LOS ANGELES, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- He's "Takin' It to the Streets" on "American Idol" -- now Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks will be takin' it more directly to the people. Celebrating his birthday today, Hicks has tapped the independent artist services company Artist To Market (A2M) to release his much-buzzed-about new album, due in stores on February 10, 2009. The platinum-selling singer-songwriter will be releasing the new title with complete control of direction and ownership of his masters on his solely owned and operated, Modern Whomp Records label. Hicks is currently in the studio with producer Simon Climie (Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Faith Hill).

"In this digital age, when artists can connect more directly with audiences, this is a partnership that makes a lot of sense," says Hicks. "I'm very much enjoying being in the studio with Simon working on the new album and look forward to releasing it through A2M early next year."

"We at A2M are very excited to be working with the team at Modern Whomp Records on this release," said Paul Ignasinski, General Manager of A2M. "As the industry continues to evolve, it's exciting to see significant artists approach the marketplace in a new way, and truly take control over their own destiny. This is exactly why A2M was built in the first place -- to provide a service platform for these artists to prosper on their own terms."

During the last two years, Taylor Hicks has seen his self-titled Arista debut album certified platinum, performed with the likes of Willie Nelson, Widespread Panic, The Allman Brothers and Jackson Browne, toured through Asia, penned the brisk-selling Random House memoir Heart Full of Soul, spent time in NY this past summer for his three-month Broadway debut as "Teen Angel" in Grease, and will take Grease on a national tour beginning December 1.

In August Hicks' Modern Whomp Records released Early Works (a reissue compilation of his two independent albums, In Your Time and Under the Radar) through the Welk Music Group. Hicks is also planning the release of Whomp at the Warfield, a DVD showcasing a live performance by Hicks and his band at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco.

About Artist To Market Distribution:

Launched in 2005, Artist To Market Distribution (A2M) is an independent music distributor and artist services company designed to work directly with artists, labels, and content owners to streamline the supply chain, provide flexible service solutions, and deliver new product to the marketplace at a lower cost. Over the past two years A2M has partnered with a diverse group of platinum and multi-platinum artists including Dolly Parton, Tracy Lawrence, Tommy Lee, John Michael Montgomery, Sinead O'Connor, Unwritten Law, and Tracy Byrd, in addition to critically-acclaimed newcomers, The Cool Kids. More information can be found at http://www.artist2market.com.

SOURCE Taylor Hicks