peermusic Signs Songwriter Madison Ryann Ward to Exclusive Publishing Agreement

Burbank, CA (September 11, 2018) – Peermusic has signed songwriter Madison Ryann Ward to a global publishing agreement as announced today by Kathy Spanberger, President & Chief Operating Office – peermusic Anglo American Region and Vincent “Tuff" Morgan, Senior Director of A&R, peermusic.

The deal includes the soulful new single “Mirror” – the record released earlier this spring after Ward was featured recording the track with producer Rick Rubin in his Malibu studio on Jay-Z’s episode of the hit Netflix series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman. The video for “Mirror” was released on August 31st via Republic Records.

“An artist like Madison doesn’t walk into your office very day, so we are very excited to play our part along with Benchmark, Rick Rubin and Republic Records in a game-changing project,” said Tuff Morgan.   Inspired by artists from many different genres, Madison Ryann Ward combines bluesy, soulful melodies with folk, rap and gospel influenced lyricism to create a classic sound that remains all her own. Having grown up in a creative family in Oklahoma, Ward was exposed to music at a young age, which would come to inform her distinct style. Gospel hymnal songs were her first experience with music as she listened to her mother play piano in the church choir until age eight. When she was twelve, her father opened a BBQ and blues joint where she spent her teenage summers waiting tables while the likes of Billie Holiday, Etta James and Bessie Smith bumped through the restaurant speakers.   However, music was not always the path Ward had in mind. Having played sports all her life, excelling in volleyball, basketball, golf and track, she decided to play collegiate volleyball at Oklahoma University and planned to play professionally overseas after graduation. But when a group of athletes heard her singing Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools” in the cafeteria and posted a clip on Twitter, the video went viral after being picked up by WorldStarHipHop. The response Ward received prompted her to consider a shift towards making music professionally. Ward took songwriting trips to Nashville, eventually moving there for a year before splitting her time between the studio in New York and Los Angeles, where she signed with management followed by a label deal with legendary producer Rick Rubin.

While on a trip to New York, Madison Ryann Ward wrote the melody to “Mirror,” a song that would go on to be the first single on her upcoming debut album. The idea came to her while at a taping of Jimmy Fallon where she watched her friend James Poyser play in the show’s band, The Roots. Eager to work out the chords for the melody that floated around in her head, she ducked in a Guitar Center in Times Square to find a keyboard and record a voice note on her phone that same night. She then worked out the lyrics with writer/producer Rex Rideout back in LA where they recorded a demo and later finished the recording with Rubin in Malibu. 

 “Mirror” sets the stage for a full EP release by Madison Ryann Ward on Republic later this year. As a songwriter, Madison is also collaborating with other artists and recently co-wrote “Roses” by Col3trane.

WATCH THE “MIRROR” VIDEO HERE 

Photo credit: Tarina Doolittle

ABOUT PEERMUSIC:

Founded by Ralph S. Peer in 1928, peermusic is the world’s largest global independent publishing company and operates 35 offices in 28 countries. With well over a half million titles in the company’s catalogue, and songs that vary from country, blues, jazz and pop to Latin, concert and rock‘n’roll, peermusic is the largest privately owned company of its kind in the world. For further information about peermusic, go to peermusic.com. For breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos, follow @peermusic on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.