Music executive Andrew Jackson has partnered with Sony Music Entertainment Australia to launch Avoca Drive, a joint venture label with A&R executives in both Los Angeles and Sydney, Australia. Avoca Drive’s first signing is Tanisha Tishawiana Sadewo and Osvaldo Rio Nugroho Aritonang’s new project Galdive, whose first single ‘Nescience’ drops Friday (July 17).
Galdive is “this beautiful young male/female duo who just make pure ear candy – playful, sweet and universally appealing,” explains Jackson, who plans to work with a network of international songwriters and producers to find new artists and promote them “internationally with a hands-on approach tuned to artists’ needs commercially and creatively.”
Jackson is the founder and director of Los Angeles-based management company Milton Archer, with clients that include Norwegian streaming giant Matoma, breakout New Zealand artist BAYNK and multi-platinum American writer and producer Andrew Goldstein’s FRND project. Jackson’s career in music spans over 20 years and includes roles at Richard Branson’s V2 Records and Chris Murphy’s Petrol Records. He also served as GM of Ministry of Sound Australia, co-founded etcetc Music and led Australian artist campaigns for PNAU, Two Door Cinema Club and Disclosure.
Denis Handlin AO, chairman and chief executive of Sony Music Entertainment Australia and New Zealand, said in a statement, “I have been wanting to work with Andrew for a long time as I have a tremendous amount of respect for his talent and ability. I am thrilled that we now have that opportunity as he has decided to partner with Sony Music for his Avoca Drive label.”
Jackson has lived in the U.S. since 2012 and tells Billboard, “Australia will always be my home so it was natural to find a partnership here, but I needed one with a global outlook. To partner with a titan like Denis [Handlin] is a true honour. He shares my ambitions for finding the big victory for the artist above all. Having done a round of calls to various label heads here and around the world in the past couple weeks, I’m genuinely impressed at the level of competence, enthusiasm and willingness at Sony Music Australia to collaborate from top to bottom. Everyone just wants to find that win together.”
