Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker sells entire back catalogue to Sony
Tame Impala maestro Kevin Parker has sold the rights to his full back catalogue, including work with other prominent artists, to Sony Music.
Parker has been working with the label for 15 years since signing in 2009. In that time, Tame Impala have released four studio albums: Innerspeaker, Lonerism, Currents and The Slow Rush. While Parker hasn’t shared an LP under the Tame Impala name in four years, he recently co-wrote and co-produced the majority of Dua Lipa’s new album, Radical Optimism, which is also part of the deal with Sony.
In addition to working with Dua Lipa, the Grammy-nominated music has also collaborated with musical stars such as Travis Scott, Mick Jagger, Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Gorillaz, Mark Ronson, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Kid Cudi, Flaming Lips, A$AP Rocky, Lil Yachty, Don Toliver, Daft Punk, Miguel, and The Wiggles.
While there has been a trend in recent years of artists selling their back catalogues, it typically relates to musicians approaching the end of their career, unlike Parker. However, the decision is one he claims was carefully considered, stating: “The idea of passing on ownership of my songs is one that I don’t think about very lightly, at all. They are the fruit of my blood, sweat and creativity over all the years I’ve been a recording artist and songwriter so far.”
Parker also discussed his 15 year relationship with Sony, who he believes are the best people to protect the legacy of his music, stating: I have a lot of love and trust for the Sony publishing family and have only had great experiences with Damian Trotter and the rest of the gang worldwide. I don’t think my songs could be in any safer hands than Sony’s, and I’m excited for the future and happy I can keep working with them on whatever the future brings…”
Meanwhile, Jon Platt, chairman and CEO of Sony Music Publishing reflected on his admiration for Parker who he believes is “one of the most versatile songwriters of our time”.
Looking ahead to the future, Platt added, “Kevin has built a catalog of songs with incredible range and enduring power, and he has always stayed true to his vision. It is a privilege to represent his music, and we are committed to broadening his legacy of success.”
Additionally, Damian Trotter, managing director of Australia for Sony Music Publishing, who Parker spoke of in his statement, referred to the Tame Impala musician as “a singular talent whose creativity and dedication to his art has enthralled fans and artists since he arrived on the music scene.”
Trotter continued: “Having worked with Kevin since before the release of the first Tame Impala album, it has been thrilling to witness his rise to success worldwide, which is so well deserved. We are proud and humbled to be taking custodianship of this iconic catalogue of songs and to be continuing our relationship with Kevin in this exciting phase of his music making career.”
At this stage, the finances involved in the deal are undisclosed, however, it typically takes an extremely lucrative offer for artists to part with their back catalogue.
Earlier this year, Rod Stewart reached an agreement with Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists for $100 million. In addition to owning the rights to his publishing catalogue and recorded music, they also purchased a stake of the singer’s likeness and image rights.
In 2022, Sting sold his rights to Universal in 2022 for a $300 million fee. Explaining his decision, he said: “I think it’s a moment in time. We’re just getting an advance basically on what we’d earn anyway. Sometimes I get a little nervous, but then I remind myself that I’m just being paid in advance.”
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