Downtown Music Publishing has entered into a worldwide publishing agreement with singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant. Downtown will administer over 100 compositions from Merchant's songbook, including her entire output as a solo artist and selected works recorded with 10,000 Maniacs.
Born in Jamestown, New York, Merchant started her career in 1981 as the lead singer and primary lyricist for the multi-platinum alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. After releasing seven studio albums, Merchant left the group to embark on a solo career in 1993, beginning with her debut album Tigerlily (1995), which included hit singles "Carnival," "Jealousy," and "Wonder." Her success continued as she released an additional six studio albums: Ophelia (1998), which included the hit "Kind and Generous," Motherland (2001), The House Carpenter's Daughter (2003), Leave Your Sleep (2010), a self-titled album Natalie Merchant (2014), and Paradise Is There: The New Tigerlily Recordings (2015).
In addition to her career as a singer-songwriter, Merchant has used her music to spearhead numerous advocacy campaigns surrounding environmental issues and social injustice. In 2012, she teamed up with actor Mark Ruffalo in a concert and documentary film entitled Dear Governor Cuomo to protest oil and gas fracking in New York State. In 2013, she produced Shelter: A Concert Film to Benefit Victims of Domestic Violence, that shined a light on a crises facing women in the Hudson Valley.
In June, Nonesuch released a retrospective boxset, Natalie Merchant: 3 Decades of Song.
"It's a tremendous honor to represent the songs of Natalie Merchant," said Justin Kalifowitz, Downtown CEO. "Over the course of her career she has touched millions of fans and continues to inspire countless artists with her unique brand of songwriting and unmistakable voice. As a New Yorker, she has also long been a role model in using her artistry and gift for storytelling to advocate on behalf of issues important to our state and the world at-large. We're looking forward to working closely with Natalie and her team in creating new opportunities for her extraordinary body of work."
For more, visit nataliemerchant.com
