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Outward Sound scheme's first anniversary

04 Dec 2006
On Monday December 4 the NZ Music Industry Commission's Outward Sound scheme celebrates its first anniversary. The Hon. Judith Tizard, Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, will join…

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The Big Idea Editor

On Monday December 4 the NZ Music Industry Commission's Outward Sound scheme celebrates its first anniversary. The Hon. Judith Tizard, Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, will join guests from throughout the music industry at the NZMIC offices on Monday to mark the occasion.On Monday December 4 the NZ Music Industry Commission's Outward Sound scheme celebrates its first anniversary. The Hon. Judith Tizard, Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, will join guests from throughout the music industry at the NZMIC offices on Monday to mark the occasion.Established to assist with NZ artists' market development activities offshore, in the twelve months the scheme has been operating some $464,140.17 has been granted to a total of 27 artists, with the final round of recipients for the year due to be announced Monday.

Implemented and managed by the NZ Music Industry Commission, the Outward Sound programme is inclusive of music from all genres, styles, and niches with applicants able to target relevant markets around the world. Applicants at different stages of international development can access the programme, which is made up of three modular phases - Market Scoping, Performance Oriented Support, and Market Infiltration.

Outward Sound results to date have been very encouraging, and the NZMIC looks forward to building on these successes over the following year. Some of the achievements of Outward Sound supported artists have been:

  • Breaks Co-Op's track 'The Otherside' got to number 9 on the UK airplay charts and was in the UK iTunes Top Thirty for over a month. After a 57 date tour of UK and Ireland, Elton John declared them his 'favourite band in the world' and said of their album in October's Rolling Stone "It's brilliant. F***ing wonderful."
  • Greg Johnson's single 'Horses' has been played on US radio 1,200 times and been heard by an audience of nearly nine million. His album will be released in the States on 6 December.
  • Batucuda Sound Machine performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and WOMAD in the UK and Goodnight Nurse completed a tour of over 30 Australian secondary schools.
    Moana and the Tribe released their CD and DVD 'Toru' through SonyBMG in UK, and undertook a 25 date European tour in support of the release.
  • Evermore have had their Dirty South remix of 'It's Too Late' played across USA and UK radiowaves - the track reached number 4 on the USA Billboard Dance Airplay Chart.
  • The Checks, first 'discovered' by the NME at NZMIC's Resonate 2005, have recorded their debut album in London for Full Time Hobby/SonyBMG UK with the first single scheduled for release in Britain during January.
  • Elemeno P's video for '11:57' was the number 1 viewer voted video on Channel V for over a month and was the ninth most added song at Australian radio in October.
  • Goldenhorse, after two sell out shows in London, went on to play a 13 date headline tour of Germany supporting the release of their album.
  • Loop North America is steaming ahead, with 'Loop Select 08' being compiled with influential Los Angeles radio DJ Jason Bentley. Loop NA have just won the advertising account for Jackass - the Playstation game.
  • Katchafire shipped over 10,000 copies of their debut album 'Revival' in Hawaii alone. 160 American radio stations have playlisted tracks, with college radio in Ohio having them at number 1! 'Revival' debuted at number 4 in the Billboard World Music charts.
  • Concord Dawn have a UK release scheduled with Metalheadz and were on the cover of November's 'Knowledge' magazine. To a drum and bass artist this is akin to being crowned king of the world.
  • Die! Die! Die! secured worldwide management by the prestigious New York firm Esther Creative, whose clients include Lou Reed and Ricki Lee Jones. They have both English American releases for their debut album and have toured both countries twice already this year. They made their American television debut on the successful show 'Project Runway' a month after Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins and David Bowie were in the audience for a New York showcase.

    Image: Evan Short and Matt Harvey of Concord Dawn

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