We’ve seen something of a sporadic wave of artists coming out against their record labels in the past couple of years. In addition to Angel Haze and Earl Sweatshirt, arguably the most famous case was Azealia Banks, who embarked on numerous tirades against her label.
Banks claimed her label was holding her hostage in a prohibitive and restrictive contract, which delayed the release of her long-awaited full-length debut, which fans will remember had multiple release dates and eventually dropped almost a year after originally scheduled.
The latest artist to stick it to their label is Nathan Williams of Californian surf punk project Wavves and like Banks, he’s also threatened to leak his latest album, citing dissatisfaction with his label, Warner Bros, for taking down his own single from the web.
Williams uploaded the band’s new single, ‘Way Too Much’, to the internet early for fans to enjoy, but Warner quickly put the kibosh on his plans. They requested it be pulled, with Williams even sharing a copyright infringement email he received from SouncCloud, over his own work.
“You guys, I literally hate [Warner Bros] they wanna pull ‘Way Too Much’ already,” Williams tweeted. “Sorry [Warner Bros] it’s already out if you pull the song I’ll post the whole album… I am nottttt fuucking aroundddd anymore [sic].”
“It’s so obnoxious to work tirelessly on something and then have a bunch of people who just see me as a money sign go and fuck it all up. It’s nauseating tbh, I spend 365 days a year in a studio making songs and people at Warner still think they are gonna call the shots on my art.”
“Listen to the music. Do you like the music? We worked hard on it. What did Warner do? They heard it once and tried to make edits. I said no. If you have way too much put it on YouTube. Rip it and put it on your phone and your friends phone,” Williams continued.
Williams then called his label’s bluff once again by posting the unreleased artwork from the album. “They gonna try to sue me if I use the art I already had, so here’s my art. What you gonna do with me now? …You don’t scare me. I’m not scared of getting dropped or sued by you, so what do you have?”
you guys i literally hate @wbr they wanna pull 'way too much' already
— WAVVES (@wavves) July 16, 2015
sorry @wbr its already out if you pull the song ill post the whole album
— WAVVES (@wavves) July 16, 2015
i am nottttt fuucking aroundddd anymore pic.twitter.com/9gExA9WRg5
— WAVVES (@wavves) July 16, 2015
its so obnoxious to work tirelessly on something and then have a bunch of ppl who just see me as a money sign go and fuck it all up
— WAVVES (@wavves) July 16, 2015
its nauseating tbh i spend 365 days a year in a studio making songs and ppl at warner still think they are gonna call the shots on my art
— WAVVES (@wavves) July 16, 2015
listen to the music. do you like the music? we worked hard on it. what did warner do? they heard it once and tried to make edits. i said no.
— WAVVES (@wavves) July 16, 2015
if you have way too much put it on youtube. rip it and put it on your phone and your friends phone @wbr
— WAVVES (@wavves) July 16, 2015
hahahahahaha okay guys way too much is gonna be on itunes by monday so win/win. jam it via spotify till then ❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/RuK2W1iay4
— WAVVES (@wavves) July 16, 2015
DONT EVER LET THEM PUSH U AROUND
— WAVVES (@wavves) July 16, 2015
they gonna try to sue me if i use the art i already had so heres my art what u gonna do with me now?? @wbr pic.twitter.com/ERNNCWRQtX
— WAVVES (@wavves) July 17, 2015
album is called 'v'. fifth album. v. vv. vvv. a trilogy.
— WAVVES (@wavves) July 17, 2015
i told u i dont play @wbr
— WAVVES (@wavves) July 17, 2015
lollll keep trying @wbr you cant stop me pic.twitter.com/gKfn49d9Bg
— WAVVES (@wavves) July 17, 2015
you dont scare me. im not scared of getting dropped or sued by u so what do u have? @wbr pic.twitter.com/38ouz3ioRn
— WAVVES (@wavves) July 17, 2015
heres my art let me release my record @wbr pic.twitter.com/sex8Qxfm4n
— WAVVES (@wavves) July 17, 2015
THIS IS THE COVER OF MY NEW RECORD GOD CANT TELL ME DIFFERENT pic.twitter.com/vo4d0kgj7X
— WAVVES (@wavves) July 17, 2015