Cooking Vinyl have signed British boy band Blue to a worldwide services deal.
The indie will release the group’s seventh studio album, which will be released in 2025, 25 years after Blue first formed.
“After our two No.1 albums this year with Shed Seven, the opportunity to sign Blue, who also had two No.1 albums in 2002, was something to get excited about, and when you look at their history, recent touring, audience size and not to mention some great new songs, they tick all of the right boxes,” said Rob Collins, MD of Cooking Vinyl.
“James and I share the same vision for this album with Rob and the team at Cooking Vinyl,” said Blue’s manager Ali Parry. “They have had so much success lately and we are thrilled to be working together.
“Twenty-five years as a band is a huge achievement and we look forward to marking that with a fantastic album, which fans old and new will love. The last year has been fantastic with the UK and Italian tours, as well as dates all around the world. Blue have lots of music still to make.”
Cooking Vinyl have had so much success lately and we are thrilled to be working together
Ali Parry
In a joint statement, Blue said: “We are so excited to be working with Cooking Vinyl for our 25th anniversary. Rob and the team are full of great ideas and we can’t wait to start working with them. There will be something old, something new, nothing borrowed but all things Blue!”.
Blue’s debut album, All Rise (2001), reached No.1 and to date has sold over 1.3 million copies in the UK. One Love (2002 – four times platinum) and Guilty (2003 – two times platinum) also reached No.1 in the official album charts.
The group are one of only 20 artists (including Cooking Vinyl’s Shed Seven) to ever have two separate No.1 albums in 12 months in the UK charts.
In 2025, Blue will be supporting Olly Murs on a UK tour culminating at The O2 in London, following their recent return from a sold out-arena tour of Italy.
Subscribers can read our Cooking Vinyl feature in the new edition of Music Week.
PHOTO: (L-R:) James Barnes (management), Simon Webbe, Duncan James, Rob Collins (Cooking Vinyl), Antony Costa, Lee Ryan, Ali Parry (management)