MUSHROOM GOES GLOBAL WITH VIRGIN

Sir Lucian Grainge hopes the buffet has more than Marmite sandwiches to celebrate Mushroom’s deal with Virgin. Prior to blowing the froth off a few are (back row, l-r) Mushroom’s Matt Gudinski, Chris Maund and Korda Marshall; (front row) Mushroom’s Sarah Richardson, UMG U.K. chief David Joseph, Grainge, Virgin International’s Jim Chancellor and Virgin U.K.'s Vanessa Bosåen.

Australia’s Mushroom has signed a global distribution and label-services deal with Virgin Label & Artist Services. The partnership will see London-based Korda Marshall's return to the company.

Virgin will provide promotion, marketing and audience services to Mushroom’s existing U.K. and U.S. infrastructure outside Australia and New Zealand. Select Mushroom releases will be issued through UMG’s major labels.

The Mushroom label division remains 100% independent. Its established Australia/New Zealand operations will remain unchanged as a result of the partnership. Mushroom will continue to digitally distribute itself in ANZ and maintain its long-standing physical-distribution partnership with Universal Music Australia.

Marshall, MD of Mushroom Records in the 1990s, will co-lead the Mushroom label division’s global operations as International Director. He moves over from BMG, where he headed the label he founded, Infectious Records, which BMG purchased in 2014.

Said UMG Chairman & CEO Sir Lucian Grainge, “This marks the beginning of a new collaboration between two historically entrepreneurial companies that have introduced countless superstar artists and helped shape and influence independent music for decades. We’re thrilled to be working with [Mushroom CEO] Matt Gudinski, who is honoring his father’s great legacy by bringing Mushroom to new heights, and with Korda, who has been a force in the U.K. creative community for decades.”

Gudinski called the partnership a step toward “building Mushroom into a truly global brand.”

The next Mushroom releases will come from Australian alt-pop artist Yen Strange, Aussie band DMA’s and Spotify global Radar artist Merci, Mercy. Marshall’s first U.K. signing is alternative hip-hop act Joshua Epithet.