Milk & Honey Records is based in Los Angeles and focused on pop and dance records. It has a physical and digital distribution agreement with The Orchard.
Milk & Honey’s label will tap into their four global offices, alongside The Orchard with their 50 global offices,
President & founder Lucas Keller said: “Today, artists and their managers have become more independent from the major labels and are building tremendous cottage industries, so we decided that now is the right time for us to enter the space. Milk & Honey is a house built by songwriters, and the firm has never lost its way in putting them first.”
Milk & Honey will offer songwriters a “sizeable amount” of gifted master points – in double digits perpetually accounted directly to them as a production royalty.
“The label is focused on transparent marketing commitments, friendly deals and will even be doing one-off-track deals,” said a statement.
“Bring us your songs that you might have sent to another label where you wouldn’t be given points,” said Keller. “You don’t need to be a Milk & Honey songwriter or artist; we want to be in business with you.”
“We live in a world where the working songwriter has a difficult time deciding what to spend their time on… there are so many artists, and a label model that doesn’t support making the writer as wealthy as the artist, or the company,” added Keller. The way songs are fractured now (with 16 writers and seven producers) it is nearly financially impossible to be a songwriter.
Milk & Honey is a house built by songwriters, and the firm has never lost its way in putting them first
Lukas Keller
“Major companies who publish many writers on hit songs are just as successful as always, but in key markets like Los Angeles and Nashville, there are less songwriters than ever that make a real living. At Milk & Honey, we’ve always been focused on making this into a big business for each songwriter and producer.”
“Over the past decade, Milk & Honey has consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability to identify and cultivate talent,” said Brad Navin, CEO of The Orchard. “Their expansion into the label space is a natural progression that will undoubtedly lead to exciting developments.
“Both The Orchard and Milk & Honey are deeply committed to fostering an environment where creativity thrives. We will leverage our respective strengths and networks collaborating to create substantial value, enhanced exposure, expanded resources, and a wider global reach, empowering artists to connect with new audiences and achieve their full potential.”
In announcing this new venture, Keller has appointed Dana Shayegan to run the label. Shayegan is an industry veteran who spent 20 years across posts at iHeartRadio, Studio71US and The Collective, where his music network drove over one billion views monthly.
He was the co-founder of Monk Music, which released 3,000-plus songs across Caribbean and African music. He has an understanding of digital marketing, research and A&R across an eclectic range of genres.
“I’ve received countless resumes from major label A&Rs who I didn’t believe could enter the new world gracefully,” said Keller. “I wanted someone who understands digital and knows how to go deep into the internet to both source research records and break them, and to be scrappy – Dana is that guy and I am excited to have him as part of the next chapter of Milk & Honey.”
Dana Shayegan said: “Lucas, Milk & Honey, and I are all wired the same way. We fight for artists like they’re our family, we love and respect the history of the music business, but we know that tomorrow’s business will never look the same as yesterday’s. In that spirit, we’re launching a label that honours proper old-school A&R while also embracing data and new technology to stay steps ahead in artist advocacy and deliver fans the music they want, how and where they want it.”
Milk & Honey Records is open for business for internal management clients, as well as artists and songs external to the company.
The firm will reach 60 employees by the close of 2025. It includes a 15-person electronic dance music team that will be tapping into the label along with a staff of sync, media and content, marketing, A&R Admin employees and more.
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