WBR ENJOYS SOME R&R

Mason Klein, left, and Ben Persky, right, swear to Aarion Bay-Schuck they didn't steal the name R&R from an old trade publication.

Aaron Bay-Schuck has brought R&R Records into the Warner Bros. Records fold, signing a JV deal with label founders Ben Persky, Mason Klein and Will Perliter.

In its first two years the company scored early streaming success for Mt. Joy (releasing their first few singles) and Sorcha Richardson. The first acts signed to R&R/WBR are singer/songwriters Dijon and Wens.

“I’ve been following Ben and Mason’s careers for years now and I’ve been impressed by the level of artists and songwriters they’ve been championing, on both the management and label sides,” WBR Co-Chairman & CEO Bay-Schuck said. “They have great taste, an authentic approach, and a clear vision of what R&R represents.”

Persky and Klein, friends since pre-K, started Mixed Management in 2010 while attending college in New York City. Their first client was RL Grime; the second was Baauer, whose “Harlem Shake” became a worldwide viral phenomenon.

The duo returned to L.A. in 2012 and started working with Tobias Jesso Jr., who would co-write “When We Were Young” with Adele and “Slow Hands” with Niall Horan. Persky and Klein also manage the production duo DJDS.

R&R was launched in 2016 with Perliter, focusing on an aggressive digital strategy.

“Through this partnership, we’re excited to establish a global presence and offer our artists more comprehensive support,” Persky and Klein said in a joint statement. “Aaron and Tom [Corson] have been encouraging of our vision from the beginning, and we love what they’re doing at Warner Bros. They have an amazing team, and it’s an exciting place to grow talent.”

Maryland-born singer/songwriter Dijon, now based in L.A., recently released his debut EP, Sci Fi 1. L.A. native Wens released her first EP, That Really Long Night, last year.