TAP EXPANDS STATESIDE

U.K.-born TaP Management has launched an umbrella company, Tap Music, under which sits its records, publishing and management arms. The company has bolstered its team in the U.S. with the hiring of Wendy Ong (pictured) as Head of Marketing and Chris Woo as Senior A&R.

Ong joins from Roc Nation where, as Head of Marketing, she spearheaded campaigns for Rihanna, Jay-Z and Mariah Carey. Prior to that, Ong was VP, Marketing at Interscope as well as Capitol, where she was a key member of the team that broke Sam Smith. She has also worked on multiple global campaigns for P!nk, OutKast and Foo Fighters.

Woo will work across TaP Records and TaP Publishing, as well as overseeing its writer/producer roster with L.A.-based René Symonds. Previously, Woo spent 11 years at AAM, where he was instrumental in building its U.K. roster. He has been involved in dozens of global hits including TaP signing Dua Lipa’s “New Rules” and Zayn Malik’s “PILLOWTALK.”

In addition, Aloe Blacc has joined the company’s management roster ahead of the release of his Christmas Funk album in November. Ellie Goulding, who joined TaP six months ago, will release her fourth studio album in early 2019. Other clients include Lana Del Rey, Grace Carter, Dermot Kennedy, Col3trane and Moby Rich.

Ben Mawson, co-founder of TaP Music said: “We’re really excited about Wendy and Chris joining TaP Music. Having such a broad range of expertise in-house really sets us apart from other management companies globally and adds real value to our artists’ careers.”

Fellow co-founder Ed Millett added: “We’re extremely happy to be working with Ellie and to have this opportunity to build on her fantastic career to date. It’s a really exciting time for the company, and we’re looking forward to announcing more new signings in the coming months.”