New York, NY & Nashville, TN — Downtown announced that it has entered into a worldwide publishing agreement with legendary country-folk singer and songwriter John Prine. Downtown will represent over 230 compositions from Prine’s songbook, covering the vast majority of his output as a solo artist, as well as works recorded by Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, the Everly Brothers, John Denver, Kris Kristofferson, Carly Simon, Ben Harper, Joan Baez, George Strait, Old Crow Medicine Show, Norah Jones, Bette Midler, Miranda Lambert, Carla Bruni, Zac Brown Band, and many others.
Prine’s indelible compositions include, “I Just Want To Dance With You,” “In Spite Of Ourselves,” “That’s The Way The World Goes Round,” “Long Monday,” “20th Century Is Almost Over,” and “Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness.”
The agreement will also cover Prine’s highly anticipated new album, The Tree of Forgiveness, which is his first new material in over 13 years. Produced by Grammy-Award winning Dave Cobb, the album is set for release on April 13th on Prine’s own independent label, Oh Boy Records.
On the signing Prine commented, “I’m very pleased to have Downtown represent my catalog of songs. Steve Markland in Nashville has been hugely supportive of our family owned independent label Oh Boy Records. We are looking forward to working with him and whole Downtown team.”
“I’ve known John and his family for quite some time and am so excited for myself and Downtown to officially be apart of the team,” said Steve Markland, Downtown’s VP A&R, Nashville. “Working with John Prine and his vast catalog of timeless, immaculate compositions is truly a career milestone for me. I am simply honored and humbled to be apart of John’s great work.”
In celebration of the new album, Prine will embark on an extensive tour that will span throughout 2018, including a very special co-headline concert at New York’s Radio City Music Hall on April 13, with another Downtown client, Sturgill Simpson.