Independent music publisher Chrysalis Music Group USA, based in Los Angeles, has partnered with bicoastal music production house The Lodge in a deal to create and market new arrangements, cover versions, and newly recorded master versions of Chrysalis’ top and back catalog hits for the advertising, film and TV industries. In doing so, the companies will tap into Chrysalis’ inventory, which spans such noted artists as David Bowie, Billy Idol, Blondie, and Richard Marx, as well as cutting-edge contemporary acts like Ray LaMontagne, My Morning Jacket, OutKast, TV On The Radio, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Via their agreement, Chrysalis and The Lodge are looking to further the trend of remaking classic hit songs from well-known artists with different arrangements from the original versions, while also deepening the creative relationships between the catalog and advertising agencies, as well as film and TV music supervisors. The recording of new arrangements of classic hits has become increasingly popular as ad agencies and filmmakers alike have shifted away from the all but exclusive use of master recordings, for reasons both creative and budgetary in nature. Chrysalis and The Lodge are hoping to break new ground in this area by providing a more streamlined process, as well as offering, through their partnership, the in-house creative services to deliver new masters.
“Often times our clients want the instant recognition of a classic hit song but also want a new look and a modern take on the arrangement scored to their picture,” said Drew Stein, chief creative officer of The Lodge, which is active in commercials (Hewlett-Packard, Coca-Cola, Mercedes Benz, Pepsi, McDonald’s Ford), TV and features. “This partnership represents those creative desires.”
Under the aegis of its president Kenny MacPherson, Chrysalis Music Group USA has broadened the scope of its operations and the depth of its catalog, which also includes such artists as Velvet Revolver, Bon Iver, Mastodon, Thom Yorke, Dinosaur Jr., Andrew Bird, The Low Anthem, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Secret Machines, Dan Wilson, Underworld, Joe Henry and Page Hamilton, as well as noted producers No ID and Ethan Johns. The Chrysalis catalog additionally spans the hits of Jethro Tull, Cy Coleman, Paul Anka, Roy Ayers, and Andrew Gold. At the same time, the company continues build a roster of up-and-coming writers/artists and songwriters/producers.
Ron Cicero and Bo Clancey Launch Production House 34North
Executive producers Ron Cicero and Bo Clancey have teamed to launch 34North. The shop opens with a roster which includes accomplished directors Jan Wentz, Ben Nakamura Whitehouse, David Edwards and Mario Feil, as well as such up-and-coming filmmakers as Glenn Stewart and Chris Fowles. Nakamura Whitehouse, Edwards, Feil and Fowles come over from CoMPANY Films, the production company for which Cicero served as an EP for the past nearly five years. Director Wentz had most recently been with production house Skunk while Stewart now gains his first U.S. representation. EP Clancey was freelance producing prior to the formation of 34North. He and Cicero have known each other for some 25 years, recently reconnecting on a job directed by Fowles. Cicero said that he and Clancey “want to keep a highly focused roster where talent management can be one on one--where we all share in the directors’ success together.” Clancey also brings an agency pedigree to the new venture. “I started at Campbell Ewald in accounts, no less,” said Clancey. “I saw firsthand how much work agencies put in before we even see a script. You have to respect that investment. These agency experiences really shaped my approach to production--it’s about empathy, listening between the lines, and ultimately making the process seamless.” 34North represents a meeting point--both literally and creatively. Named after the latitude of Malibu, Calif., where the idea for the company was born, it also embraces the power of storytelling. “34North118West was the first GPS-enabled narrative,” Cicero explained. “That blend of art and technology, to captivate an audience, mirrors what we do here--create compelling work, with talented people, harnessing state-of-the-art... Read More