Perfect Pitch Publishing Signs The Summertimes’ David Beniuk and David Challenger

Clive Hodson’s Perfect Pitch Publishing has struck a global licensing agreement with David Beniuk and David Challenger, the creative force behind The Summertimes.

The band showcased their summery indie-pop sound with their self-titled 2023 album, with ARIA Award winner Paul McKercher (You Am I, Hoodu Gurus and Midnight Oil) on production duties, and featuring a lineup of accomplished musicians, including Ashley Naylor (Paul Kelly, The Church), drummer Stephen O’Brien (Tumbleweed), and bass player Steve Bull (Icehouse).

Spanning 10 tracks, The Summertimes evokes The Go-Betweens and You Am I, and a long-line of British melodic indie bands from the ‘80s and ‘90s, from The La’s to Teenage Fanclub.

“While this isn’t a new release, it’s absolutely timeless—quintessentially Australian in both sound and songwriting,” says PPP managing director Clive Hodson. “You can’t help but smile as you soak up the sounds of this remarkable country.”

The album was released by Rank and File Records and recorded at Rancom St. Studios in Sydney, owned by PPP writer Garth Porter (Sherbet).

You Am I frontman Tim Rogers is paying attention. “The Summertimes got the power, they got the pop,” he said. “Frantic and wide-eyed, I wouldn’t trust ‘em with scissors, but I want ‘em to play my party.”

The band's first single for Rank and File, "The Perfect Wave",  was recorded October 2022, and "is an anthem for the Australian summer. Youth, possibility, salty chips, hot bitumen and the cool of the surf. All from the perspective of a young Terrigal local living youth to the max," reads a statement from the label.

"There’s a lot more to come, of course," the message continues.

Established in 2014 by Hodson and director Peter Paterson, PPP currently represents upwards of 25,000 copyrights, and boasts a roster including Cosmic Psychos' Bill Walsh, Sherbet and more.

Earlier this year, the publisher signed licensing agreements with The Voice 2024 champion Reuben De Melo and with Leah Flanagan, and recently brought Radical Son into its roster, for worldwide representation.