Music Biz Headlines, April 22, 2021
Arcade Fire’s Will Butler (pictured) on the pandemic’s impact, the Suzuki Foundation warns about the environmental damage of NFT’s, and Johnny Orlando develops his songwriting. Also in the headlines are Tom Jackson, Brett Kissel, Spotify, ACM Awards, Morrissey, SXSW, Casey Wasserman, Ted Nugent, BTS, Richard Thompson, Amy Lee, Oscar songs, Bob Dylan, Bounty Killer, Bonnaroo, and School of Rock.
By Kerry Doole
The David Suzuki Foundation gets in on the NFT craze, but its token is ‘nature-friendly’
While Canadian superstars The Weeknd and deadmau5 are cashing in cumulative seven-figure paydays with their NFT drops on blockchain marketplaces, the Vancouver-based Suzuki Foundation is trying to raise awareness about the environmental damage that minting an NFT causes. – Nick Krewen, Toronto Star
I’m not ready to perform
"A great rock-and-roll show means openness, confrontation, and a kind of danger, and those ideas right now feel too heavy to lift," says Will Butler of Arcade Fire. –The Atlantic
Johnny Orlando: Teen sensation explores more songwriting
Just recently turned 18, and in his final year of high school, Johnny Orlando is being tipped by many industry observers as the next Canadian pop singer-songwriter to break big internationally – following in the footsteps of his early hero, Justin Bieber, and Shawn Mendes. – Kerry Doole, Words & Music
Tom Jackson hosts Heal the Earth concert on Earth Day
A number of well-known musicians from Canada, the U.S., and Sweden will take part in an online event to celebrate Earth Day and raise funds for Earth Day Canada. “Heal the Earth is here to lift conscience, mind and spirit to a higher ground,” says producer and host Tom Jackson on the event's website. “This is a moral and musical compass designed to guide you on a road paved with caring and compassion.” – Steve Newton, Georgia Straight
Brett Kissel bucks the comfort of country music with his new album, What Is Life?
The Cancountry star strikes up a conversation with his fifth full-length album, released April 9. – Jenny Feniak, Edmonton Journal
Pierre Schryer and Andy Hillhouse bring warmth and upbeat energy to Festival du Bois
The fiddler and acoustic guitarist also shared stories about how they're getting by in the pandemic. – Charlie Smith, Georgia Straight
International
Does Spotify pay artists a fair rate? Here’s what musicians, managers and Apple Music have to say
Frustrated by what they consider an inequity, last month a group of independent musicians who’d endured a year without live-performance income commenced a series of protests called “Justice at Spotify” at the music streaming platform’s offices around the world. – Randall Roberts, Los Angeles Times
Why are Paul McCartney, Led Zeppelin, Sting and Stevie Nicks demanding the UK government fix streaming
This is going to take a wee bit of explaining. Not least as, in the US, artists don’t get paid when their music is played on the radio. In the UK – in most nations other than Iran, North Korea, and China, in fact – artists do get paid when broadcast radio DJs play their music. – Tim Ingham, MBW
ACM Awards 2021: Luke Bryan, Maren Morris win big (complete winners list)
Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan was unable to attend Nashville ceremony due to positive Covid. – Thom Geier, The Wrap
Penske Media acquires 50% of SXSW
the acquisition makes the media company a longterm partner P-MRC (Penske Media), which operates Billboard, Rolling Stone, Deadline, Variety and others, has acquired 50% stake in SXSW, making them a shareholder and longterm partner of the annual Austin, TX music and film festival. The acquisition is a "true lifeline" after having to cancel last year's event. – Buddy Iahn, The Music Universe
Casey Wasserman completes Paradigm purchase, unveils Wasserman Music Agency
Variety reports: “As expected, Casey Wasserman has raised the curtain on Wasserman Music, a new powerhouse player in music built on the back of Paradigm’s former music division.” – Digital Media Wire
4 Things Planners and Venues Should Keep in Mind as Live Events Return
From one event pro to another, Falon Veit Scott of Nashville-based Evolution Event Solutions offers up her two cents on how the industry should look at live events moving forward. – BizBash
Morrissey slams The Simpsons for depicting him as an overweight racist
This weekend The Simpsons aired a new episode called “Panic On The Streets Of Springfield” that was inspired by Morrissey. Morrissey is not happy with how he was depicted on the show. “Poking fun at subjects is one thing. Other shows like SNL still do a great job at finding ways to inspire great satire,” reads a post on the official Morrissey Facebook page. – James Rettig, Stereogum
Drowning in data: A wake-up call for the music industry
This is the first in a series where we highlight some of the key issues addressed in Synchtank’s new Drowning in Data report. The report examines the challenges music publishers are facing with regards to rights, royalties, and payments in the digital age. “As music publishers and labels strive to clean up their data – as well as communicate it to other related parties, streaming platforms et cetera – this will be the icing on the cake relating to the increasing amount of data generated by the licensees.” – Eamonn Forde, Synchtank
Ted Nugent tests positive for coronavirus after calling pandemic a ‘scam’
Musician Ted Nugent has tested positive for coronavirus months after he said that the virus was “not a real pandemic”. In his Christmas message, Nugent called the worldwide crisis a “scammy pandemic” and said that people who wore masks were “sheep”. On Monday, Nugent revealed on Facebook Live that he had caught Covid-19, admitting that “everybody” told him that he shouldn’t announce his diagnosis. – Isobel Lewis, Independent
McDonald's introduces BTS meal in latest celebrity collaboration
McDonald’s Corp has tapped Korean pop sensation BTS to promote a new meal, in a move that the world’s largest fast-food chain hopes will expand the reach of its celebrity promotional campaigns to a global scale. The boy band’s meal will launch starting next month in nearly 50 countries, including South Korea, McDonald’s said in a statement, and will include chicken McNuggets, fries, and two dips. – Reuters
A portrait of the guitarist: Richard Thompson in conversation
In a frank and revealing new memoir, the British folk-rock pioneer and six-string giant assesses his trailblazing tenure in Fairport Convention. – Jim Farber, Tidal
Bounty Killer gives back
Star dancehall deejay Bounty Killer, through his Bounty Killer Foundation, donated 40 tablet computers to his alma mater Seaview Gardens Primary School in Kingston recently. The gift, part of the entertainer's Each One, Teach One initiative, is to assist students with online classes due to the postponment of face-to-face classes caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. – Jamaica Observer
Amy Lee reveals 'Bitter Truth' behind new Evanescence LP
Amy Lee can already picture it in her mind. The lights go down, giving way to the dream-like synth of Artifact/ The Truth, the first song from Evanescence’s new LP, The Bitter Truth. “I keep imagining that’s how we’re going to start our show,” Lee says over Zoom. – Mark Daniell, Postmedia
Oscars Song contenders to perform for pre-show, ‘After Dark’ special set for Post-Awards
All five nominated songs will be performed from the Academy Museum and from Húsavík, Iceland. – Brian Welk, The Wrap
Jazz artists remember Chick Corea
Lenny White, Renee Rosnes, John Patitucci, and Béla Fleck, among others, pay their respects to one of jazz’s all-time greats. – JazzTimes
How to ensure every collaborator gets proper songwriting credit
Even bands with the best relationships have experienced drama when it comes to splitting the profits at the end of the day. That's why it's important to talk about who gets credit for what before the song ever leaves the studio. – Symphonic distribution
Why are literary writers still so addicted to Bob Dylan?
Four new biographies on the legendary artist are set to arrive ahead of Bob Dylan's 80th birthday on the 24th of May. – Sam Leith GQ
Annie Mac leaves BBC Radio 1 after 17 years
The Irish presenter – about to debut as a novelist – will be replaced on new music show Future Sounds by Clara Amfo. – The Guardian
Bonnaroo 2021 sells out
Are virtual fitness instructors becoming music's newest influencers?
Arguably, one of the contributing factors to the success of many digital fitness companies, apart from their own tech, instructors and marketing tactics, is the music they use to soundtrack their instructional programming. NMPA President & CEO David Israelite has previously claimed that “music… is responsible for much of Peloton’s swift success”. – Murray Stassen, MBW
Documentary highlights history of women in electronic music
Lisa Rovner’s documentary “Sisters with Transistors” shows how we got to this point, arguing that technological innovation stemmed from women’s exclusion from conventional musical fields. – Steve Erickson, Gay City News
For young shredders at School of Rock, it’s finally time to melt faces again
Founded in 1998 by Philadelphia musician and philanthropist Paul Green, the real-life School of Rock is not your standard after-school music class: It’s a year-round program dedicated to teaching music through both classic and contemporary rock songs. By the beginning of 2020, School of Rock’s attendance was at an all-time high. Then Covid turned down the volume. – Suzy Exposito, Los Angeles Times
Paul McCartney at TD Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, on Nov. 21, 2025.Mike Highfield
TD ColiseumCourtesy Photo