Los Angeles quartet the Linda Lindas, who first drew national attention as teenagers in 2018, have signed with Reprise-Warner Records and marked the deal with the release of their new single and video, “Burning Out.” The song is expected to be part of a third album from the band. Lucia de la Garza said the track felt both new and nostalgic, reflecting a period of change after she graduated high school. She explained that the band wrote the song during a week-long retreat in Palm Springs, where the theme of feeling like the world is moving on without you came naturally, especially as friends prepared to leave for college. The Linda Lindas are also set to tour with Bleachers on the West Coast this fall and appear at Tom Morello’s Power To The People Festival.
Motown Records has launched the New Legends Internship Program, a 10-week initiative created to open career paths for students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The first group of interns, selected from Howard University, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T State University and Spelman College, will take part in hands-on work from June 8 through August 14 across marketing, creative, digital and A&R departments. Motown said the program is designed to give students real industry experience, mentorship and exposure to the many roles that support today’s music business. Company leaders said the effort extends Motown’s long history of developing talent by helping shape the next generation of executives, creators, marketers and innovators.
Republic Collective has partnered with Ziza Inc. to launch Ziza Records, a new joint venture focused on South Asian artists. The label will prioritize artists from the South Asian diaspora with momentum in North America, the U.K., Europe, Australia and the Middle East. It will also explore catalog opportunities, brand partnerships, live events and cross-border collaborations. Republic Collective president and CEO Jeffrey Remedios said the deal reflects the global expansion of South Asian music, while Ziza founder Shivam Malhotra said the partnership is intended to help position South Asian music at the center of the global mainstream.
Nashville independent music company Combustion Music has signed Ryan Hurd to its label arm, Combustion Masters. Hurd, who is managed by The Core Entertainment and booked by CAA, said he is proud to make music in Nashville and excited to work with the team on new material.
Madverse Music Group, an India-based music technology company focused on AI-enabled distribution, publishing, marketing and fan engagement tools, has closed its first institutional funding round. Founded in 2023 by CEO Rohan Nesho Jain, the company said the investment will help accelerate its expansion. The round was led by Ahdritz Capital, the vehicle of Kobalt Music Group founder Willard Ahdritz, with additional backing from several investors in the United States, India and Dubai.
The ASCAP Foundation, led by president Paul Williams, announced the 2026 Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, honoring emerging concert music composers ages 13 to 30. The winners include composers based in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Baltimore, Providence, New Haven and elsewhere, with several honorees originally from China, Canada and other countries. Oswald Huỳnh received the 2026 Leo Kaplan Award, and several younger composers were named honorable mentions.
