Republic Relaunches Mercury Records With Post Malone, James Bay – Billboard

Republic Records is relaunching Mercury Records as an imprint within the U.S., the label introduced as we speak (April 11), with government vps of A&R Tyler Arnold and Ben Adelson set to guide the corporate as president and basic supervisor, respectively. The duo — Arnold primarily based in New York, Adelson primarily based in Los Angeles — will report back to Republic co-founders Monte and Avery Lipman, and can have a giant purview proper out of the gate.

Mercury is relaunching with some big-name flagship artists, most notably Post Malone — whom Arnold signed to Republic in 2015 — and James Bay, whom Adelson signed in 2014. They’ll be joined by Lord Huron, Jeremy Zucker, Chelsea Cutler and Noah Kahan, plus new signees BoyWithUke, Ka$hdami, Lyn Lapid, Stephen Sanchez and Camylio.

In addition to these artists, Mercury would be the hub for Republic’s partnerships with Big Loud Records — dwelling to Morgan Wallen — and Imperial Music, the impartial distribution wing that final 12 months made waves by the discharge of Bo Burnham’s Inside (The Songs).

“We’re very grateful to Monte and Avery for entrusting us with such a legendary label and model,” Arnold mentioned in a press release asserting the information. “I’m so pleased with our unimaginable roster and am excited to signify a few of the most gifted, influential and artistic artists in music as we speak. It is Mercury’s precedence to guide as a artistic firm, placing our artists first and taking an brisk, entrepreneurial strategy to A&R and advertising. We are constructing Mercury to change into the fashionable music label.”

“Tyler and I every started our careers at Republic and have labored collectively for nearly a decade,” Adelson mentioned in his personal statament. “We’ve leaned on Republic co-presidents Jim Roppo and Wendy Goldstein for his or her knowledge, perspective and steerage and hope to carry that very same management and forward-thinking to our roles at Mercury. The path to success seems totally different for each musician and Tyler and I are dedicated to fostering an atmosphere the place artists who’re themselves can thrive.”

Mercury was initially based in Chicago in 1945 by Irving Green, and has had a protracted, profitable historical past in a wide range of genres, most notably jazz, pop-soul, funk, rock and metallic, morphing and absorbing labels and acts by the years because the enterprise shifted and altered. It turned a part of PolyGram within the early Eighties, then was bought by Seagram on the finish of the last decade, the place it turned a part of the Universal Music Group. Eventually it turned one of many labels that made up the Island Def Jam Music Group, being folded largely into Island Records; it was briefly relaunched in 2007, however has lived as principally a catalog imprint over the previous a number of years, with its identify nonetheless alive by a Nashville imprint and a classical label within the U.Okay.

Both Arnold and Adelson, who started their careers at Republic, have had a string of success of their signings in recent times. In addition to bringing on Post Malone and main the Big Loud partnership, Arnold signed Clairo, Burnham, Butler and Zucker and spearheaded Republic’s partnership with Metro Boomin. Adelson, in the meantime, signed Conan Gray, Lord Huron, Noah Kahan and Bay, amongst others.

“Tyler and Ben’s accomplishments converse volumes as high A&R executives over the previous few years, and the legacy of Mercury Records might be in excellent arms,” Monte Lipman mentioned in a press release. “Their aggressive spirit, drive and willpower will lead a brand new vanguard of artistic artists into uncharted waters.”