To mark the signing of Niall Horan to UMPG, the artist squeezed into this charming and somehow very British photo op with (l-r) the pubco’s U.K. topper, Mike McCormack, and Modest managers Harry Magee and Richard Griffiths. Later, multiple meanings of the word “pub”* were bandied about, especially after many, many glasses of top-shelf vino. Also, there were crisps.

Capitol troubadour Horan, who just enjoyed a #1 U.K. and #2 U.S. bow with new album The Show, has over the course of his estimable career sold some 80m records, toured and co-ruled the world as a member of One Direction and scored multiple solo hits. The Show features collaborations with UMPG writers Jimmy Napes and Tobias Jesso Jr.

Horan expressed his “absolute pleasure” to ink with the pubbery: “I have known Mike personally for many years and I’m so happy that I get to work with a man who firstly genuinely cares about artistry and the art of writing a song and secondly knows the world of publishing like no other. To have met the great Jody Gerson, whom I’ve known of throughout my career as being a badass publisher, and when I felt the love from her and Mike, I wasn’t going anywhere else.”

McCormack counted himself “thrilled” over the deal, adding, “We are especially excited to be celebrating Niall’s fantastic new LP and know he has a bright future ahead.”

Added Magee, “Mike has been talking to me about Niall since our lockdown bike rides, and when the album finally started to come together, it was then very post-lockdown in McCormack's kitchen with some great wine, my phone and the obligatory Bluetooth speaker. Mike really gets Niall's musicality and singer-songwriter spirit, which has reached new levels of maturity on this record. He was excited from that day, and so this partnership has always been written in the stars!”

*short for "public house"; "pubco" is short for "publishing company."