Parlophone Records has signed the first act of its new era under MD Jennifer Ivory, Music Week can reveal.
The Warner-owned major has completed a deal for emerging band 86TVs, which features ex-Maccabees members Felix and Hugo White. They are joined by their brother Will, a touring member of The Maccabees, and drummer Jamie Morisson, who also plays in Stereophonics.
The four-piece are managed and represented for live by Mark and Natasha Bent at Mother Artists.
The band’s formation marks the first post-Maccabees project for Felix and Hugo White. Felix co-runs Yala Records and has found success as a podcaster and author since the break up of their former band. Hugo, meanwhile, helped produce Jamie T's chart-topping album The Theory Of Whatever last year.
Their first live shows have been super exciting, and their songs and musicianship have blown me away
Jennifer Ivory
Parlophone MD Jennifer Ivory told Music Week: “We’re delighted to welcome the 86TVs to Parlophone. Felix and Hugo made incredible music and built a real community while part of the Maccabees, and now alongside their brother Will, and Jamie Morrison, they are set to recreate that magic. Their first live shows have been super exciting, and their songs and musicianship have blown me away. I can’t wait for their fans to hear what they’ve been working on and for a whole new audience to discover their genius.”
86TVs (clockwise from top left) Felix White, Jamie Morisson, Will White, Hugo White
Mark Bent added: "I couldn't think of a better home for 86TVs than Parlophone Records. It's been such a privilege to work with 86TVs, having been a big fan of the bands previous projects and them as individuals. To be able to do the next step alongside Jennifer and Ben at Parlophone Records is a dream. For a long time I've admired their loyalty, drive and great success on campaigns for long term artists careers. To be able have all these elements in place to get 86TVs music out into the world is very exciting indeed."
We have stacked up a lot of music and landed on something we are really, really excited to share
Felix White
Felix White commented: ‘’We’ve been writing songs and making music together since the Maccabees’ last shows, for maybe six years now. As our lives rolled on alongside, we’d be constantly coming back to this private little thing we had; a secret little band that was slowly developing. We have stacked up a lot of music over that time, sort of protecting it until it was ready, and eventually landed on something we are really, really excited to share.”
‘’People used to sometimes say things to me like, ‘When you make a record with your brothers’ as if it was a given. I wasn’t sure it would ever actually happen, but I’m so glad it has. Especially this way as, when we were dreaming it up, there wouldn’t have been anyone in the world we could imagine as a better home for it than Parlophone with Jen and Ben and Mother with Mark and his team.’’
The band are working on new music and have a summer of touring lined up, with festival appearances at Latitude, Barn On The Farm and more.
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