Native Tongue is thrilled to finally announce the signing of songwriter Liam McGorry.

A prolific songwriter and musician who was the driving force behind bands such as Saskwatch and Dorsal Fins, McGorry has recently announced his new musical vessel Ex-Olympian.

Named after the neon sign that adorns Borsari’s Corner in Melbourne’s Lygon St, Ex-Olympian also reflects those times we all need to shift things forward into a new phase.

In partnership with two Melbourne icons Northside Records & Remote Control Records, Ex-Olympian’s debut release is a new 7” record that features ‘Voices in My Head’ and ‘Lilac Youth’. With a focus on soaring melodies and lush arrangements, Ex-Olympian’s dream funk music takes cues from the music of heroes Reneé Geyer, The Avalanches, Arthur Verocai and Badbadnotgood.

“It’s a real honour to sign with Native Tongue. Matt and Jaime et al have been incredibly positive and supportive to my songwriting over the last few years, and also on building my songwriting future, to be joining such a talented and extensive local lineup is really exciting,” says Liam McGorry.

“We’ve been a fan of Liam’s songwriting and production for a number of years, so we absolutely jumped at the opportunity to work with him. His touchstones are the freshest, and he digs deep to create. Liam is an inspiring creative to be involved with,” explains Native Tongue’s Head of Creative Services Matt Tanner.

‘Voices in My Head’ and ‘Lilac Youth’ are out now and available on Spotify.

Alex Gow has moved away from releasing under the moniker Oh Mercy and on to bigger and better things as Perfect Moment. Gow has been blessing us with his art for close to 15 years now, winning an ARIA along the way in 2015 for Best Adult Contemporary Album.

In collaboration with The Presets’ Kim Moyes, the Perfect Moment EP is a tight package that encapsulates Alex Gow’s passion and is the perfect stepping stone into his new venture.

This EP could get you dancing, crying or smiling, but there’s one guarantee; these tracks will persist in your mind after just one listen.

The Perfect Moment EP is out now via Best & Fairest, stream on Spotify here.

Native Tongue has announced a new deal with Melbourne-based electronic producer and musician Alice Ivy. This worldwide publishing deal, effective immediately, is a joint venture with Native Tongue and Concord Music Publishing.

Annika Schmarsel, pka Alice Ivy, is fast becoming recognized as one of Australia’s most versatile and exhilarating artists and producers. Since the release of her first album, I’m Dreaming, in February 2018, she has performed more than 250 shows worldwide including national tours with Flight Facilities, Vera Blue & The Jungle Giants. She has also performed at SXSW, Falls Festival, Listen Out & Splendour In The Grass.

Ivy is fresh off the heels of her second album, Don’t Sleep, released July 17, 2020 via Dew Process (ANZ) and Last Gang Records (ROW). The album features collaborations with Thelma Plum, Ecca Vandal, Odette & Montaigne.

“Publishing is something I’ve taken my time with,” said Alice Ivy. “I wanted to hold off until I’d matured as a songwriter and a producer and wait for the right partners to come along. Between the team at Native Tongue, who’ve always looked out for me, and my new family at Concord, it feels like the best possible set-up for me at this exciting stage in my career. When it came down to it, they asked what I was looking for and I said, ‘I want to be jumping on planes and writing music every day’ and they said, ‘we can do that!'”

Alice Ivy’s eclectic signature sound spans sample-influenced soul, hip-hop and electronic pop that she brings to life live as a multi-instrumentalist. She has recently had four consecutive singles on high rotation at the taste-making Australian radio station, triple j, including the title track ‘Don’t Sleep’ which was the No.1 most played song on the station this April.

“Alice Ivy is the full package of songwriter, producer and artist, and we, at Concord, are thrilled to work with her,” says Kim Frankiewicz, EVP of Worldwide A&R at Concord Music Publishing. “With a talent like Alice Ivy, this is the perfect time to collaborate and sign an artist together with Jaime and the team at Native Tongue.”

“We are delighted to welcome Annika to the extended Native Tongue family,” said Jaime Gough, Managing Director at Native Tongue Music Publishing. “An inspiring artist, accomplished producer and talented songwriter, Annika presents a world of avenues for us to explore. Kim and I have long talked about signing talent together, and I’m glad it has finally happened with such an exciting writer. We are very happy to be extending our long-term relationship with Concord in this manner, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Don’t Sleep is out now, stream on Spotify here.

Native Tongue is proud to announce the signing of Melbourne heavy-hitters Thornhill.

The five-piece have dominated on all fronts since the release of their debut album The Dark Pool in 2019. They’ve reached monumental streaming heights, sold out a national headline tour, completed a European run with Wage War, and bagged the coveted Feature Album slot on triple j.

Adding to the success of the album, it was announced this month that The Dark Pool has been nominated for Best Independent Heavy Album at this year’s AIR Awards.

Commenting on the signing Thornhill said: “We are glad to be working with Jaime, Matt and the rest of the team at Native Tongue. We’re looking forward to having them on board during the writing process for our next album and helping us make the most of our downtime while shows are off the table.”

Native Tongue’s Head of Creative Services Matt Tanner added: “Thornhill’s debut album The Dark Pool felt like a game changer for heavy music in Australia. We were struck by Ethan and Jacob’s genuine desire to push the boundaries of their sound. We’re excited to be working with Thornhill as they dive deep into their follow up.”

The Dark Pool is out now via UNFD and is available on Spotify.

The top 20 songs in contention for the 2020 APRA Silver Scroll Award have been announced.

We are proud to announce that six Native Tongue writers are among those nominated. Congratulations to Shannon Fowler, Annabel Alpers, Matthew Barus, Lauren Barus, Tamara Neilson and Joshua Neilson.

Below are the works these Native Tongue writers were involved with:

• ‘Hands’ performed by Belladonna- written by Bella Cook and Shannon Fowler (Published by Native Tongue Music Publishing)
• ‘Remote’ performed by Hamerkop – written by Annabel Alpers (Published by Native Tongue Music Publishing)
• ‘Ruffle’ performed by Terrible Sons – written by Matthew Barus and Lauren Barus (Published by Native Tongue Music Publishing)
• ‘You Were Mine’ performed by Tami Neilson – written by Tamara Neilson and Joshua Neilson (Published by Native Tongue Music Publishing)

We would also like to congratulate Pulse Publishing writer, Leroy Clampitt, on his nomination with his song ‘Superfan’.

• ‘Superfan’ performed by Chelsea Jade – written by Chelsea Jade Metcalf and Leroy Clampitt (Published by EMI Music Publishing Australia / Stellar Songs / Avant-Garde LOL / These Are Songs of Pulse / Native Tongue Music Publishing)

Voting is open now to APRA members. Cast your votes here.

The APRA Silver Scroll Award will be presented at Auckland Town Hall on Wednesday October 14th.