(l to r) Manager Hannan Malik, Seeker Music founder and head Evan Bogart, singer-songwriter Phil Plested, and Seeker global head of creative Steven Melrose. Photo Credit: Seeker Music
Seeker Music has officially announced the acquisition of Phil Plested’s publishing catalog, including interests in commercially prominent projects like Lewis Capaldi’s “Before You Go.”
Three-year-old Seeker Music, which previously disclosed a goal of inking catalog deals with “modern-day songwriters,” unveiled its newest investment today. And while Seeker opted against publicly identifying the transaction’s financials, the Evan Bogart-led company did take the opportunity to tout the professional accomplishments of the Chasing Grace founder Phil Plested.
Besides the above-mentioned work, the UK-based singer-songwriter’s penned tracks performed by The Chainsmokers (“Bloodstream”), Kygo (“Remind Me To Forget”), the Jonas Brothers and Marshmello (“Leave Before You Love Me”), and David Guetta (“I’m Good”), to name some.
“Together with my best friend, and manager, Hannan Malik,” relayed Plested, who’s said to write one song per day, “I’ve built this catalogue of songs since 2012 with my heart and soul and passing it on was a decision I didn’t take lightly. I’ve looked up to Evan as a writer throughout my career. He understands the emotional attachment we make with our songs, and the fact that I was able to retain my songs as an artist is a testament to that.”
Now the owner of approximately 14,000 total copyrights and recordings, Seeker indicated that the play underscores a “forward-looking emphasis on acquiring contemporary catalogs” as well as its strong reach and presence in the UK market.
On top of this agreement with Plested, Seeker has acquired the music IP of UK-based songwriting duo Future Cut, invested in the music of One Direction songwriter John Ryan, and signed several “UK-based songwriters, producers and artists to co-publishing and record deals,” higher-ups reiterated. (Former Epic Records UK co-managing director Steven Melrose serves as Seeker’s global head of creative.)
Expanding upon the point, Seeker Music founder and CEO Evan Bogart in a statement drew attention to the “extraordinarily talented” Plested’s career accomplishments.
“He’s also an absolutely amazing person, pillar of our community and a songwriter that other songwriters always root for,” the “Halo” songwriter Bogart communicated of Plested. “Those are the kinds of music creators that Seeker looks to align with, celebrate and support. It’s an honor to bring his legacy and catalog of songs into the Seeker family!”
Seeker Music’s latest investment of 2023 has arrived on the heels of multiple high-profile catalog deals during September, including Litmus Music’s reportedly $225 million agreement for Katy Perry’s body of work and BMG’s purchase of Jet’s recordings.
