Daniel Johns Signs Publishing Deal with BMG

Daniel Johns has inked a new publishing deal with BMG. The news was announced by the record label and publisher this morning, which noted that the deal covers not only Daniel Johns’ recent solo work, but from 2025 will include the entire Silverchair catalogue.

“There is nothing without a heartbeat that I value more than my songwriting catalogue,” Johns said in a statement. “Bringing my life’s work as a composer to BMG signifies the level of faith I have in this company and their people. From my compositions on Frogstomp to FutureNever and everything in between, my songs belong at BMG. I’m truly grateful to be in a position to sign the most important deal of my career with them.”

Inside The Mind of Daniel Johns

BMG has had a strong relationship with Johns over the years, including producing the recent podcast Who Is Daniel Johns, releasing the songwriter’s 2022 album FutureNever, and developing an exhibition based on his work that took over the Rialto in Melbourne. The relationship extends to the personal, as Johns’ brother Heath is the president of BMG Australia, New Zealand, and South-East Asia.

A two-part Silverchair documentary featuring Johns’ bandmates Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou recently aired on Australian Story, coinciding with the release of their memoir, Love & Pain. It wasn’t without controversy: the first episode was pulled from ABC streaming site iview due to “rights issues”.

Johns then released a statement clarifying his side of the story, saying that he hadn’t given approval to use certain Silverchair songs in the documentary, as he hadn’t been given a copy of the memoir by Gillies and Joannou.

“One particular use related to ‘Ana’s Song’ being featured as they discussed my battle with anorexia,” Johns explained in a statement. “I said to Sony and ABC that I would be open to approving all songs provided I received a copy of the book to ensure I wasn’t having my songs used to promote something I had no visibility on.”

“As always, I wish Ben & Chris nothing but success and happiness. I have never sought to block their book, I merely asked to receive a copy in advance to fact check it,” Johns continued. “I was concerned about my personal health records being discussed, I don’t think that’s unreasonable.”

Further Reading

ABC’s Australian Story Responds to Daniel Johns’ Claims the Program Used Unlicensed Music

Daniel Johns Releases Statement After Silverchair Documentary was Pulled from ABC iview

Watch Daniel Johns Mime Punching a Shark in Long-Lost ‘TNSW Tonight!’ Interview