The independent music publisher Primary Wave Music have announced a new partnership with Pete Townshend on "the exploitation of his name, image, and likeness and the development and exploitation of future creative projects".
In a statement regarding his collaboration with Primary Wave, Pete said:
“Moving forward with my creative and performative work with Primary Wave, at this time of my life when most creatives might be slowing down, is a joy for me. Their entire team exhibit an energy that is truly stimulating. Challenging too. I need that.
I write songs, stories and poetry, and even draw and paint almost every day of my life. I work with musicians and other creatives, and spend a lot of my time building charitable solutions for organisations that help young creative people grow and succeed in this very hard time. Music is my main medium. With my incredibly talented wife Rachel I have been supported on every level to remain as young as I can, and if I get too old to paint I will borrow Matisses’s scissors. I have a feeling Primary Wave are sharpening up a special pair for me.
Then there is Roger and all my friends and colleagues in and around The Who. We are always trying to come up with SOMETHING special, and God Willing will continue to do that, hoping one day we can astound you the way we used to.
I have always been something of an ex-art student, and that means my work spans a lot of genres. Primary Wave span even more genres than I do, and I know we will have a lot of fun working together. Our first few meetings have been wonderfully inspiring moments of shared adventure.”
Photo credit: Ron Grosser
According to the press release by Primary Wave:
“Renowned for pioneering rock operas, as well as stage musicals and ballets, Townshend’s partnership with Primary Wave makes for an ideal collaboration. With Primary Wave’s enthusiastic hands-on approach to marketing music and Townshend’s iconic catalog and vision, the potential for branding and content opportunities is boundless. Additionally, Townshend will have access to the company’s digital department to establish a footprint across social media channels and has already begun building a presence amongst the company’s licensing and synch division who have been actively working with Townshend and the copyright owners of his catalog to place his songs across film and television.”
Primary Wave’s CEO & Founder Larry Mestel said, “Pete Townshend is one of the greatest and most influential rock icons in music history. We are honored that he has chosen Primary Wave as a partner and collaborator and look forward to creating new opportunities together.”
Adam Lowenberg, Primary Wave’s Chief Marketing Officer, adds “There is no rock music without the genius of Pete Townshend. An artist, innovator and songwriter who stands alone in his own category of icon and legend. We are extremely honored to partner with Pete on his future endeavors.”
The financial terms of the new deal were not included in the press release, but according to an article in Variety, it was a nine-figure deal and “a spokesperson for Spirit Music, which acquired Townshend’s publishing in 2017 for a reported $100 million after a partial acquisition five years earlier, confirms to Variety that the company no longer holds those rights, and a different source confirms to Variety that rights to songs from Townshend’s iconic catalog, including “My Generation,” “Baba O’Riley,” “Behind Blue Eyes,” “Pinball Wizard,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “Let My Love Open the Door” and others, are included in the Primary Wave deal."
Pete Townshend performed a rare solo set last January at a pre-Grammy party to celebrate Primary Wave Music’s 20th anniversary, which hinted that a new publishing deal with that company was coming. Check out our article on that performance here.
This is exciting news that indicates new material from Pete may soon be on the horizon!
Pete Townshend performed at the Primary Wave Grammy party at the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills on Jan 31, 2026. Photo by Tina Fasbender
