Cooking Vinyl launch rock imprint DoubleCross with red-hot signing The Virginmarys
- Macclesfield-based rock band sign to DoubleCross for the world
16th August, London:-Buoyed by recent successes from Marilyn Manson and The Cult, Independent powerhouse Cooking Vinyl has launched a new rock imprint - DoubleCross Records.Set up by Repertoire & Product Manager Phil Hopwood, the new label will be a blank canvas for signing the hottest rock and metal acts, both new talent, and established artists / bands looking for a new home. The label will forge its own identity, with current Cooking Vinyl rock signings not being amalgamated into its roster.The label’s debut signing is Macclesfield three piece The Virginmarys, signed to DoubleCross for the world. Their first single, released in October, is ‘Dead Man’s Shoes’ (http://bit.ly/NrURby), a track that perfectly sums up the band’s sound ahead of their debut album ‘King of Conflict’. The album was recorded completely live at Chapel Studios (known for Arctic Monkeys’ debut) produced by Toby Jepson and mixed by Chris Sheldon (Radiohead, Foo Fighters, BiffyClyro).Ahead of a nine date UK tour in October, The Virginmarys are playing a sold out show in support of Josh Homme’s Eagles of Death Metal at the Islington O2 Academy on 21st August. Given the band spent the last two years touring extensively, supporting Slash, Ash, We Are Scientists, Skunk Anansie and playing Download and Sonisphere, it’s little wonder that the likes of Kerrang! have already started to fall for their ‘attitude spitting guitars’.The band have signed for publishing to Cooking Vinyl Publishing and to US live agents Pinnacle Entertainment (John Bongiorno) and X-ray Touring (Steve Strange) for the rest of the world – full team below. Hopwood is currently courting offers from interested labels in the US.Explained Phil Hopwood, General Manager for the new label "DoubleCross will be the home of our rock and metal signings going forward. We are very excited about developing the roster for the label. The Virginmarys are incredible songwriters and live performers and we are very proud to be working with them. They have a high level of intensity and we feel they have the potential to be a huge international act."Commented TheVirginmarys’ manager Bruce McKenzie - “We signed to DoubleCross because they are a genuine music company; they loved the album and loved coming to our shows. They understand that we’re a great rock band with the ability to crossover. They are 100% the natural home for us.”Full team:Management - Bruce McKenzie - Townsend Music LimitedBooking Agent world ex US - Steve Strange @ X-Ray TouringBooking Agent US – John Bongiorno @ PinnacleRadio/Television - Tony Cooke @ ScreamPress - Lewis Jamieson @ LoudhailerOnline – Alex Fordham @ Authoritywww.thevirginmarys.com
Cooking Vinyl has developed a reputation as one of Europe’s prime artist-focused independent labels, inspiring an enviable loyalty among its artist roster. It is also in the vanguard of music companies offering innovative services-only deals that claim no stake in artists’ copyrights.Cooking Vinyl take full responsibility for the management of a project whether functioning as a label or in a services-only setting. Adding more than just marketing muscle, Cooking Vinyl devise and implement worldwide sales, marketing and distribution plans for their artists, working alongside booking agents and artist managers.Artists signed to Cooking Vinyl include The Prodigy, Marilyn Manson, Underworld, Groove Armada, Roll Deep, the Charlatans and The Cranberries. Such is the loyalty and affection among artists for the label that the likes of Jackie Leven and Frank Black have returned close to 20 times to record fresh collections with them. Cooking Vinyl’s deal with Ingenious for The Prodigy created Europe and the UK’s biggest selling independent record in 2009.The broader Cooking Vinyl Group comprises Cooking Vinyl Records, distributor and marketing services provider Essential Music & Marketing, rock imprint DoubleCross Records which launched in August 2012 and is A&R’d by Phil Hopwood and publishing company Cooking Vinyl Music which is run by Paul Kinder, a former director at Chrysalis.http://cookingvinyl.com/