There have been big changes at Island with the departure of Darcus Beese and the appointment of Louis Bloom as president. In the latest move, Island veteran Jon Turner has taken on the job of heading up the new Island Life division.
Turner, the Island MD who’s been at the company for almost 20 years, will be responsible for building up Island Life’s live curation activity. He will also continue to oversee campaigns for major Island artists, including U2, Mumford & Sons, Hozier and the Bob Marley Estate, as well as overseeing Diary Records, the new label from Switch (Diplo & Switch).
Based at the new Island House in Camden, Turner will report to Bloom. The appointment is effective immediately.
Turner said: “Island Life is born out of a need to try and do things differently. Not only for the artists, who require a broader and more detailed approach to their overall business on a global level, but also the opportunity and commercial endeavours the Island brand offers outside the recorded music business. We’ve dipped our toes in over the last few years, now it’s time to dive in head first. Island turning 60 next year gives us a fantastic opportunity to truly expand the brand across many new areas.”
Bloom said: “With all the new areas and opportunities that Jon has been exploring through Island Life and with his years of experience and deep understanding of what this label stands for, I can think of no-one better qualified to further extend the Island Life brand to help us ensure that Island remains front and centre of culture”.
The news of Turner’s new role comes as Island is riding high in this week’s chart with Drake’s Scorpion album and tracks.
Turner entered the music business in 1995 as a marketing assistant at Virgin Records, before rising to the position of product manager. Joining Island in 1999, he went on to work with artists including Keane, Amy Winehouse, U2, DJ Shadow, The Charlatans, PJ Harvey, Jack Johnson, Ben Howard, Damian Marley, Sugababes, Rizzle Kicks, Robbie Williams and Mumford & Sons. Recent campaigns include including Catfish & The Bottlemen, Sigrid, Hozier, Disclosure and John Newman as well as US acts Drake, The Weeknd and Ariana Grande.
Turner was also a driving force behind the Island 50 celebrations in 2009.
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