Less than a week after parting ways with Big Machine Label Group founder Scott Borchetta, HYBE AMERICA has named Jake Basden as CEO of Blue Highway Records, HYBE AMERICA’s relaunch of BMLG.
Basden’s appointment signals a reunion with many of the artists he worked with when he was BMLG’s senior vp of communications for 12 years, before leaving in 2023 to become president of Sandbox Entertainment.
“As we were searching for a leader for our new Nashville record label, it was important to choose someone that thought of artists first. We found someone that would not only connect with our team and build our company culture, but has profound ties to this community,” said Isaac Lee, chairman and CEO of HYBE AMERICA, in a statement. “Jake’s long history of devoted service to artists, his time with our company and his deep roots in Nashville, along with his fresh and modern take on what will make the label successful in the digital age, made him the ideal candidate for this role. We’re excited for what’s ahead for Blue Highway Records and for all that Jake will do to further expand our company’s footprint in Music City.”
On Feb. 12, HYBE AMERICA announced that Borchetta was departing HYBE America five years after HYBE’s purchase of Ithaca Holdings in 2021 for $1.05 billion. Ithaca Holdings purchased Big Machine Label Group in 2019 for an estimated $300 million. Upon his departure, Borchetta reacquired the Big Machine name for the label he founded in 2005 and has relaunched the record company with a number of acts, including Riley Green and Tim McGraw.
Other than the name, HYBE retained the assets of BMLG, including distribution, the publishing company Big Machine Music and a number of artists currently on the label’s roster including Thomas Rhett, Brett Young, Midland, Justin Moore, Carly Pearce, Preston Cooper, Jackson Dean and Mae Estes. It will absorb BMLG’s the Valory Co. imprint into Blue Highway.
Related
“We are starting with a diverse roster of passionate creators. Each is singular in who they are, but also how they write and realize their sound,” Basden said in a statement. “From Thomas Rhett, a superstar who’s still filled with unmet potential, to Jackson Dean, a songwriter with raw charisma and a gritty sound, Blue Highway is a place where being yourself invites originality and inspires listeners to find their own path. For CMA and ACM female vocalist of the year Carly Pearce, Western-leaning progressives Midland and staunch American Justin Moore, country music is the bedrock for labelmates who have defined their own lane. When you factor in Preston Cooper, Brett Young and Mae Estes, the tradition of being your own kind of country remains in strong hands. Blue Highway is going to deliver the sound for country for the coming years.”
He continued, “Country and American roots music is at such a dynamic place and I can think of no better place to define what the future of these sounds can be than Blue Highway. With the power and global synergy of HYBE, there are no limits to what we can create — and I look forward to working with the current roster and future signings to deliver artists, songs and projects that speak to the heart of who we are as people.”
While at Sandbox, Basden oversaw the talent division’s representation and business development artists including Kacey Musgraves, Brandi Carlile, Kate Hudson, Kelsea Ballerini, Baby Nova and Little Big Town.
Basden began his career with at Ogilvy & Mather in New York, as well as a stint at Edelma as a director in the sports & entertainment division.
