Today, Republic Records announced an unprecedented “lifetime” recording contract with JohnMellencamp. “The Voice of the Heartland” has touched the hearts and souls of music listeners and influenced American culture with enduring songs. He will release his 22nd full-length album this fall, “Plain Spoken,” a stunningly elegant and soul-searching gem.

Republic Recordsco-founder and chief executive Monte Lipman commented, “Not only has he served as an ambassador of social consciousness in America, but he has also provided the soundtrack of a generation. We’re thrilled to be working with John Mellencamp as part of this historic deal.”

Mellencamp continues to evolve artistically with “Plain Spoken“ – the first new music from the artist since 2010’s critically acclaimed “No Better Than This,” which debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 200 and received the honor of being on Rolling Stone‘s “Best Albums of 2010” list.  The Grammy Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has created an important body of work that has earned him both critical respect and an enormous audience.

An authoritative and eloquent storyteller who speaks to the sensibilities of the nation, Mellencamp is also one of the most successful live concert performers in the world. A man with a conscience, he used his visibility and influence to advocate an issue that hit close to home and became one of the founding members of Farm Aid, an organization that began in 1985 to raise awareness about the loss of family farm. The Farm Aid concerts have raised over $45 million to promote a resilient family farm system of agriculture.

Universal Music Enterprises continues to represent the artist’s prominent catalogue.
Mercury/UME will also release his new live album “John Mellencamp Performs Trouble No More Live at Town Hall” on July 8, 2014.

Republic Records proudly welcomes John Mellencamp to the family.