Tame Impala Embroiled in Lawsuit Against Modular Recordings over Unpaid Royalties

Photo: Atsuko Kobasigawa

BY Josiah HughesPublished Jun 2, 2015

Next month, blissed-out Australians Tame Impala will return with their new album Currents, which will arrive via Interscope. Hopefully it'll help them pay their bills a little — according to a new lawsuit, they've yet to see money from their previous label home of Modular Recordings.

Stereogum points to a report from The Australian revealing that the band's music is currently central in a legal battle with the Australian-based Modular. BMG, who handled Tame Impala's rights management, is claiming that Modular owes it some $450,000 USD in unpaid royalties to the band. Crikey, mates!

Modular founder Steve "Pav" Pavlovic is named in the suit, as is Modular, Universal Music Australia and a handful of other subsidiaries. They're accused of "not only withholding the substantial royalty payments but ignoring legal advice to cease and desist selling operations with regard to Tame Impala's recordings in the lead-up to finally being served with papers filed with the New York Southern District Court early last month."

BMG was meant to be paid out royalties within 45 days for each financial quarter from Modular, but it is claiming that never happened. Universal Music Australia, however, claims that it shouldn't be named in the suit. As the label put it in a statement, the blame falls solely on Pavlovic, who is also no longer employed by Modular.

If you'd like to take a gander at the legal documents, knock yourself out here. The case is set to go to trial in the New York Southern District Court. 

Tame Impala's Currents lands on July 17.

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