Atlantic Records Re-Ups Brandon Davis and Jeff Levin as Exec VPs (A&R)

Brandon Davis and Jeff Levin have been re-upped to executive vice presidents and co-heads of pop A&R for Atlantic Records‘ Warner Music imprint; both will be based in Los Angeles, and report to Atlantic President of A&R, Pete Ganbarg.

“Both Brandon and Jeff have worked at Atlantic their entire professional lives, rising from entry-level intern and assistant positions to become an integral part of the leadership of our A&R team,” commented Ganbarg. “I couldn’t be happier for them and am thrilled to recognize their contributions with these well-deserved promotions.”

Previously, the pair of execs held positions as senior VPs of A&R. Davis joined Atlantic 11 years ago as an assistant in the A&R department, and Levin joined in 2010 and has since A&R’d a wide range of WMG artists. His signings include Melanie Martinez (“Cry Baby”), Ben Platt’s debut album and signed Oliver Tree. Most recently, Levin A&R’d Charlie Puth’s third album, “Charlie,” which includes the gold-certified single, “Left and Right” featuring Jungkook of BTS.

In tandem with Ricky Reed, Davis signed Lizzo to the label in 2015, and also served as an A&R for “The Greatest Showman,” in addition to filling the role of producer for “Birds of Prey: The Album.” Most recently, he co-A&R’d Charli XCX’s “Crash,” and Ava Max’s forthcoming sophomore album. Davis was named one of Variety’s 2019 Hitmakers.

“Our mission has always been to attract, sign, and nurture the greatest talent across every genre,” said Craig Kallman, Atlantic Records chairman and CEO. “Brandon and Jeff are our pop A&R stars, bringing us a string of game-changing artists. They’ve got spot-on musical instincts, combined with the insight and ability to nurture artists at every stage of their careers. As Pete said, they’ve literally grown up at this company, and I join him in congratulating them on their new leadership posts.”

(Pictured above, L-R): Brandon Davis and Jeff Levin

+ Universal Music Group divisions Decca Records, Verve Label Group and Globe Soundtrack and Score, have announced a joint launch of Mercury Classics Soundtrack and Score – a boutique record label dedicated to soundtracks and scores.

In a press release, UMG described the new partnership to be “positioned at the vanguard of film and TV soundtrack creativity, worldwide,” made to support “as they undertake major audio-visual projects globally.” It will operate with new hubs in LA, NY and London, with a newly appointed Lana Thompson acting as the label manager.

The first major releases to be announced through Mercury Classics Soundtrack and Score are “Till” (Orion Pictures), composed by Abel Korzeniowski and co-written and directed by Chinonye Chukwu, and “Women Talking” (Orion Pictures), composed by Hildur Guðnadóttir. In 2023, the company will release the soundtrack to “A Good Person,” written and directed by Zach Braff and starring Morgan Freeman and Florence Pugh, with a score composed by Bryce Dessner.

+ Live Nation has tapped Geni Lincoln as their new president of the California region, where she will oversee all booking, marketing and business operations.

Before her stint at Live Nation, Lincoln was the general manager and senior VP of live events for the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. In her nearly nine years at the venue, Lincoln worked closely with much of the team she is now leading.

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“In her prior role at the Forum she has worked incredibly closely with our teams and we’re excited to see her continue to support even more of our division and the artists we support across California,” said Jordan Zachary, Co-President U.S. Concerts.

Rich Best, who served as the previous president of California Region, joins the global promoting team under the leadership of Arthur Fogel and Omar Al-joulani. The global promoting team works on worldwide outings with major artists like the Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Post Malone, Bruno Mars and more.

“This is a great opportunity for my friend Geni and I give her a warm welcome to one of the most vibrant concert markets in the world,” said Best. “At the same time, I’m incredibly excited to take the next step living out my dream working with artists on a global stage.”

+ Michael Knox has been promoted to president of Peermusic Nashville, expanding his role — previously, senior VP — within the publishing company, as announced by Kathy Spanberger, president and CEO of Peermusic.

“In the 12 years that he has been with Peermusic, Michael Knox has distinctively guided our Nashville office song by song, hit by hit, resulting in major impact for our roster of songwriters,” said Spanberger. “Knox is one of the most prolific publishers and music producers in Nashville with an extraordinary amount of production credits to his name, but it’s his thoughtful approach, quick humor, and devotion to our music creators that really draws people to want to build their careers with Peermusic Nashville. Knox is delivering career-making opportunities for our writers.”

The music exec also boasts production credits for Thomas Rhett, Trace Adkins, Kelly Clarkson, Ludacris and dozens more. Prior to joining Peermusic, Knox served as Warner Chappell’s VP responsible for writer and artist development and song placements, signing and overseeing such writers and catalogs as Jason Aldean, John Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Emily West and others. Knox has previously served on the ACM Board of Directors and the CMA Board of Directors.

+ Musexpo will return next year in Burbank, Calif. for its annual global music business showcase on March 21. Pete Ganbarg, president of A&R Atlantic Records and ATCO Records, will be presented with the international music person of the year award.

Ganbarg will be recognized for his “significant achievements and contributions to the U.S. and global music industry,” during a special VIP Awards Gala Luncheon, according to the event’s press release. He will be interviewed as a keynote speaker before the luncheon to highlight both his personal and professional journeys.

Musexpo attendees, as well as Pete’s colleagues and friends from across the industry, will be in attendance for the luncheon, which also features special presentations from Sat Bisla, president and founder, A&R Worldwide/Musexpo; a representative from Warner Music Group; the City of Burbank; and representatives from the State of California.

+ HarbourView Equity Partners, the global alternative asset management company founded by Sherrese Clarke Soares, have purchased the publishing music catalog of the California-based alt-rock band Incubus, and individual works of co-founder and guitarist Mike Einziger.

Incubus was formed in 1991 and currently includes vocalist Brandon Boyd, Einziger, drummer Jose Pasillas II, DJ Kilmore and bassist Ben Kenney. In addition to the band’s publishing catalog, HarbourView also purchased Einziger’s solo work as a songwriter and producer. Those recordings include collaborations with Pharrell Williams, Skrillex, and Tyler the Creator, among others. With Avicii and Aloe Blacc, Einziger also wrote the single “Wake Me Up,” which currently has over one billion streams on Spotify.