Downtown Music Acquires Good Soldier Songs, Publisher of The 1975
By Variety Staff
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Downtown Music Publishing today announced the acquisition of independent London-based music publisher Good Soldier Songs Ltd. The transaction includes more than 350 works, including The 1975’s publishing catalog and upcoming album, “Notes on a Conditional Form,” due out next week.
Additionally, the acquisition includes songs from The 1975’s self-titled 2013 debut, their 2016 U.S. and U.K. No. 1 album “I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It” and 2018’s “A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships” — which also reached No. 1 in the U.K. Through the deal, Downtown also acquired Good Soldier Songs’ rights to music by Billy Lockett, Colouring, Dr Vades, Fickle Friends, The Him, The Hunna, K.I.D, Nothing But Thieves, Liam Prior, Raheem Bakaré, Tobtok, and many others — as well as Biffy Clyro, including songs from the band’s forthcoming album, “A Celebration of Endings.”
“Downtown is one of the most thoughtful publishers in the business, with an exceptional, well-curated roster and catalog,” said Good Soldier Songs’ previous owner Christian Tattersfield of the acquisition. “I couldn’t think of a more fitting new home for our writers and their music, and am happy they’re in good hands.”
Tattersfield, former CEO of Warner Music UK, founded Good Soldier in 2003. The company signed The 1975’s members to a worldwide publishing agreement in 2012, prior to the release of their first studio album.
“With an ethos not unlike Downtown’s, Christian has built an incredible, diverse roster at Good Soldier Songs and we’re ecstatic to add its music to our catalog,” said Roberto Neri, Executive Vice President and Head of European Business Development for Downtown Music Holdings — parent company of Downtown Music Publishing. “We’re also excited for The 1975’s highly-anticipated new album and are thrilled to work with the band and their manager, Jamie Oborne.”
Downtown’s other recent acquisitions include over 10,000 song copyrights from its purchase of famed European music publisher Strictly Confidential, as well as nearly 700 works from the U.K.-based Salli Isaak Songs Limited and Salli Isaak Music Publishing Limited.
