Two months after leaving Big Machine Label Group’s Republic Nashville imprint, The Band Perry has signed to Interscope Records. Billboard reports that the sibling trio is transitioning from country to pop and will be worked out of the label’s Los Angeles office with “select singles” being serviced to country radio by Interscope’s sister imprint, UMG Nashville.
The trio’s long-delayed third album, tentatively titled Heart + Beat, is still in the works and is being prepped for release, although no date or track listing has been revealed. Sources tell Billboard that the project will include new songs as well as songs that were previously worked on under their previous label deal, leading us to believe that they walked away with at least some of their masters.
Billboard also states the group has teamed up with dance-pop-leaning producers such as Diplo and RedOne on the album that was fronted by “Live Forever” last August. However, that single didn’t fare too well at country radio — only peaking in the low 20s on the country charts — and the album, which was scheduled for a November 20, 2015 release, was quietly removed from industry listings without explanation.
The band is transitioning from country to pop
After months of speculation, the band confirmed their departure in March stating, “We and Big Machine Label Group have made a mutual decision to bring our working relationship to a close. We are grateful for 6 years of the big moments and great strides we made with our BMLG family and will carry that foundation forward with us as we begin the next leg of our journey.”
Last year, the band won a Grammy for their cover of Glen Campbell’s “Gentle On My Mind,” but fans began to wonder what was really going on after “Live Forever” disappeared from iTunes and YouTube in February. The Washington Post notes that the track was “later reinstated with the Band Perry’s copyright instead of Big Machine, a clue that something was wrong.”
Neither reps for Interscope or The Band Perry are commenting on the signing at this time.
