Virgin Music Group Partners with Suede Records

Virgin Music Group (VMG) has signed a global distribution partnership with Suede Records, the new independent label launched by music curator Ari Elkins and A&R executive Joey McCarthy.

The deal:

• VMG will provide global distribution and marketing services for the label.

The mission:

• Suede will operate with a genre-agnostic approach, “prioritizing artists with strong identities, emotional depth, and cultural resonance,” as per the media release.

Backstory:

• Elkins is a leading music discovery figure on social media, cultivating three million followers across his content, commentary and playlists.

• Suede will utilize that audience when promoting its artists.

• A former Warner Music Group staffer, Elkins also co-founded and ran independent label Blue Suede Records in partnership with Avex Music Group before launching this new venture.

• McCarthy, Suede’s A&R lead, began his career developing brand campaigns at adidas, before moving into A&R and heading up the music division at management company Fourward.

• His signings include GRAMMY-nominated producers whose credits include Drake, H.E.R., Noah Kahan, and Avicii.

What they said:

• Ari Elkins: “Everything I've built has been about connecting artists with the audiences they deserve, whether that's introducing someone to the world for the first time or helping an established artist reach a new generation of fans. Partnering with Jacqueline [Saturn, President of North America and EVP, Global Artist Relations, Virgin Music Group] and the team at Virgin Music Group gives us the resources to do this on a larger scale. With Suede, we’re focused on artists with no ceiling and building their careers intentionally. We’re not chasing moments; we are developing artists that people will still care about decades from now.”