PULSE & Concord Launch PULSE Records
• PULSE Music Group and Concord have launched a new label — PULSE Records. The label is the latest vertical for PULSE Music Group, which already boasts a music publishing and artist management arm. PULSE Music Group principals Scott Cutler and Josh Abraham, along with Ashley Calhoun, President/Head of Creative, will lead PULSE Records.
With the launch of PULSE Records, Concord is doubling down on its already successful partnership with PULSE — in 2020, Concord and PULSE Music Group first entered into an exclusive A&R-driven joint venture. With this new label venture, PULSE Music Group will lead A&R, creative, and marketing services while Concord will provide a global footprint, financial resources, administration, and label services for PULSE Records. The label will be a part of Concord Label Group and will be distributed through the company’s longtime relationship with Universal Music Group.
In a joint statement, Scott Cutler and Josh Abraham said, “We have been looking to grow our PULSE Music Group brand into the records space for a while now. Given our background as producers and songwriters in our own right, we bring a unique perspective to working in the label space — but we knew we had to get our footing right. Now with the 15-year success of our publishing division, a company we have built from scratch, we are surrounded by the very best in emerging talent and a highly curated roster. With PULSE Records we will continue to set a very high artistic bar. In addition to launching emerging talent, we have plans to work with artists that helped to redefine genres with whom we have created very strong relationships over the years that will soon be coming out of their existing deals. There is a lot of goodwill in the community for PULSE.” The statement continues, “Our team is known to provide a creative sanctuary and a community where songwriters and recording artists can grow their careers, and with the launch of PULSE Records, we are now even better positioned to achieve this for our clients. It takes the right business partners to build a business like this, and we couldn’t be happier to have the backing of Concord and the support and business acumen of its senior leadership team as we continue to grow PULSE Music Group and launch PULSE Records.”
Bob Valentine, incoming CEO of Concord, said, “Scott, Josh, Ashley, and the team at PULSE have been a great collaborator with Concord in publishing some of the highest charting songs in the world. Globally recognized as one of the leading frontline creative teams and first-class incubators for culturally relevant music, PULSE Music Group is a company that Concord continues to greatly admire, and we couldn’t ask for more exceptional business partners as we work to launch PULSE Records.”
PULSE Records has brought on board Lauryn Caldwell as SVP/Head of Marketing. Caldwell served for seven years at mtheory LLC as VP, Marketing & Artist Partnerships. She also worked in music marketing at TikTok and as Tour Marketing & Artist Development Manager at Warner Bros. Records. The company has also appointed Sara Ahmed as VP of Marketing. Sara previously served as Sr. Director of Marketing for Atlantic Records, following positions at EMPIRE and Live Nation. Tazita Makuria, who joined PULSE Music Group in November 2022 (formerly Sr. Director of A&R, APG) will serve as VP of Creative for both PULSE Music Group publishing and PULSE Records. Bel Mesbahi has joined the team as Creative Director, A&R across both PULSE Music Group publishing and PULSE Records. Mesbahi previously worked at Almo Records.
Pictured, at PULSE Records offices in Silverlake, CA (l-r): Scott Cutler, co-CEO, PULSE Music Group; Ashley Calhoun, President/Head of Creative, PULSE Music Group; and Josh Abraham, co-CEO, PULSE Music Group. [Photo credit: Hunter Simpson]
