Don West, the hotly-tipped Australian soul artist, joins the roster at Kobalt.
West has enjoyed a bountiful breakthrough, culminating in his signing with the independent music publisher, announced Thursday, Dec. 11.
Hailing from Sydney, West’s throwback, soulful sounds have drawn favorable comparisons to the likes of Marvin Gaye and Bill Withers, and, despite being at such an early stage of his career, he has captured close to 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Just last month, West cracked the ARIA Albums Chart at No. 25 with his debut Give Me All Your Love, co-written by and Nathan Hawes (Kesmar, Surely Shirley, Lazywax) and produced entirely by Hawes.
“Don is effortlessly cool and charismatic. His deep-rooted love of classic soul and blues, combined with his coastal upbringing, has shaped a sound that’s resonating with audiences around the world,” comments Briese Abbott, Kobalt’s head of creative services Australia & New Zealand. His songwriting “feels instantly familiar, nostalgic yet contemporary, and inherently inviting,” Abbott remarks.
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West made strides with his debut self-titled six-track EP, released last November, and embarked on a debut national headline tour the following month, including spots on the Spilt Milk festival.
He was nominated for the J Award, and was shortlisted at the APRA Music Awards, the AIR Awards, the inaugural NSW Music Prize in the breakthrough category, and in July of this year was named to Spotify’s RADAR program.
During the northern summer, West played a bunch of shows in Europe, including multiple sold-out London dates and festival appearances. In October, he was set to embark on his first headline tour of the United States, but had to postpone due to health issues.
“We are thrilled to have Kobalt representing Don West for his publishing,” says Max McKeith at FRNDS Management, noting Kobalt’s international teams “have all been hugely supportive of Don’s songwriting and we immediately felt like it was the right home for his music.”
West is currently on tour in his homeland, and once again on the Spilt Milk bill. Another global tour is planned for 2026.
With a network of 10 global offices, Kobalt serves over 1 million songs, representing the likes of Max Martin, Stevie Nicks, Phoebe Bridgers, Gunna, Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney, and many others.