Warner/Chappell Music (WCM), the music publishing arm of Warner Music Group, announced that it has signed a worldwide co-publishing agreement with songwriter and ACM Producer of The Year, Jay Joyce. Joyce has written and produced for a wide range of artists, from rock acts like Cage the Elephant and The Wallflowers to country artists such as Eric Church, Little Big Town, Keith Urban, and Emmylou Harris.
At the same time, Warner/Chappell has also signed a worldwide co-publishing agreement with Joyce’s newly-established publishing company, Neon Cross. The two companies will jointly sign and develop writers and artists across multiple genres. Neon Cross recently appointed industry veteran Melissa Spillman (melissa@neoncrossmusic.net), formerly in A&R with Capitol Records Nashville, as Director of Publishing.
“I am thrilled to team up with such a storied and progressive group, and am looking forward to a long prosperous journey together,” said Joyce.
Ben Vaughn, Executive Vice President, Warner/Chappell Music Nashville, said, “Wow-getting to work with Jay Joyce is a music lover’s dream come true. His talent cuts across all genres of music and he is the definition of a music innovator. It’s a real honor to welcome Jay & Melissa into the family.”
Joyce recently produced albums for Eric Church – whose latest, The Outsiders, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 – and Cage the Elephant, whose single “Come a Little Closer” (from Melophobia) reached No. 1 on both the Rock Airplay and Alternative Songs charts. Beyond songwriting and producing, Joyce is also credited as a musician on a wide array of recordings by artists ranging from Iggy Pop to Tim McGraw.
Joyce’s most recent project is St. Charles Studio, an East Nashville church that he converted into a recording studio and has, so far, been responsible for albums from Amos Lee, The Wild Feathers, and its most high-profile release yet, Eric Church’s The Outsiders.