CANNES, France (CelebrityAccess) Dave Stewart and “The Voice” exec producer Audrey Morrissey have reportedly cleared up legal issues regarding their project “Songbird,” a Voice-like show for songwriters, and are ready to put it on the air.
The show, which Stewart says puts a songwriting spin on TV attractions like “The Voice” and “X-Factor” with judges, etc., has an 11-episode deal with NBC Universal and the duo is currently shopping for global buyers in Cannes, France, according to Deadline Hollywood. It has apparently been a bumpy ride to get this far, with a birth in 2015 followed by an intellectual property attorney claiming applicants were required to sign away their copyrights on all submitted songs.
However, Stewart and Morrissey told Deadline the legal issues have been cleared up.
“The typical thing that everyone signs before they come on a TV show is a release but a lawyer thought we were releasing the song and giving it away,” Stewart told Deadline.
Morrissey added, “It was a casting questionnaire. The language was broad enough for people to misinterpret. I’m glad it happened at the beginning because we could refine it.”
In each episode, five songwriters perform original songs for three music producters and a major music performer, after which the judges craft the songs to become hits. The first episode features Charlie Puth, Shane McAnally, Ester Dean and OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder who is also a producer of the show.
“Songland” is produced by Live Animals in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio, Dave Stewart Entertainment and 222 Productions.
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