CAPALDI HITMAKERS HEAD TO HIPGNOSIS

The 217 songs by the writing team behind Lewis Capaldi’s massive “Someone You Loved” have been acquired by Hipgnosis Song Management.

TMS, the British songwriting and record-production trio of Tom “Froe” Barnes, Benjamin Kohn and Pete “Merf” Kelleher, has sold a 100% interest in publishing copyrights (including the writers share of performance), producer royalty streams and neighboring rights to Hipgnosis.

Besides "Someone You Loved," their catalog includes “Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself” by Jess Glynne and songs recorded by Dua Lipa, John Legend, Maroon 5, Ed Sheeran, Lily Allen and Bebe Rexha.

Hipgnosis Song Management previously acquired 121 compositions by TMS on behalf of Hipgnosis Songs Fund Ltd., including compositions recorded by G-Eazy, Sigma and Emeli Sandé. The writers share of those songs is included in the latest acquisition, which was made on behalf of Hipgnosis Songs Capital, the partnership between Hipgnosis Song Management and funds managed by Blackstone.

Said founder and chief executive of Hipgnosis Song Management Merck Mercuriadis, “Froe, Ben, Merf and their manager, Paul Centellas, have been an important part of the Hipgnosis family for many years now, so it’s fantastic that we’ve been able to continue our relationship with this new acquisition, including what will undoubtedly be a contender for song of the decade, Lewis Capaldi’s ‘Someone You Loved.'"

TMS has landed 20 Top 10 singles, and its songs have accumulated more than 5b streams.

Centellas, North Pole Management’s managing director, said, “Nobody is doing more to elevate the standing and value of the songwriter than Merck and the team at Hipgnosis, so we’re very happy to entrust them with these incredible copyrights and look forward to working with them across various initiatives to ensure the songwriter is properly valued and remunerated in future.”