These are tough times for bands and record labels alike, and you don't need some industry expert to tell you that album sales aren't nearly as profitable as they once were. Despite the decline, Prince Edward Island pop rockers Paper Lions are evidently a little baffled that they haven't received any money from their label for their 2010 EP Trophies.
The album was released through MB3 Records (the record label division of the management/publicity company the MuseBox) and distributed through EMI.
In a post on Paper Lions'official website, they write, "We have yet to see a paycheque for a single record sold by them. If you bought our record on Amazon or iTunes, or even at a record store, we didn't get that money. We don't know why. We don't know if it's being held somewhere, or if it's been spent.
"We asked ourselves, what do we do now? Hire a lawyer? That would cost a lot of money and take a lot of time. Ultimately, we just want people to hear the music. And in reality, this experience has given us an excuse to do something we've wanted to do for a long time."
"So we've decided to give Trophies away in exchange for your email address. And we feel pretty good about it."
So yes, the band have opted to give the record away for free, since they own the masters. You can download it from the widget embedded below.
Confusingly, the Paper Lions' original post didn't single out the label by name, and our original review of the album listed the label as Common Law Records. In a post on Reddit, the band clarified that Common Law Records was simply a bank account created for tax purposes (to keep performance income and record sales separate), and that that the label was indeed MB3.
However, this story has a happy ending, since Paper Lions revealed that the MuseBox has now contacted them and that the band will get any money that they're owed. The confusion reportedly stemmed from staff changeover and the closure of the label's Canadian offices.
Paper Lions' upcoming tour schedule is below, and the Trophies download is at the bottom of the page.
Tour dates:
3/23 Toronto, ON - Sneaky Dee's (early show)
3/23 Toronto, ON - Sneaky Dee's (late show)
4/12 Moncton, NB - Delta Ballroom Export Buyers Showcase (early show)
4/12 Moncton, NB - Oxygen Complex Rock Showcase (late show)
5/19 Charlottetown, PE - Hunter's Alehouse
The album was released through MB3 Records (the record label division of the management/publicity company the MuseBox) and distributed through EMI.
In a post on Paper Lions'official website, they write, "We have yet to see a paycheque for a single record sold by them. If you bought our record on Amazon or iTunes, or even at a record store, we didn't get that money. We don't know why. We don't know if it's being held somewhere, or if it's been spent.
"We asked ourselves, what do we do now? Hire a lawyer? That would cost a lot of money and take a lot of time. Ultimately, we just want people to hear the music. And in reality, this experience has given us an excuse to do something we've wanted to do for a long time."
"So we've decided to give Trophies away in exchange for your email address. And we feel pretty good about it."
So yes, the band have opted to give the record away for free, since they own the masters. You can download it from the widget embedded below.
Confusingly, the Paper Lions' original post didn't single out the label by name, and our original review of the album listed the label as Common Law Records. In a post on Reddit, the band clarified that Common Law Records was simply a bank account created for tax purposes (to keep performance income and record sales separate), and that that the label was indeed MB3.
However, this story has a happy ending, since Paper Lions revealed that the MuseBox has now contacted them and that the band will get any money that they're owed. The confusion reportedly stemmed from staff changeover and the closure of the label's Canadian offices.
Paper Lions' upcoming tour schedule is below, and the Trophies download is at the bottom of the page.
Tour dates:
3/23 Toronto, ON - Sneaky Dee's (early show)
3/23 Toronto, ON - Sneaky Dee's (late show)
4/12 Moncton, NB - Delta Ballroom Export Buyers Showcase (early show)
4/12 Moncton, NB - Oxygen Complex Rock Showcase (late show)
5/19 Charlottetown, PE - Hunter's Alehouse
