Timmy Haehl
Courtesy of Big Machine MusicMusic publishing company Big Machine Music has opened a West Coast office in Santa Monica, Calif., with Timmy Haehl joining as senior director of publishing.
Haehl will assist with Big Machine Music’s pop songwriter signings, and will represent the entire roster for multi-genre opportunities. Haehl will report to Big Machine Music’s general manager Mike Molinar and vice president of publishing Alex Heddle.
“Between Big Machine Music’s crossover hits, the growth of our roster to include LA-based songwriters and our inter-company collaborations with SB Projects, it is a natural move for us to formally open a West Coast office, and Timmy is the perfect creative publishing executive with which to start,” Molinar said. “Timmy exhibits every bit of Big Machine Music’s values and vision for the future,” Heddle said. “His passion for developing and promoting creatives is palpable. We are very excited to have him join our team.”
Haehl launched his career in A&R at Geffen Records and most recently served as director of A&R and management at Hallwood Media, servicing a roster of songwriters and producers including David Stewart, Brendan O’Brien and King Henry. Haehl will continue representing King Henry via an agreement separate from Haehl’s role with Big Machine Music.
Haehl added, “I couldn’t be more excited to join Big Machine Music and help bring Nashville’s top independent publisher into a new era of success within the LA creative community. As Big Machine Music’s personalized, writer-focused strategy and hit song sensibilities align with my own, I am looking forward to success with this team and the current roster of songwriters as well as future signings.”
Most recently, Big Machine Music’s successes have included Gayle’s “abcdefu,” co-written by Big Machine Music writer Sara Davis. Maren Morris’s song “The Bones,” co-written by Big Machine Music writer Laura Veltz, earned BMI 2021 pop song of the year honors, while the Dan+Shay and Justin Bieber collaboration “10,000 Hours” was co-written by Big Machine Music writer Jessie Jo Dillon. Diplo’s “Heartless” was co-written by Big Machine Music writer Ryan Hurd, while the Alicia Keys/Brandi Carlile collaboration “A Beautiful Noise” (a current Grammy Awards song of the year contender) was co-written by Big Machine Music writer Brandy Clark. Big Machine Music’s current roster includes Veltz, Brett Young, Hurd, Clark, Dillon, Matt Dragstrem, Eric Paslay, Justin Moore, Maddie & Tae, Ayron Jones, Callista Clark, Davis, Tyler Rich, Laci Kaye Booth, Daniel Ross, Lauren Weintraub, Reid Isbell, and Drew Polovick, while the company’s catalog writers include Luke Combs, Jonathan Singleton and Josh Thompson.
Dave Mustaine has chosen to bring Megadeth to an end after completing one final tour due to ongoing health challenges.
The band plans to step away next year once they wrap up their farewell run and release their final album. Frontman Dave, 64, has now shared that he reached this decision because arthritis and issues with his back have left him “unable to give a hundred per cent every night”.
Speaking on SiriusXM's Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, Dave said, “It had been building up for a long time, just physical things happening with my hands … My hands were starting to fail me.
“And there were other difficulties tied to everything going on with my neck and my trunk. That whole area has arthritis and some bulging discs.
“I have a fractured lumbar bone. And of course, my back has been fused near my shoulders and neck. There is just a lot going on …
“I always said that when the time came where I could no longer give a hundred per cent each night, that would be the moment I would start thinking about slowing down.”
He continued by sharing that the choice became clear after the band completed recording their final self-titled project.
Dave explained, “It was not that I couldn’t give a hundred per cent, because we finished the album and I feel we did well with it, but while we were working I had a moment where I told my manager … ‘I am not sure how much longer I can continue. My hands are really hurting.’
“I did not intend to set things in motion. I was just talking, but it led to conversations with the band, then taking time to reflect, speaking with my family, and praying about it.
“And the answer was obvious to me that by the time the album was finished, I would know how it would perform. If it does really well, I can still deliver one final strong tour.
“And the idea of a farewell feels connected to that. We have certain shows we want to play so we can say goodbye to the people who have supported us.”
Dave added, “We are an American band, but we perform all over the world. We are not weekend performers like some country acts in the States. We have a lot of ground to cover if we want to say goodbye the right way.”
The band’s seventeenth studio album, Megadeth, will arrive in January, and their This Was Our Life tour begins in Canada in February.
