13-Year-Old Tegan Marie Inks Deal With Warner Music Nashville

Pictured (L-R): Peter Strickland (CMO, WMN), Scott Hendricks (EVP A&R, WMN), Tegan Marie, John Esposito (Chairman and CEO, WMN), Veronica Zelle (Co-Founder and CCO, Sweety High) and Frank Simonetti (Co-Founder and CEO, Sweety High)

At just 13 years old, performer Tegan Marie has become the youngest country artist currently signed to a major label.

The Michigan native’s father began uploading Tegan’s cover videos to media platform Sweety High when she was seven years old. Since then, Tegan Marie has appeared on Good Morning America, the PBS special Smokey Robinson: The Gershwin Prize, the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards, The CMA Music Festival, and country festival Stagecoach.

Her breakthrough came when she recorded a version of Florida Georgia Line’s hit “H.O.L.Y.,” which earned more than 17 million views on Facebook alone. She makes her Grand Ole Opry debut tonight (Aug. 18).

“This new generation is passionate about country music. Tegan Marie, with the kind of natural talent already resonating with audiences, represents a new breed of digitally-savvy artists that we want to be a part of,” said John Esposito, Chairman and CEO, Warner Music Nashville. “What attracted us to Tegan Marie was her voice and a confidence that was beyond her years. Her success on Sweety High and in social media exemplifies not only how country talent can be nurtured on these platforms but also how we will reach the next generation of music consumers.”

“The moment I saw Tegan Marie’s early videos I knew she had the ability to speak to young girls at an important time in their lives,” said Veronica Zelle, Sweety High Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer. “Working closely with her these past years, and witnessing her growth, I’m thrilled that a forward-thinking label like Warner Music Nashville has welcomed her to their roster.”

Sweety High CEO and co-founder Frank Simonetti added: “In this deal with Warner Music Nashville both Tegan Marie and Sweety High have gained a great partner that believes, like us, in doing whatever it takes for their artists.”

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Jessica Nicholson

Jessica Nicholson serves as the Managing Editor for MusicRow magazine. Her previous music journalism experience includes work with Country Weekly magazine and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) magazine. She holds a BBA degree in Music Business and Marketing from Belmont University. She welcomes your feedback at jnicholson@musicrow.com.

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