Kobalt today announced that it has agreed to terms with Tyler Brown’s new publishing company, Funfair Publishing. Together, they have signed prodigious new talent James Essien to a worldwide publishing agreement. The deals will include global synch and creative services for Funfair and James Essien's future songs.

The former President of Syco Records, Tyler Brown, created Funfair Music as a management, record label and publishing company. The first new signing under his publishing company, James Essien, has upcoming singles with Clean Bandit, Elle Duhé, Zayn Malik, Lewis Thompson, and Tom Grennan, amongst others.

Kobalt Head of Creative, UK, Alison Donald, said, “We are delighted to partner with Tyler for Funfair Publishing and super excited to work with him and his writers to establish a boutique publishing destination. He brings a wealth of expertise, knowledge, and an entrepreneurial spirit, and I have no doubt he will become a formidable publisher.”

Added Kenny McGoff, Head of A&R, UK, Kobalt, “We're all over the moon working alongside Tyler Brown, Lewis Thompson, and their first signing James Essien. From the moment we heard and felt James' songwriting and incredible voice, we were blown away. Our colleagues in the US were also as excited to be part of this wonderful journey alongside Tyler, Lewis, and of course, James and his manager Blak.”

Commenting on the deal, Brown said, “I feel incredibly fortunate that the first signing to Funfair Publishing's new partnership with Kobalt Music is a songwriter and producer whose talent is truly world-class. The sky is the limit with James and the team around him, including Lewis Thompson and James’ manager, Blak, is approaching every situation with a level of ambition that matches James’s potential. With some huge co-writes on the horizon, I know James’s career in the next 3 years will go from strength to strength!”

Essien said, “Having the best of both worlds - two powerhouses combined into one situation is only going to result in greatness.”

Added Essien’s manager, Blak, “It was only a matter of time before the world got to hear James’s greatness and who better to bring it to the world than Kobalt & Funfair Publishing.”