Liam Gallagher has signed a new publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music, the publishing arm of Warner Music Group.
Managing director Mike Smith broke the news today (November 18) at the company’s annual Global A&R Conference held at its offices in Kensington, west London.
In August, it was revealed that the former Oasis frontman had signed to Warner Bros Records, with plans in place to release his debut solo album in 2017.
Now, in an exclusive interview with Music Week, Smith revealed work began on the deal “a couple of years ago” while he was president of music at Virgin EMI. “He was looking for writer ideas and I spent time with him,” he said. “He’d get out the acoustic guitar and we’d sit down and listen to [him playing] songs. Initially, he was just looking for great songs to sing but as soon as he started playing what he’d written himself it was like, that’s where you need to go.”
Smith said Gallagher’s new material “comes from the heart” and would appeal to “anyone who’s ever been a Liam fan,” adding: “There are a lot of really interesting things he’s got to say about the experiences he’s had, he’s had to be out on his own in recent years.”
Oasis have sold a combined total of 77 million albums. 1995's (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? is the fifth biggest selling album in UK history. All seven of the band’s studio albums reached No.1 in the UK, as did their 2010 compilation Time Flies. They had eight UK No.1 singles.
Smith spoke to Music Week during a break in the conference, which gathers around 40 delegates from around the world to share music from songwriters and speak to managers and digital services about developments in the business. Warner/Chappell chairman and CEO Jon Platt and Smith are hosting the three-day event.
Mike Smith joined Warner/Chappell at the beginning of this month from Virgin EMI. “The great thing for me is walking into a company that’s so connected internationally, it’s all about partnerships,” he said today. “This conference is an opportunity to work out how we get all our songwriters round the world working together.
Platt added: “Mike Smith officially joined Warner/Chappell less than a month ago, so we thought we’d give him a proper welcome by hosting our annual Global A&R Conference at his team’s London headquarters. Moving locations keeps things fresh – last year we were in Nashville – and I love how the musical identity and songwriting scene of each city uniquely influences our discussions.”
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