Louisville band Villebillies sign deal with Sony — the good guys win

The Villebillies, long one of Louisville’s most creative and outright lovable hip-hop bands, has signed a five-album deal with Sony Music Entertainment.

Sony will immediately release the band’s most recent song, “Spooky,” as a single to national radio while the band starts working on an album. In addition, Island Earth Music — a record label partially owned and operated by Villebillies Dustin “Tuck” Tucker and Demi Demaree — has been given a production deal and an additional five-album option that could be used for Island Earth Music artists.

The Villebillies have been here before, having recorded for international label Universal Motown from 2006-2008. Since that deal expired, the band has been working independently in Louisville and developing artists for Island Earth Music.

“Honestly, I had accepted the fact that the Villebillies were going to be local … and just when I had started doing it for fun, it happened to us again,” said Tucker, a founding member.

It was a slow-motion whirlwind courtship.

After several of the people who had signed the Villebillies to Universal Motown relocated to Sony, Tucker kept in touch via email. He would send occasional tracks, just keeping the band’s name out there, but would normally not get a response for weeks. Sometimes he didn’t communicate with them for years.