Former Head of UMG Nashville, Cindy Mabe, Launches Joan of Arc Music

Cindy Mabe, who was recently CEO of Universal Music Group, Nashville, has founded her own full-service music company. The new business is called Joan of Arc (JOA) Music, and it will provide artist development, label services, publishing, and management.

The business:

• Warner Music Nashville will distribute JOA.

• Artist announcements are expected soon.

• Beyond the services listed above, JOA has three more divisions under its umbrella.

• Joan of Arc Studio Works will handle content creation for TV, film, audio, and short-form.

• Joan of Arc Ventures will make strategic investments in new partnerships.

• Joan of Arc Music Preservation Foundation is the charity wing.

• JOA has partnered with the CMA Foundation, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and Porter’s Call, a mental health service for the music industry.

What they said:

• In the press release announcing JOA, Mabe candidly opens up about her thoughts on country music today, citing a separation from the genre’s values as larger, corporate labels attempt to capitalize on the current swell of interest in pop culture.

• Mabe: “Country music is at a crossroads. We risk losing the very essence of what makes country music special — its authentic storytelling, its connection to people’s real lives, and its deep cultural roots. Joan of Arc Music exists to be warriors for creators and protect artistry."

• “With the rush for coastal legitimizing, the labels suggesting they know better, it often feels like the coal mines of Appalachia being strip mined of coal all over again. What we do — the people who create and deliver it — has real value. Our greatest resources are our music and our history, and that will enrich our future.”