By Kerry Doole
Vancouver-based Crank Music has announced the direct signing of Juno-nominated BC pop singer/songwriter Shawn Hook to a global label deal. Hook’s songs have garnered over 250 million streams and his tracks Reminding Me (featuring Vanessa Hudgens) and Sound of Your Heart have earned double platinum sales status.
He is currently making a splash with Used To You, a collaboration with Serena Ryder. In 2017, Hook received the prestigious Allan Slaight Music Impact Honour at Canada’s Walk of Fame, which recognizes Canadian artists who are using their talent to inspire people around the world.
In a label press release announcing his new signing, Hook states that "Behind every successful artist is a motivated team that has the resources, energy and belief to help an artist achieve their vision; Crank has brought all of that to the table. I'm hungrier than ever, with more material than I've ever had to comprise an album. I'm excited to take this next step with Crank Music, and I look forward to sharing the fruits of our labour with the world in 2022."
Stephen Young, Vice President, Crank Music, adds that “we are excited to welcome Shawn, a BC born and bred artist with worldwide success, to our roster. We’re delighted to support his new work and can’t wait for fans to hear it. The whole Crank team is gearing up for a very bright 2022, and we extend a heartfelt welcome to Shawn.”
Crank Music is a division of Crank Media, a multi-faceted global entertainment company. Its music roster includes emerging acts Black Pontiac, Nick Beezy, Reverend and The Rebel, Strange Breed and Tommy Charles. Stephen Young informs FYI that “as an independent we are distributed in North America by Distrokid and through Sony/ The Orchard for the rest of the world.
Young confirms that Hook “for sure is the label’s biggest and most prestigious signing to date. I knew about Shawn and his music, then one day earlier this summer I was introduced to Shawn by our Director of Marketing and Promotion, Lyle Chausse, who had worked with Shawn in the past through EMI. One thing led to another and we all met over lunch in Vancouver. It just clicked and through the summer months we put a deal together with Shawn’s manager, Pierre Tremblay.”
Crank Music is seeking to expand its artist roster, with Young telling FYI that "we are open for business and looking for great new unsigned talent in Canada and worldwide. We just signed a country singer from Montreal, Tommy Charles, and he is now laying down tracks in Vancouver. Stephen Brown, our CEO and company founder, is also a music guy who ran a label in LA for many years. He is always on the lookout to break new talent, and Tommy is his latest find."
Young also has extensive Canadian record label experience, as he recalls. "I have had two careers in two different cities in media and entertainment. I started my career in Toronto with Quality Records and then went to work for a major with EMI as a promotions/marketing guy. I then took a position in Vancouver, running promotions for EMI, followed by a long career in the broadcast business, in radio and television."
"I am a music/entertainment/media guy who has a great team at Crank. We are not just a label as we have three divisions in music, film and TV."
More information on Crank Media here
