ArtistDirect News
Primary Wave Music Announces Partnership With Jesus Jones Frontman Mike Edwards
On July 6 2026, Primary Wave Music revealed a new publishing partnership with Mike Edwards, the lead singer and songwriter of the British alternative‑rock band Jesus Jones. The agreement covers Edwards’ entire catalog, from the band’s debut Liquidizer to the 2001 release London, and grants him access to Primary Wave’s marketing, digital strategy, licensing, sync, and film‑and‑TV production services.
Edwards’ catalog features the 1991 breakout single “Right Here Right Now,” which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped Doubt sell more than two million copies worldwide. Other tracks under the deal include “Real Real Real,” “Info Freako,” “International Bright Young Thing,” and “The Devil You Know.” “Right Here Right Now” earned a 1992 Grammy nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, while Doubt received a nomination for Best Alternative Music Album.
Expressing enthusiasm, Edwards said, “I’m both really thrilled and excited to be in partnership with Primary Wave. Thrilled because to my astonishment and pleasure, I’m now sharing space on a roster of enormous talents, true legends of the music industry. Excited because it feels very much as though with Primary Wave, we are at the start of a great working relationship, a relationship that’s using songs from my past but is very much about the future.”
Justin Dowling, Executive Vice‑President for UK & Europe at Primary Wave, added: “We’re honored to partner with Mike Edwards on his catalog of songs. While Jesus Jones may humbly brand themselves as the ‘purveyors of fine indie‑dance anthems since 1989,’ under the hood it’s a little more than that. Mike proved that new fertile ground could be broken in music by marrying up the art of sampling with rock guitars and bringing all that to a global stage and a global audience. Mike is outstanding as both a songwriter and a performer and if that wasn’t enough, is in possession of the most unique thing of all, a singing voice so inimitable that it can only be recognized as that of Mike Edwards.”
Jesus Jones formed in late 1988 in Bradford‑on‑Avon, Wiltshire. Their debut Liquidizer (1989) showcased a sample‑heavy sound that would become the band’s hallmark. Doubt was recorded over a week in May 1990 at Matrix Studios in London and released on 21 January 1991 through Food Records. The album topped the UK Albums Chart, reached number 25 on the US Billboard 200, and earned platinum certification in the United States. Its singles—“Real Real Real,” “Right Here Right Now,” “International Bright Young Thing,” and “Who ? Where ? Why ?”—all entered the UK Top 40, while “Right Here Right Now” and “Real Real Real” peaked at numbers 2 and 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Founded in 2006 by Lawrence Mestel, Primary Wave began as a music‑publishing and administration company before expanding into talent management, film‑and‑TV production, digital marketing, and branding. The firm owns a vast catalog that includes several hundred chart‑topping hits acquired through a series of high‑profile acquisitions.
The partnership gives Edwards a global platform to re‑introduce his catalog to new audiences and to secure additional sync placements across streaming, advertising, film, and television. For Primary Wave, adding a catalog that produced a multi‑million‑sold album and a Grammy‑nominated single strengthens its roster of legacy artists and expands its influence in the alternative‑rock and dance‑rock sectors.
No specific dates for new releases or licensing deals have been disclosed. The partnership is expected to commence immediately, with Primary Wave’s teams working with Edwards to identify opportunities across media.
The deal illustrates a broader trend of legacy catalog owners partnering with modern publishing firms to leverage digital platforms and sync markets, and it reflects Primary Wave’s strategy of acquiring catalogs that combine historical significance with contemporary commercial potential.
In summary, the July 6 2026 announcement marks the beginning of a collaboration that will bring Mike Edwards’ influential catalog—most notably the 1991 hit “Right Here Right Now”—to a wider audience through Primary Wave’s publishing and marketing resources, while reinforcing the company’s position as a leading independent publisher of iconic music.
Edwards’ catalog features the 1991 breakout single “Right Here Right Now,” which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped Doubt sell more than two million copies worldwide. Other tracks under the deal include “Real Real Real,” “Info Freako,” “International Bright Young Thing,” and “The Devil You Know.” “Right Here Right Now” earned a 1992 Grammy nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, while Doubt received a nomination for Best Alternative Music Album.
Expressing enthusiasm, Edwards said, “I’m both really thrilled and excited to be in partnership with Primary Wave. Thrilled because to my astonishment and pleasure, I’m now sharing space on a roster of enormous talents, true legends of the music industry. Excited because it feels very much as though with Primary Wave, we are at the start of a great working relationship, a relationship that’s using songs from my past but is very much about the future.”
Justin Dowling, Executive Vice‑President for UK & Europe at Primary Wave, added: “We’re honored to partner with Mike Edwards on his catalog of songs. While Jesus Jones may humbly brand themselves as the ‘purveyors of fine indie‑dance anthems since 1989,’ under the hood it’s a little more than that. Mike proved that new fertile ground could be broken in music by marrying up the art of sampling with rock guitars and bringing all that to a global stage and a global audience. Mike is outstanding as both a songwriter and a performer and if that wasn’t enough, is in possession of the most unique thing of all, a singing voice so inimitable that it can only be recognized as that of Mike Edwards.”
Jesus Jones formed in late 1988 in Bradford‑on‑Avon, Wiltshire. Their debut Liquidizer (1989) showcased a sample‑heavy sound that would become the band’s hallmark. Doubt was recorded over a week in May 1990 at Matrix Studios in London and released on 21 January 1991 through Food Records. The album topped the UK Albums Chart, reached number 25 on the US Billboard 200, and earned platinum certification in the United States. Its singles—“Real Real Real,” “Right Here Right Now,” “International Bright Young Thing,” and “Who ? Where ? Why ?”—all entered the UK Top 40, while “Right Here Right Now” and “Real Real Real” peaked at numbers 2 and 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Founded in 2006 by Lawrence Mestel, Primary Wave began as a music‑publishing and administration company before expanding into talent management, film‑and‑TV production, digital marketing, and branding. The firm owns a vast catalog that includes several hundred chart‑topping hits acquired through a series of high‑profile acquisitions.
The partnership gives Edwards a global platform to re‑introduce his catalog to new audiences and to secure additional sync placements across streaming, advertising, film, and television. For Primary Wave, adding a catalog that produced a multi‑million‑sold album and a Grammy‑nominated single strengthens its roster of legacy artists and expands its influence in the alternative‑rock and dance‑rock sectors.
No specific dates for new releases or licensing deals have been disclosed. The partnership is expected to commence immediately, with Primary Wave’s teams working with Edwards to identify opportunities across media.
The deal illustrates a broader trend of legacy catalog owners partnering with modern publishing firms to leverage digital platforms and sync markets, and it reflects Primary Wave’s strategy of acquiring catalogs that combine historical significance with contemporary commercial potential.
In summary, the July 6 2026 announcement marks the beginning of a collaboration that will bring Mike Edwards’ influential catalog—most notably the 1991 hit “Right Here Right Now”—to a wider audience through Primary Wave’s publishing and marketing resources, while reinforcing the company’s position as a leading independent publisher of iconic music.