Aotearoa's Borderline Become First NZ Signing To US-Based Music Label Empire
Following on from a breakthrough year in 2024, the talented indie-pop group Borderline are taking things to a new level, signing with music powerhouse, EMPIRE.
This signing marks a significant milestone for the Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) musicians, who took more strides into the spotlight in 2024 with their single 'Heartbeat'. Extending their reach in Australia, the release of 'Heartbeat' drew support from the likes of RAGE, Spotify and Apple Music (New Music Friday, New In Pop, Alt Pop), all the while, their growth as a band online was bolstered by increased numbers across platforms.
Wasting no time in continuing to charge forward, Borderline prepares to share more music this coming March, with new single 'When It's Raining' slated for release on March 7th, ahead of the band's North American debut at SXSW.
In signing with EMPIRE, Borderline becomes the label's first signing since expanding into the Australia/New Zealand market in September 2024. Leading territory management for EMPIRE in Australia, is Cameron Walsh, an industry figure who has brought years of label experience (Sony Music, Universal Music, EMI, [PIAS] Australia/Inertia Music) to the EMPIRE team.
EMPIRE, led by CEO Ghazi, has grown exponentially since making its debut in 2010, originally as a digital distribution company. In the following decade, EMPIRE has become an independent music company that has been involved in multiple facets of the industry; including label and music publishing, with a particular focus on early stage artist development.
San Francisco-based, EMPIRE has been instrumental in working with now-global stars in the developmental stages of their careers, with artists including Shaboozey, Anderson .Paak, XXXTentacion and more being just a small selection of the names who have been part of the EMPIRE story.
Of Borderline's signing to EMPIRE, COO Nima Etminan says: "In today's world, there's so much emphasis on data and analytics, but every now and then you hear something so raw and compelling that the numbers fade into the background. Borderline does just that and this is one of the moments where you just know they've got something special."
In recent years, the band has become a natural success story to come out of Aotearoa. With their clearly defined sound – marked by strong indie arrangements and charisma to boot – Borderline have been consistently delivering music that shows their love for melody and riffs, all the way back to their debut EP, Perfect Movie Scene.
Excited for what lay ahead with a new chapter as part of the EMPIRE family set to unfold, Borderline can't wait to get started, stating,
"We are super stoked to be joining the EMPIRE family including their incredible roster. We couldn't be luckier to have such a dedicated team around us who are as passionate about music as we are. We're so excited for the year ahead and can't wait to see what's to come!"
Borderline are managed by August Avenue and represented for bookings by a global team consisting of Brandon Wade of Select Music (Australia), Larry Webman of Wasserman (North America) and Paul Buck of Wasserman (UK/EU).
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