Concord has closed its acquisition of Mothership Music Publishing, bringing the Los Angeles-based independent publisher’s full catalog and active songwriter agreements under the Nashville-headquartered company’s umbrella. The deal, announced via press release on Monday, April 27, 2026, expands Concord’s publishing arm with more than 5,000 copyrights spanning pop, indie pop, rock, alternative, indie folk, Latin, and singer-songwriter genres.
A 13-Year Independent Run Lands at a Major Catalog Home
Mothership was founded in 2013 as a partnership between Brett Gurewitz, the owner of indie record label Epitaph Records, alongside Lionel Conway, Doug Mark, and Hein van der Ree. Across 13 years, the company built a roster anchored by The Marías, the Best New Artist nominee at the 2026 Grammys, alongside Falling In Reverse, Architects, The Tallest Man On Earth, Andy Shauf, Son Little, Hunny, Robert DeLong, Sean Rowe, The Menzingers, Jesca Hoop, Finish Ticket, and Wargirl, among others.
The catalog also includes the work of veteran songwriter Pam Sheyne, the co-writer behind Christina Aguilera’s “Genie in a Bottle,” along with credits from David Cowell, Nascar Aloe, Matt Malpass, Andrew Wade, Bright Lights, and Charles Massabo.
A Deepening Partnership Rather Than a New Pairing
The acquisition extends a relationship that has shaped Mothership’s global footprint from the start. According to the press release, the deal builds on Mothership’s longstanding sub-publishing partnership with Concord outside the United States, and Mothership’s roster of songwriters had previously benefited from Concord’s global administration teams.
With the catalog now consolidated under Concord, Mothership songwriters will gain direct access to Concord’s A&R, Sync, Marketing, and Licensing teams worldwide, broadening their pathways into film, television, advertising, and international placements.
Executive Statements
Jim Selby, Chief Publishing Executive at Concord, framed the acquisition as a continuation of work the two companies had already been doing together. He credited the Mothership founders with building a publisher dedicated to elevating great artistry and assembling a strong catalog and songwriter roster, thanking Brett, Lionel, Doug, and Hein for entrusting Concord to carry that mission forward.
Lionel Conway, Co-President of Mothership Music Publishing, spoke on behalf of his partners Brett Gurewitz, Doug Mark, and Hein van der Ree, calling it a wonderful 13-year run. He noted that Mothership was built on the belief that great songwriters deserve real, long-term support and a publisher who understands their vision, and pointed to Concord as the right home for the roster’s next phase of global growth. Conway also acknowledged the Mothership team for the care it gave writers across more than a decade of operation.
Advisors on the Transaction
Concord was advised on the deal by Cynthia Katz of Fox Rothschild. Mothership was advised by Doug Mark and Eric Morris of Mark Music & Media Law, alongside Steven Barlevi of Citrin Cooperman.
Where the Deal Sits in Concord’s 2025–2026 Expansion
The Mothership acquisition is the latest in a string of transactions that have steadily widened Concord’s reach across recorded music, publishing, and distribution. In March, Concord acquired prominent London-based independent label Ninja Tune, folding in both Ninja Tune’s recorded music operations and its publishing arm Just Isn’t Music, with releases from artists including The Prodigy, Soulwax, and Nova Twins.
In January, Concord made a strategic investment in Giant Music, the independent record label launched by The Azoff Company. The year prior, in March 2025, Concord fully acquired Los Angeles-based music distribution platform Stem.
The company also closed an asset-backed securities transaction in July 2025, issuing $1.765 billion in bonds through a series of new five-year, seven-year, and ten-year senior notes — capital that has fueled its ongoing acquisition pipeline. In January, BMG Rights Management was reported to be in discussions to acquire Concord, a development that places the Mothership deal inside a broader shifting landscape at the top of the publishing market.
A Catalog Move Inside a Broader Industry Pattern
Concord’s footprint now spans recorded music labels, a music publishing division, and a theatrical licensing business. The company says it supports more than 125,000 artists and songwriters globally and manages a catalog of 1.3 million songs, compositions, sound recordings, films, plays, and musicals.
The Mothership transaction reflects a continuing trend across the publishing sector, where established independents with deep songwriter relationships are being absorbed into larger catalog homes that can offer global administration, sync infrastructure, and licensing scale. For Mothership’s writers, the move consolidates a partnership that has already shaped their international reach. For Concord, it adds a catalog with credits stretching from late-1990s pop radio to current Grammy-nominated artistry, sharpening the company’s position in a publishing market where catalog depth and active songwriter rosters carry equal weight.
