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The rebrand comes two months after CEO Mike Harris and chief creative officer Dave Cobb came to the company following the exit of Cindy Mabe.
By Ethan Millman
Music Editor
Universal Music Group Nashville is rebranding as the Music Corporation of America, the company announced Thursday.
The change comes two months after CEO Mike Harris took the reins of the company alongside chief creative officer Dave Cobb after previous CEO Cindy Mabe exited. In rebranding as MCA, UMG Nashville is taking on the famed namesake its parent company UMG was formally known as until the ’90s.
Along with the branding change, MCA announced that Katie McCartney will serve of EVP/General Manager of the company, and Tom LaScola will serve as Head of Artist and Audience Strategy through an enhanced partnership with his company The Trenches. Nashville songwriter Jessie Jo Dillon has been named “song buddy” at the company, part of what MCA said was “a new creative strategic alliance dedicated to supporting and developing homegrown Nashville songwriting talent.”
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“With the popularity of country music and the tremendous impact that it continues to make in popular culture, we recognize the importance of Nashville and the impact it has always made in America,” Harris said in a statement Thursday. “The incredible staff of these labels will operate with a sense of independence and autonomy, but with a pursuit of excellence and healthy competition as a shared agenda.”
MCA’s labels include Mercury Nashville, EMI Nashville, Capitol Nashville and MCA Nashville, along with Lucille Records, a new label that Cobb founded, ran by MCA SVP of A&R Austin Jenkins. MCA’s roster also has access to the Republic Collective and UMG for broader US and International support. Among the artists within the MCA system are Alan Jackson, Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, George Strait, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Keith Urban among many others.
As Cobb said of the news in a statement Thursday: “I want to let the art lead, embrace community, and approach the business with intention. We show up, work hard, and put artists, songwriters, community, and fans first. We want to get this right for them. That’s what this is all about.”
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