THE ANT HAS LANDED

The splashy contest to sign indie phenom Ant Saunders is said to have landed with David Massey's Arista, according to sources in the artist's camp. Sources at Sony have thus far declined to confirm the rumor, but we believe it to be solid.

Saunders' "Yellow Hearts" became a viral rocket at TikTok before zooming up the Spotify chart (it's now Top 20 U.S.); the quest to ink him was hot and heavy, and was among the first indie derbies to come out of the streaming ecosystem.

If our intel is true, the result is a terrific look for Massey, who was named as chief of the relaunched Arista in July of 2018; alongside growing activity on prior signing JP Saxe, Saunders should help bring the label a healthy Q1.