Australia: Muso Eyes Expansion, Love Police Sets Up Label

– Love Police
Love Police founder Brian Taranto., on the beach.

Love Police Sets Up Record Label

Brian Taranto’s tour, festival and merchandise company Love Police has expanded into the record label business. Love Police Records & Tapes, in conjunction with label executive, promoter and publicist Dave Laing launched with simultaneous November 19 releases by four acts.

They are red desert act Warumpi Band, Texas country-blues singer songwriter Melissa Carper, Melbourne blues-rock guitarist Alex Hamilton and Sydney gypsy-rock troubadour Mylee Grace.

Set up in 1997, Love Police Touring introduced Australia to Wilco, Gillian Welch, Justin Townes Earle, The Black Keys and My Morning Jacket.

Muso Eying Global Expansion

Australian live booking and marketing platform Muso set a course on international expansion, starting with the United Kingdom and New Zealand this year.

It recently raised $2 million ($1.5 million) in seed funding, with founders Jeremiah Siemianow, Brandon Crimmins and Alan Jin eying an international Series A round next year.

Beginning in 2018 as a place for emerging musicians to find gigs and venues to source talent, it now connects venues, booking agents, and artists to book and manage gigs including payments, rostering and automated promotion.

Muso estimates it has coordinated 10,000 shows for 5,000 artists in 500 venues. Its customer base grew more than tenfold in the past 12 months with 70-80% month-on-month growth when restrictions eased earlier this year.