Seeker Music has acquired the catalog of Nu Shooz, the Portland duo of John Smith and Valerie Day, in a deal announced on April 13, 2026. The purchase covers both the group's master recordings and its music publishing. Financial terms were not disclosed.
What changes hands
Seeker is taking on the Nu Shooz masters and publishing, giving it control over both the recordings and the underlying songs. Owning both sides simplifies licensing and lets the buyer approve sync, remix and sampling uses without negotiating with a second rightsholder. Seeker says it will mark the 40th anniversary of I Can't Wait in 2026 with previously unreleased music and new creative campaigns.
The catalog
Nu Shooz started out as a jazz-funk band before moving toward R&B and signing with Atlantic Records. The duo is Grammy-nominated and has been inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.
- I Can't Wait (1986): peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. A remix by Dutch DJ Peter Slaghuis helped turn it into a worldwide hit.
- Poolside (1986): the album that includes their breakthrough single.
- Point of No Return: the follow-up album.
Why it matters
The deal comes weeks after Seeker closed a $267 million asset-backed securitization (ABS), which it says will fund more catalog purchases, investment in talent and upgrades to its rights management technology. Seeker, founded in 2020 by songwriter Evan Bogart and backed by M&G Investments, says its portfolio is now worth $400 million. Its previous acquisitions include catalogs from Christopher Cross, Joan Jett, Run the Jewels, Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go's and Jon Bellion.
For sellers, Seeker's model is worth understanding. The company runs a program that interpolates catalog songs into new releases, an approach that has already paid off with hits such as Shaboozey's A Bar Song (Tipsy). Catalogs with an instantly recognizable hook, like I Can't Wait, are exactly the kind of asset this strategy targets. ABS financing also gives buyers like Seeker a steady supply of capital, which keeps demand high for well-known 1980s repertoire.