Music, Sound, and Audio Technology

Lionsgate Announces Signing of Platinum Act Hawthorne Heights to Joint Venture Publishing Deal

By Staff
posted Dec 11, 2009, 14:49

(Santa Monica, CA and New York, NY) Lionsgate has acquired rights through its joint venture with Wind-up Records' music publishing affiliates to songs written by innovative independent recording stars Hawthorne Heights. The announcement was made by Lionsgate Music President Jay Faires. The deal was negotiated by Executive Vice President/General Manager Lenny Wohl.

Hawthorne Heights, formed in Dayton, Ohio in 2001, building a strong following across the U.S. via repeated self-booked tours. The band was one of the first acts with the vision to embrace social networking as a tool in building an audience, and to this day continues to maintain an extraordinary level of accessibility to its fans via these platforms. Their debut album The Silence In Black And White was certified platinum for sales of 1,000,000 copies by the RIAA. The follow-up, If Only You Were Lonely, had an impressive debut at #3 on the Billboard 200 in 2006, going on to sell over a half-million copies and receiving gold certification. Hawthorne Heights recorded a third album for Victory Records in August 2008 titled Fragile Future. The band's Wind-up Records debut, Skeletons, was produced by Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, Daughtry) and will be released in spring 2010.

"As we begin to build the music publishing side of our business, it is exciting to work with songwriters who have built their story from the ground up and to plan the next exciting stage of their career," said Faires. "As an innovative and entrepreneurial company, we are always looking to align ourselves with equally entrepreneurial creative voices."

Wind-up Records' Ed Vetri said, "We are very pleased to be working with Jay and Lionsgate Music Publishing on our publishing deal with Hawthorne Heights. The band has a strong following through their autonomous spirit and has built its success in true do-it-yourself fashion. In addition to a strong tour following, they have embraced social networking technologies, which have generated a committed and passionate fan base. We look forward to building on this foundation by bringing their fans the best Hawthorne Heights album to date."



Resources:

Lionsgate / Lionsgate Music, www.lionsgate.com

Hawthorne Heights (The Band), www.hawthorneheights.com

Wind-up Entertainment, www.winduprecords.com