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New York, NY, July 29, 2019 — Soulful 16-year-old pop prodigy Evie Irie signed to Downtown Music Publishing, the company announced today. The news follows the release of her debut EP, 5 Weeks in LA, as well as a video for its opening song, “Bitter.” As the EP’s title suggests, the project was conceived and recorded on a five-week trip to Los Angeles. Co-written by Casey Smith and co-produced by Zach Skelton of Downtown client Patriot Games Publishing, alongside songwriter and producer Andy Seltzer, “Bitter” has garnered over 1MM streams across all digital platforms since its release.
“From the moment I walked into the Downtown office (pre-record deal and management) in Los Angeles and played some of my demos and a couple of songs live on guitar, I knew that Dylan and the team believed in my artistry 110%, and I felt really connected to them both personally and professionally,” said Irie. “I’m super excited to now be a part of the amazing roster of writers and producers that Downtown represents, and I hope that this will be a long-lasting partnership that will help me develop even further as a songwriter.”
“Downtown added value from the moment Evie arrived in LA,” added Irie’s manager, Q&A co-founder Troy Carter, who has worked with talent such as Lady Gaga, Meghan Trainor, and Eve. “Their level of commitment and creativity showed us right away this was the best partner for Evie.”
Growing up in Australia and the U.S., Irie began playing music at only 11 years old and writing songs soon after, setting her elder sister’s experiences to her own guitar melodies. “My sister would come home from school with all of these interesting stories,” Evie recalled. “I would say, ‘Oh tell me this story again,’ and I would get her to write it down. Then I would grab my guitar and put lyrics to it.”
With her family’s support, Irie moved back to the U.S. to develop her craft and career. Performing her signature brand of textured, soulful pop music at open mics in Nashville and L.A., it wasn’t long before she was discovered by top industry executives.
“At Downtown, we aspire to attract, sign, and be true creative partners to the best culture-shaping talent in the world. To work with an artist as gifted as Evie is a rare opportunity in and of itself. And to do so in collaboration with Troy Carter, Monte and Avery Lipman, and Brian Schall sounds too good to be true. Except, no, this is really the team," said Downtown Senior Vice President of Global Creative, Andrew Gould.
“I’d also like to recognize Downtown Creative Senior Manager Dylan Silbermann for bringing Evie and the company together,” Gould added. “It’s rewarding to not only work with the next wave of superstar artists but also star executives.”
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About Downtown Music Publishing
Established in 2007, Downtown Music Publishing is one of the world's leading music rights management firms offering bespoke creative publishing services to some of the most beloved songwriters and storied music catalogs. The company's catalog spans over 100 years of popular music, including legends and iconic songwriters The Beatles, John Lennon & Yoko Ono, George Gershwin, Booker T. Jones, The Kinks, Mötley Crüe, Mos Def, Phish, Tori Amos, Hans Zimmer, and John Prine, as well as today’s hitmaker songwriters such as Ryan Tedder, Benny Blanco, One Direction, Santigold, and Jimmy Napes. With offices in major music markets around the globe, Downtown also represents critically-acclaimed emerging talent, including Phony Ppl, Theophilus London, Mae Muller, Cautious Clay, Stella Donnelly, among others. Downtown Music Publishing is owned and operated by Downtown Music Holdings. More information is available at dmpgroup.com
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