Paramore has announced its first order of business as independent artists will be championing independent record stores as a Record Store Day Ambassador for 2024.
Paramore — the trio consisting of frontwoman Hayley Williams, Taylor York and Zac Farro — took to social media over the weekend to share the news and confirmed the band is “freshly independent,” as PvNew reported in January.
“After a long career in the music industry we have decided to announce that… we are going to continue to have a long career in the music industry (sorry for any inconvenience),” the band wrote on Instagram. “Our first order of business as a freshly independent Paramore is to shine a light on independent record stores — a vital part of our journey from music obsessed school friends to professional music makers. With that being said, we are humbled to be your Ambassadors for Record Store Day 2024. The timing feels kismet.”
Paramore joins Killer Mike, Jason Isbell, Taylor Swift, Brandi Carlile and more as Record Store Day Ambassadors. The band kicked 2024 on a high note by recently winning in the rock album of the year category as the first female-fronted band to achieve the feat. They also have a busy touring schedule ahead, mostly on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Europe.
+ Universal Music Group will be opening three new Capitol Studios recording studios – the first-ever Capitol Studios outside of the storied Capitol Tower in Hollywood — in addition to live performance spaces, music education academies and a new record label, as part of a collaboration with DGMC in the United Arab Emirates.
Dubbed the “Music City” development, the new partnership aims to bolster the regional hub for both local and international recording artists and songwriters. The label will be a joint venture between UMG and DGMC and will sign and develop local artists.
“At its heart, the UMG-DGMC partnership’s aim is to support and nurture talented artists and songwriters in the region and help them reach their full creative and commercial potential,” the companies wrote in a press release.
“We are thrilled to partner with UMG, the world’s leading music group, on this unique and exciting endeavour,” said Rasha Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairwoman of DGMC. “Building a state-of-the-art music infrastructure and providing industry services to support aspiring musical artists is critical to our leadership’s vision to promote culture and the arts. DGMC’s initiatives will not only help to foster our regional creatives and music-related professionals, but elevate the UAE’s music economy to global levels.”
+ Messina Touring Group has elevated three team members to vice president roles: Lauren Cairerises has been upped from director of finance to VP of finance; Keena Cheatham moves from promoter rep to VP of touring and LeeAnn Rotondo has moved from director of ticketing to VP of ticketing.
MTG has worked with such acts as Blake Shelton, Ed Sheeran, Eric Church, George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Shawn Mendes, Taylor Swift and The Lumineers.
Caire first joined MTG in 2015 as a Senior Accountant and has since managed finances for the company and all of its tours, including a marquee year in 2023 anchored by Swift’s headline-dominating Eras Tou and Sheeran’s Mathematics World Tour. Cheatham, who joined MTG in 2013 as a promoter rep on Swift’s Red Tour, has had a role in over half of the MTG roster in both the pop and country music sectors.
Rotondo joined MTG in 2015 as a ticket manager, primarily to assist with ticketing for Swift’s 1989 Tour. Nine years later, she spearheads all ticketing for Swift’s tours, as well as many other MTG clients including Church, Kenny Chesney and Blake Shelton.
+ France-headquartered music company Believe has announced an expansion into Japan with a new imprint called PlayCode, dedicated to Japan’s hip-hop scene. The company will also be partnering with Japan-based acts for the new label, including ¥ellow Bucks, Red Eye, and Issei Uno Fifth.
As part of Believe Japan’s Artist Services offering, PlayCode will combine Believe’s digital artist development capacities and long-term partnerships.
