KODA Partnership
Following the successful recent partnership with CASH, the Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong, PRSF has also been involved in a partnership with the Danish collecting agency, KODA.
These international partnerships both involve exchanges between the two countries, allowing UK songwriters the opportunity to collaborate creatively with musicians and artists from other cultures, as well as having the chance to experience firsthand the artistic and cultural differences between the respective places.
For the partnership with KODA, UK-based songwriters were selected through an invitation to the MPA, the Music Publishers Association. Music publishers nominated songwriters who they felt deserved the opportunity to benefit from the experience, and five of the most talented songwriters were selected.
Adam Argyle & Christoffer Hoyer
These were then matched up with five Danish songwriters, ahead of the first stage of the exchange. Before the residency the partners got in touch and exchanged musical and lyrical ideas that they would subsequently work on.
KODA hosted this first year's exchange on the beautiful island of Bornholm. The project was run and managed by two Bornholm-based songwriters: Jesper Mejlvang and Thor Backhausen. Jesper runs the superb Baltic studio www.balticrecording.dk and songwriters were given the fantastic opportunity to record there as part of KODA's provision for the project.
On the last night of the project an informal performance took place at a local music venue, in which all participants performed a mixture of their own work and work they had created during the week. As a result all the songwriters will receive both a performance and a first-time performance royalty from KODA from their cultural deductions.
In 2006 writers/producers from Denmark will be invited over to the UK for the second stage of the exchange. Again, the Danish songwriters will be matched up with ones based in the UK, and they will be able to spend some time collaborating and creating new music before a performance towards the end of the week.
Nanna Larsen & John O'Kane
PRSF is delighted to be involved in these exciting international partnerships which really expand our core work focused in the UK, and we hope to continue these and form new relationships in the future.
The selected UK songwriters, together with the Danish ones they were paired up with, were:
Paul Henry (Late Callows Music)
A skilled songwriter and musician, wrapping poetic lyrics around complex musical scores strongly influenced by jazz, punk and rock. Song writing recognised by awards from Scottish Arts Council in 2004, musicianship forged from an early age by numerous performances.
Paul Henry was matched with Lise Westzynthius.
Lise has been involved in the release of 5 albums, and has been working as a songwriter for 11 years, delivering songs to various Danish and Swedish bands and soloists. She has a contract with the British record company One Little Indian.
Andy Duncan (A7 Music)
Andy Duncan started out in the music business as a drummer before working with producer Tony Visconti, and then learning drum programming. His work can be heard on records by Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Seal and the Pet Shop Boys amongst others. More recently Andy has been working as a writer, and is signed to the independent publisher A7 Music.
Andy Duncan was matched with Klara Sophia Byskoz.
Klara released her debut album in 2003 and is currently working towards her next. She has participated before in a similar workshop on the Danish island of Sams? found it to be a very positive and inspiring experience.
Sam Frank (EMI)
Sam Frank is a versatile songwriter and producer who covers both track and top line. He co-wrote and produced the debut album for Sia Furler, and more recently has worked with Martina Topley Bird, John Legend and Jamie Cullum.
Sam Frank was matched with Anni Ringgaard.
Anni Ringgaard has been working with music for many years. In the 1980s she was a singer in the band Drive Alive, and she has also assisted as chorus girl in various Danish bands.
In 1995 she had her record debut with the single Heavenly Soundmachine, and immediately after that she started writing on her debut album Annione, which was released in 1998. As well as performing throughout Denmark she has recently released her latest album Little Blue Globe, which has been chosen as the "album of the week" on Denmark Radio P4.
John O'Kane (Hornall Brothers Music Limited)
John O'Kane's musical career began in 1987 as lead singer and songwriter with 'Millions Like Us', whose album had a world-wide release and resulted in hits in America and the UK. He went on to continue a solo career and has worked in Nashville, Los Angeles and New York, as well as collaborating with some of the world's finest songwriters.
John O'Kane was matched with Nanna Larsen.
Nanna has composed approximately 100 songs, and is planning to release a solo album early in 2006. Her music style is a mix of pop, jazz, bluegrass and country.
Adam Argyle (Peermusic)
Adam is a multi-talented writer/producer who signed to Peermusic UK in 2004. Although only 23, Adam has been involved with the music industry since he was 16, touring the British Isles as well as travelling to Nashville to perform at the massive Fan Fair Festival. He has won numerous accolades, as well as being nominated for three British Country Awards.
Adam Argyle was matched with Christoffer Hoyer.
Christoffer has worked as a professional songwriter for seven years besides his activity as singer and musician in the band Envelope, whose debut album was released in 2001 in several European countries. He also has composed, played and produced the music for children's theatre, and is very engaged in co-writing.