Exclusive: EMI Australia launches new label with Nic Kelly

EMI Music Australia has launched a collaborative record label with 20-year-old music media entrepreneur Nic Kelly. 

TMN can exclusively reveal the label, named Night High Records, will be driven largely through social media and blog networks, utilising Kelly’s online presence to help find, sign and develop emerging Australian artists.

The label launches today with first signing Pon Cho (aka Kevin Kerr), one of the four founding members of Blue Mountains hip hop group Thundamentals. Earlier this month Pon Cho released a remix of Empire of the Sun’s 2008 breakout hit - and recent US chart-climber - Walking On A Dream.

Pon Cho releases his debut single Lonely Walls globally on Friday (June 3). The single features Paige IV, who features on LDRU’s Platinum-certified track Keeping Score (2015). 

Nic Kelly cut his teeth in community radio from the ages of 14 to 16. In 2010 he co-founded Project U as a career-planning tool for high school students. Through the website, Kelly now manages a team of 40 content creators and is a sought-after writer, presenter (at Amplify), radio producer (SCA, ARN, SeaFM) and label consultant. In 2014, Project U took out the Music Blog Of The Year award from Pedestrian.TV. 

Photo Credit: Rahkela Photographer

Speaking to TMN, Kelly said: “[Australia has] a diverse, exciting, forward-thinking community of music minds from both creative and industry standpoints, and what I’m going to do with this project is bring the best minds, ideas and creations to the forefront. 

“We’re already the envy of the global music community for our innovative artists and ideas, and I want to use that knowledge and next-wave thinking to propel the most cutting edge, promising new talent in the country into the stratosphere with the backing of the EMI team’s proven record of success in making new artists blow up.”

TMN understands the label’s A&R, Marketing and Promotions teams will work with Kelly on Night High Records using a single-focused strategy.