Evergreen Copyrights

How Sweet It Is: EverGreen and Hunnypot

February 28 2008, Ann Donahue, Billboard

EverGreen Copyrights and Hunnypot Unlimited have joined for a music publishing, placement and marketing venture that will sign 20 acts to develop in the coming year.

It's seemingly a win-win deal for both companies: EverGreen, which has the catalogs of Tupac Shakur, MC Hammer and Rykomusic/Warlock Music, among 80,000 other copyrights, can now rely upon Hunnypot's contacts in the music supervision world to get these artists placements in film and TV shows. And Hunnypot, long-known for its tastemaker parties and online radio show, can tap into EverGreen's established administrative backbone.

EverGreen/Hunnypot will be led by John Anderson, co-owner of Hunnypot Unlimited and former senior VP of film, TV and creative at Windswept Music Publishing, who will retain the title of CEO and head of creative services/lifestyle. His Hunnypot partner, PJ Bloom, a music supervisor whose credits include "CSI: Miami" and "Nip/Tuck," will serve as COO/head of operations.

"Hunnypot really is the premier A&R resource for indie and alternative bands," says David Schulhof, co-CEO of EverGreen copyrights and former VP of motion picture music for Miramax. "They have access to great new bands for us, and we have a lot of leverage for indie artists looking for outlets. We want to breathe new life into the business."

EverGreen/Hunnypot will be based in Los Angeles and will represent third-party music publishing copyrights, catalogs, master recordings and entire music companies for placement, marketing and management consultation. In addition, the company will form a digital music label.

"Most major publishing companies are buying into existing revenue streams," Bloom says. "No one's doing development or grass-roots marketing. We have what it takes and a relationship with the placement and the synch world."

Others on the Hunnypot masthead, including director of creative services/lifestyle Manny Montiel and manager of creative services/lifestyle Stacee Coleman, also will be brought in to work on the EverGreen/Hunnypot venture.

The initiative is funded entirely by EverGreen Copyrights, including the backing for overhead costs, publishing advances and marketing services.

"Lots of bands have the creative chops, but they don't have the back-room people they need to get paid," Bloom says. "This allows us to offer what bands usually need to farm out: lawyers, business affairs, the administrative backbone."

Several bands have already jumped onboard the new venture, including hard-driving trio Victorian English Gentlemens Club, electro-punk DJ duo the Bloody Beetroots and Chicago hip-hop up-and-comer the Movement.

The alliance between the two companies has already produced results. The Bloody Beetroots' music has been placed in episodes of "CSI: Miami," and the band is about to embark on a U.S. tour that includes stops at South by Southwest and the Winter Music Conference in Miami. EverGreen act Supreme Beings of Leisure, as part of promoting its Feb. 12 Rykodisc release, 11i, has appeared on the Hunnypot radio show and at the organization's live music events.

"The deal is just a great way for the songwriter to meet the music executive on real sorts of terms—by sharing music," Anderson says.

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