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The estates of Layne Staley, and Mike Starr, original members of Alice In Chains, sold a stake in their publishing and master income rights
Al Seib/Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesThe estates of Alice in Chains original lineup members Layne Staley and Mike Starr have sold stakes in their publishing rights and master recording income stream to Primary Wave, the company announced on Monday, the latest in the ever-hot song acquisition marketplace.
Primary Wave declined to disclose financial details of the sale or how much of a stake in the catalogs it now owns, but with the purchase, it now holds a stake in one of most prominent catalogs of Seattle’s Grunge scene from the Nineties. Among the hits in the catalogs the company purchased are “Man in the Box,” which Staley wrote, along with tracks like “Rooster” and “Would,” which neither Staley nor Starr wrote, but they still get royalties on from the master recordings.
Staley died in 2002 while Starr left the group in 1993 and died in 2011. While Alice in Chains put out several albums since their departures, Starr and Staley’s rights make up some of the most commercially successful records the band released.
Companies like Primary Wave and Hipgnosis Songs Fund have played significant roles in kicking off the buying spree the industry has seen for the past several years, and now major investment companies like Blackstone and KKR have partnered with music companies offering significant funds to get more rights.
Staley and Starr’s estates join an extensive list of prominent songwriters, producers, and artists who’ve sold their rights, including David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, and Stevie Nicks, the latter of which also sold to Primary Wave. Artists and songwriters of all eras have been selling their rights in recent years as companies have become increasingly willing to offer deals previously unheard of to secure copyrights. The deals have been notably attractive to older artists and estates, who’ve chosen to leave musical legacies in the hands of music companies and take a sizable paycheck instead.
“Primary Wave is pleased to partner with the estates of Layne Staley and Mike Starr to honor their musical legacies as part of the classic era lineup of Alice in Chains, who created the amazing songs and records that comprise the albums Dirt and Facelift, and the acoustic EPs, Jar of Flies and Sap,” Primary Wave’s David Weitzman said in a statement. “These projects represent the greatest works from one of the best artists of the iconic Nineties Seattle-based grunge era.”
Taylor Swift believes Nashville has a music scene that stands apart from anywhere else.
The 36 year old singer moved to Nashville, Tennessee, when she was young to chase her dream of becoming a country music star. After being inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on Monday (26.10.26), Taylor took the opportunity to recognise the city and the talented writers who have helped shape its music scene.
In her acceptance speech, Taylor said: "I believe you really get to master a craft by doing it again and again. That's exactly what the incredible songwriters in this wonderful town do every day."
Taylor also spoke about what makes Nashville such a special place for musicians.
The award winning singer, who ranks among the best selling music artists of all time, said: "You won't find another music community quite like this one. Trust me, I've checked them all."
Taylor also shared how being part of Nashville's songwriting scene had taught her valuable lessons about life and working with others.
She joked: "I've learned to be flexible when your co writer turns up with a hangover, or when they need to spend ages talking about their divorce before we can even get started on a song."
Taylor previously spoke about how Faith Hill and Shania Twain inspired her decision to move to Nashville.
Speaking to Time magazine, the singer said: "I couldn't get enough of watching TV biographies about Faith Hill and Shania Twain, and I realised they had both moved to Nashville to get their careers started. After that, I kept asking, pleading and begging my parents to take me there.
"When I was 11, my mum took my brother and me to Nashville during spring break, and we spent the trip driving around Music Row. She stayed in the car while I rushed into record companies one after another, giving my demo CD to the receptionists. I found it fascinating that so many major record labels were gathered along a single street, often inside little buildings and old houses.
"What really stayed with me was how welcoming people were to newcomers and complete strangers like us. We started visiting Nashville more often, and when I was 13, I received an offer for a development deal from a major record label. That was when my parents finally agreed to leave Pennsylvania and move with me."
