Zac Brown Band Signs With John Varvatos Records, Big Machine Label Group, And Republic Records

NEW YORK -- January 12, 2015 – John Varvatos Records, Big Machine Label Group, and Republic Records proudly announce a new strategic partnership with Zac Brown Band and Brown’s own Southern Ground Artists. This historic announcement marks the first joint venture between the collection of companies and the debut artist and release for John Varvatos Records in their recently launched partnership with Republic Records.

John Varvatos Records founder and president John Varvatos and Big Machine Label Group founder and president Scott Borchetta made the announcement today along with Southern Ground Artists founder Zac Brown and Republic Records founder and CEO Monte Lipman. The industry leaders share a mutual respect and have forged a friendship over the past few years from which this partnership blossomed.

Read Rolling Stone's interview on the partnership here

"Southern Ground Artists together with John Varvatos Records, Big Machine Label Group, and Republic Records is the dream team for Zac Brown Band’s evolution," said Zac Brown. “We're excited to reach new music fans worldwide”

John Varvatos comments, "I've been a huge fan of Zac's for many years and have followed his much-deserved ascension to a stadium artist. We came together through a vision of collaboration and a love of music. I'm excited to break the rules and barriers alongside him.”

Scott Borchetta, President & CEO/Big Machine Label Group added "There are those moments when our best artists hit a global stride and a deeper sense of engagement that speaks a clearer musical language. With the combination of all these forces coming together now as the Zac Brown Band moves into the next phase of their career with incredible ambition, there literally is no ceiling as to what can be accomplished."

Republic Records co-founder and C.E.O. Monte Lipman added "When Charlie Walk first introduced the idea of creating a venture with John Varvatos and Republic Records, I never imagined our first initiative would create a super alliance with future hall of famers Zac Brown Band and Nashville’s hottest executive Scott Borchetta. The entrepreneurial spirit of each camp including Zac’s own Southern Ground Artists, has created a pool of resources that can only be described as extraordinary. In a quest to make history together, it’s an honor and privilege to work with the Zac Brown Band and ROAR in this unique arrangement.”

Zac Brown Band and Southern Ground Artists will now work directly with Big Machine Label Group for distribution and marketing while Southern Ground Artists in-house promotion team, lead by Chuck Swaney and Mara Sidweber, will continue to service radio. Zac Brown Band continues to be represented by ROAR, CAA, Shore Fire Media and Girlilla Marketing.

Zac Brown Band are currently in the studio working on what will be their fourth full-length studio album. The record will hit shelves in 2015 and mark the first release ever on the Big Machine Label Group moniker.

About Zac Brown Band:
Three-time GRAMMY winners and multi-platinum artists Zac Brown Band have become one of music's most heralded acts. The band's three platinum-selling albums, Uncaged, You Get What You Give, and The Foundation have sold over seven million copies total and produced a historic series of eleven #1 hit singles. In 2014, Zac Brown Band performed for two million fans including a sold out, two-night stand at Fenway Park, a packed show at Wrigley Field and a Veteran's Day performance with Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl on the National Mall in Washington, DC. “Homegrown”, the band's first single off their forthcoming new album, is out now and marks the first release through the band's new label partnership on Southern Ground Artists/John Varvatos Records/Big Machine Label Group/Republic Records. Zac Brown Band is managed by ROAR, a Beverly Hills-based artist and brand management company. The band is also represented by top talent agency CAA, public relations firm Shore Fire Media and strategic digital marketing agency Girlilla Marketing. Additional information can be found at http://www.zacbrownband.com/.

About John Varvatos Records:
Republic Records has joined forces with renowned fashion designer John Varvatos to launch John Varvatos Records. The imprint is a revolutionary collaboration, co-mingling two distinct brands with the common goal of releasing timeless records -genuine music in the spirit of legends.

About Big Machine Label Group:
The Big Machine Label Group is led by President and CEO Scott Borchetta and encompasses Big Machine Records, The Valory Music Co., Republic Nashville, Dot Records, Nash ICON and publishing company Big Machine Music. BMLG’s current artist roster includes superstars Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Reba, The Band Perry and Florida Georgia Line; chart-topping acts Brantley Gilbert, Justin Moore, Thomas Rhett and Eli Young Band; legendary group The Mavericks as well as hot newcomers Cassadee Pope, RaeLynn, The Cadillac Three, Danielle Bradbery, Laura Bell Bundy, Lauren Jenkins, A Thousand Horses, Levi Hummon, Drake White and Maddie & Tae, in addition to a Country tribute to rockers Mötley Crüe and soundtracks for ABC’s hit drama “NASHVILLE.” BMLG artists have received multiple GRAMMY, CMA, ACM, American Music Awards, CMT Music Awards, Teen Choice Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and People’s Choice Awards accolades as well as Brit Award and JUNO Award nominations. In 2012 BMLG rejuvenated its publishing arm with Big Machine Music, which has created a joint venture with Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald’s Prescription Songs, allowing the two companies to co-publish songwriters and artists whose unique talents translate across genres. Big Machine was also the first-ever label to align with terrestrial radio for performance royalty rights. BMLG continues to have a strong presence in auto racing as the secondary sponsor of NASCAR's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, powered by BigMachineRecords.com as well as the 2014 12 Hours of Sebring winner Marino Franchitti and back to back Indy 500 wins with Dan Wheldon and Dario Franchitti in 2011 & 2012, respectively. Current Big Machine racing drivers also include 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan and 2013 Indy Light champion Sage Karam. www.bigmachinelabelgroup.com.

About Republic Records:
A division of Universal Music Group, the world's leading music company, Republic is home to an all-star roster of multi-platinum, award-winning legends and superstar artists such as Ariana Grande, Black Sabbath, Colbie Caillat, Enrique Iglesias, Florence + the Machine, Godsmack, Gotye, James Blake, James Bay, John Mellencamp, Keith Richards, Milky Chance, Nickelback, Of Monsters and Men, Owl City, Seth MacFarlane, Weezer, among many others. It is also comprised of innovative business ventures including American Recordings (The Avett Brothers), Brushfire (Jack Johnson, G. Love), Cash Money (Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj), John Varvatos Records, Lava Records (Jessie J, Lorde), Monkeywrench (Pearl Jam), Casablanca Records (Tïesto, Martin Garrix), NBC's The Voice (Cassadee Pope, Danielle Bradbery), XO (The Weeknd), Photo Finish Records (MisterWives), School Boy Records (PSY, Sheppard), among others. In addition, Republic maintains a long-standing strategic alliance with country powerhouse Big Machine Label Group which is comprised of Big Machine Records (Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw), Dot Records (Maddie + Tae), and Republic Nashville (The Band Perry, Florida Georgia Line, The Eli Young Band).