The music-publishing catalog of songwriter-producer Dan Wilson, known for his hits with Adele, the (Dixie) Chicks and his own band Semisonic, has been acquired by Primary Wave.
Terms of the deal include some of Wilson’s biggest hits: three from Adele, including the smash “Someone Like You”; six from the (Dixie) Chicks, including their Grammy-winning hit “Not Ready to Make Nice”; and songs recorded by Taylor Swift, John Legend, Dierks Bentley, Pink, Josh Groban, Chris Stapleton, Leon Bridges and Semisonic, including their 1998 hit “Closing Time.”
“The musical art that Dan has created as a songwriter is undeniable,” says Justin Shukat, President of Primary Wave Music Publishing. “His work has been enjoyed by fans around the world through both the lens of his own band, Semisonic, as well as through the voices of the countless artists he’s collaborated with and written for. We are honored and thrilled to have him join Primary Wave.”
Matt Herzfeld, Associate Director of Creative for Primary Wave Music Publishing added, “From ‘Closing Time’ to ‘Someone Like You,’ Dan Wilson’s honest and original songs have been the soundtrack for the highs and lows of so many lives around the world. We could not be more honored to be working with a writer of such universal esteem as Dan and we look forward to sharing the beauty of his words and music with generations to come.”
While Primary Wave has not been on an acquisition spree as aggressive as that of Hipgnosis Songs, which has spent some $1.7 billion on catalogs in two and a half years, it has made some big moves in recent months, most prominently the acquisition of Stevie Nicks’ publishing catalog for a reported $100 million. Its catalog includes songs recorded by Bob Marley, Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, Smokey Robinson, Whitney Houston, Burt Bacharach, Olivia Newton-John, Ray Charles, Aerosmith, Def Leppard and others.