Audio Chateau Records, the innovative new label launched by Jared Gutstadt’s award-winning audio entertainment company Audio Up Media, has signed Nashville based songwriter and musician Clayton Johnson to their roster.
The news comes on the heels of Johnson’s recent entry on Billboard’s Hot 100 and top 50 of US rhythmic radio charts for Lana Del Rey and Quavo’s smash single “Tough,”which he co-wrote with Del Rey at the Audio Chateau studio space in Nashville. Johnson is also currently signed as a songwriter under a joint venture with Audio Up (parent company of Audio Chateau Records) and Universal Music Publishing Group.
Johnson’s success with “Tough” both showcases Audio Up’s dynamic and disruptive approach to the audio realm and shows how the company’s publishing arm can feed its label Audio Chateau in an organic vertically integrated fashion.
The company can tap into its prestigious publishing deals with Universal Music Publishing Group and Anthem Publishing as a strategic advantage, as well as integrate its growing list of chart-topping songwriters across all forthcoming Audio Chateau artist releases, which allows for the label to ensure superior quality of releases and reach a broader audience. It also marks the first time a podcast company has ever had a song chart in the top 40 on the Billboard 100.
“We are thrilled to welcome Clayton Johnson as our first signing to Audio Chateau. He is tapping into the infinite potential of Audio Chateau, not only as a label, but as an exclusive destination for some of the best and brightest songwriters and artists globally,” said Audio Up CEO Jared Gutstadt. “Inside our walls, we provide opportunity and tools as an exclusive and elegant creative hub and space.
The Chateau is meant for our teams to create 24/7 and 365. This is the new Tin Pan Alley for next gen creators of the future, and Clayton knows how to take all the metaphorical wires within the Chateau and plug them in to create incredible results. From penning ‘Tough’ with Lana in our space to using our studios and published writers and producers he is showing us what can be done at Audio Up and within the walls of the Audio Chateau, which is not only a physical destination but now the home and namesake of our label. His journey is just beginning, and we couldn’t be prouder to have him on board.”
Since its launch in January of 2024, Audio Chateau Records has embraced a diverse array of musical genres and talents, all of which have highly anticipated releases that will start rolling out this year. The current roster includes regional Mexican sensation Grupo Linea, comedy-country star Uncle Drank, Randy Savvy of the Compton Cowboys (whose eagerly anticipated debut mixtape is expected to drop in late summer), and the health and wellness supergroup Maejor Audio Sunshine, featuring renowned producer and recording artist Maejor, critically acclaimed English singer-songwriter Bipolar Sunshine, and Jared Gutstadt.
The latter project was spawned from the Audio Up health and wellness podcast series “Psychedelic Frequency,” created by Gutstadt and Maejor, and a 2024 ADWEEK Audio Awards winner in the Best Culture Podcast category.
Audio Chateau Records has been building its brand in a way that stands apart from traditional labels, most notably utilizing its access to Audio Up Media’s array of dimensionalized media lanes. All of Audio Chateau’s artists will have the opportunity for their music to be integrated into Audio Up’s original podcasts, books and graphic novels, among other mediums, with the goal of creating a seamless 360-degree solution for content creation, marketing, and distribution.
One such example will exist in the label’s soundtrack division which will work directly with Audio Up Media to license material across all production verticals, including original music for the upcoming graphic novel “Neon Empire” co-produced by legendary music producer Timbaland and Jared Gutstadt. A television series for that property is also currently in development of which Timbaland will be an executive producer.
The label currently houses locations in both Los Angeles and Nashville, which were designed as creative hubs to foster collaboration and innovation and serve as exclusive spaces that attract both emerging and established artists.