Warner Records Launches JV with Phoebe Bridgers & Tony Berg

Warner Records announces a new label joint venture, Crime & Punishment Records, with veteran producer and industry titan Tony Berg.

Today, Warner Records has announced Crime & Punishment Records, a joint venture with veteran producer and industry titan Tony Berg. The first artist signed to the newly created label is emerging singer-songwriter Elle Bramhall.

Crime & Punishment Records combines Berg’s vast industry experience with his skill for discovering, developing, and guiding the next generation of musicians, creating a space where they can hone their craft while feeling heard and in control of their own careers. Inspired by Berg’s passion for cultivating emerging talent that “cuts through the clutter,” Crime & Punishment Records is the culmination of five decades spent shepherding some of the industry’s biggest artists.

“Crime & Punishment Records is intended to champion young, ambitious artists. Right now, I’m seeing a return to lyric content, harmonic ambition, and musical curiosity. It’s as exciting a time as I can remember, and I hope we can be at the forefront of discovering the best new music. I’ve been lucky enough in the past eight years to work with Aaron Bay-Schuck, Tom Corson, and Chris Morris at Warners, much as I did when I produced records in the label’s previous heyday for Mo Ostin, Lenny Waronker, and Michael Ostin,” shared Tony Berg.

“When the new crew expressed interest in a joint venture, I leapt to it. How could I not? And I’m thrilled that Elle Bramhall is our debut signing. She is an extraordinary young artist with a point of view that is at once fresh and timeless.”

“Tony Berg is in rarified air as an elite producer. Not only does he have incredible taste, but he also possesses a real gift for bringing out what makes an artist special. What he’s accomplished with Warner Records’ star sombr has been pure magic. Not so much by putting his fingerprints all over it, but by showing restraint and knowing exactly what pieces needed to be put around sombr to help him fully realize his vision,” added Aaron Bay-Scheck, Chairman & CEO, Warner Records Group.

“Bringing Tony’s JV to Warner Records was an easy decision. He’s already signed an incredibly promising young singer-songwriter Elle Bramhall, and we’re so excited about what he’s building and what’s to come.”

In the last two years alone, Berg has produced chart-topping records with Phoebe Bridgers (Lost Weekend) and sombr (I Barely Know Her), along with Sarah McLachlan’s Better Broken, her first album in nearly a decade, and longtime collaborator Bruce Hornsby’s Indigo Park. At the same time, Berg continues to mentor emerging talent with an extensive list of mentees that includes Shawn Everett and Blake Mills.