to be reckoned with. The sky’s the restrict for what we will accomplish collectively, and I’m so excited to see the place this partnership takes us.”
For Francisco Companions-owned Kobalt, the cope with Southerland comes within the wake of various new signings and initiatives. The corporate fashioned a three way partnership with rising markets-focused label Heatwave final fall, following that up with a world publishing admin deal with Música Mexicana indie document label Okay Music in Could.
“Derrick is without doubt one of the most gifted, prolific songwriters working in Nashville in the present day.”
Stephanie Cox, Kobalt
Kobalt additionally inked a publishing admin deal with The Circuit Group, a music firm fashioned by business veterans to accumulate stakes in catalogs, and a world licensing deal with blockchain-powered music platform Audius.
It additionally signed a music publishing admin deal with licensing platform Slipstream, which included Kobalt taking a stake within the firm.
Earlier this yr, Kobalt launched Kosign, a brand new publishing platform aimed toward rising artists and songwriters with the objective of addressing the issue of uncollected royalties.
SVP and Head of Kosign Jason Feinberg not too long ago informed MBW that the platform already represents 12,000 songs.Music Enterprise Worldwide
