Paramore and former bassist in legal dispute

It looks like Jeremy Davis’ departure from Paramore wasn’t completely amicable after all. On Friday (March 4), an article published by the Tennessean reported that the former bassist is being sued by Varoom Whoa, the business entity that owns Paramore. The lawsuit filed by the company is on the premise of whether or not Davis was an employee or partner in the business aspects of the band. If he does end up being classified a partner in Varoom Whoa, then it means that he is entitled to a split of all revenues even though he is no longer in the band.

The company, which is full owned by Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams, filed the suit back in February. According to the band’s contract with Atlantic Records, Williams is the only one signed to the label meaning the band members are paid as employees, or as the online publication writes, “she pays her band members as employees.”

“Nevertheless, because she wanted to foster a feeling of camaraderie within the band, at her direction, the band members’ salaries included a portion of Williams’ earnings,” the initial lawsuit says, according to the Tennessean. On Friday, Davis filed a counterclaim on the basis that Paramore began as a partnership that he and Williams founded. Prior to officially joining the lineup, guitarist Taylor York was classified as an employee before becoming a partner when he became a permanent member of the band.

“Davis, Williams and York shared equally in all net profits generated by the partnership, from any and all sources, including but not limited to the Atlantic agreement,” claims Davis in the counterclaim. In addition to that, Davis claims that he was responsible for various duties in the band outside of performances such as hiring musicians and crew, making decisions for the band, and creating and managing staging and lighting. Davis officially left Paramore back in December of 2015, with the remaining members advising their fans about the departure. Davis’ 2015 departure was not the first time the bassist left the band. Back in 2004, around the time the band was first forming, he left the group for about six months for “personal reasons.” He was soon asked to return to the band, which he did, and stayed with them until the end of 2015.

The counterclaim from Davis came a day before Williams and York were scheduled to hit the high seas for the 2016 incarnation of their PARAHOY! cruise alongside New Found Glory, Lights, CHVRCHES, and more.

Victory Records’ Catalog Dropped by Spotify

If you’re currently looking to stream some music on Spotify from one of Victory Records’ slew of artists, you may not find them on the site. Songs by artists such as Hawthorne Heights, Thursday, and A Day to Remember were taken down on Monday (Oct. 19) after the record label and the streaming site was not able to work out an agreement about unpaid royalties.

The dispute revolves around publishing royalties that Victory’s sister company, Another Victory Music Publishing, says Spotify owes them. In a statement released by the label on Tuesday (Oct. 20), Spotify reportedly owes them compensation for 53 million streams. The statistic of unpaid royalties came directly from Spotify’s own records. According to Billboard, these unpaid royalties can equal about $23,000.

“Victory Records’ catalog of music was pulled from Spotify last night [Monday] as a result of Spotify not properly paying publishing revenues due to Victory Records’ artists in blatant violation of US Copyright laws,” a press release from the record label states.

Joining in on the accusation of unpaid royalties is Audiam, a free service that help artists get paid for the digital use of their music from YouTube and other digital services. Victory and Audiam currently have an agreement and victory is accusing Spotify of trying to have them breach their contract with the service site.

“Spotify knows we are in business with Audiam and were essentially asking us to breach/ignore that agreement,” said Victory. “The issue of nonpayment for songwriters and composers is a widespread problem and not exclusive to Victory Records’ artists … The bottom line is that artists and songwriters are not being paid and fans of Victory’s artists cannot listen to the music.”

“Spotify has pulled down the Victory Records sound recordings in response to us asking for them to pay for the 53 million streams that have not yet been paid on,” Audiam Chief Executive Jeff Price responded on Monday evening.

The take down of Victory artists, as well as those not even part of the group, comes hot on the heels of other artists taking stands against the music streaming giant. Thom Yorke, Prince, and of course Taylor Swift, are just some who have had their music taken down from Spotify because of a lack of compensation for the writers, producers, and artists a like.

At the time of this being written, only the Wall Street Journal had gotten a respond from Spotify. Since WSJ forces people to either “sign in” or “subscribe” to read full articles,  we decided to wait until an official rebuff by Spotify is made. For now, Victory founder Tony Brummel has responded by saying that, “we are not looking to go to war with anyone. We want to be fairly; not like indentured servants.”

From Autumn to Ashes Frontman Releases Statement About Alleged Sentencing

It’s been couple of weeks since From Autumn to Ashes revealed they were dropping off their own reunion tour due to a “personal emergency.” Soon after, Lambgoat unveiled that the real reason behind FATA’s departure from the tour stemmed from frontman Francis Mark being allegedly “sentenced in Michigan for maintaining a drug house.”

Over the weekend, the band, or more specifically Mark himself, released a statement to fans about the situation. As it turns out, what Lambgoat had reported at the beginning of the month was closely accurate to what had happened. Mark revealed in his brief statement that he was not arrested, but rather he turned himself into the police. Also, the supposed drug house that was being reported by many outlets, including ourselves, was actually a medicinal marijuana facility. Like the first statement the band issued when they revealed they were leaving the tour, Mark promises that he and the rest of From Autumn to Ashes will make it up to their fans as soon as they can.

Mark’s full statement about the incident can be read below.

“I wanted clarify a few things in the press and express my gratitude to the fans who continue to stick by us in these trying times.  I turned myself in and was not arrested. The alleged drug house in question was merely a medicinal marijuana facility. I speak not only for myself but on behalf of From Autumn To Ashes that we will make up the dates as soon as we possibly can. Thank you for the years of support and see you soon.

Francis Mark”

Former AC/DC Drummer Sentence to Home Detention

Former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd has been sentenced by the Tauranga District Court (New Zealand) on Thursday, July 9, to eight months of home detention relating to charges of drug possession and threatening to kill.

Rudd, who had been arrested last November after hiring a hitman to murder two people, plead guilty to possession of cannabis and methamphetamine and one charge making a threat to kill. The drummer was originally charged with the drug offenses as well as attempting to “procure a murder.” The procuring a murder charge was dropped and replaced by “making a threat to kill.”

During the trial, Rudd and his lawyers claimed he would lose millions of dollars if he were convicted and not able to tour with AC/DC. Not having any of his excuses, the judge responded that there was no evidence of an offer to return to the band and added: “Queen replaced Freddie Mercury.”

Before going to court, Rudd had been optimist, telling reporters early in the trial that he would be returning to the drum kit for the band’s world tour and other upcoming engagements. Any optimism went out the window when the judge told him that if he violated any of the terms of his home detention, he would be put behind bars.

“I stone cold guarantee that’s where you’ll end up,” said Judge Thomas Ingram. “I’m not your headmaster, I’m not your father. I’m a judge.”

Back in November, the news of Rudd being arrested made headlines worldwide, with the band finding out at the same time as the public. Quickly, the rock icons took to social media to confirm that their world tour would go on, as planned, without Rudd, even though they had no comment about the arrest.

The band quickly asked former drummer Chris Slade to return to the band for their performance at the 2015 Grammy Awards earlier this year. That one performance has now led to Slade returning to the group for their current world tour which will touchdown in North American beginning on Aug. 22 at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA.

From Autumn to Ashes Singer Allegedly Sentenced in Michigan

Last week, From Autumn to Ashes announced they had to abruptly drop off of their own reunion tour due to a “personal emergency.” The band, at the time, did not further elaborate what the personal emergency was, but did ask for those who had tickets to still attend the shows and support their tour fellow mates (Hawthorne Heights, Sleepwave, and Extinction AD).

Apparently, the personal emergency was something a little more serious than anyone at the time could have imagined.

According to Lambgoat, singer Francis Mark was allegedly sentenced in Michigan for maintaining a drug house. While Mark was not arrested or sent to prison, he was placed on probation which has resulted in his freedom to travel being restricted; a bad thing if you are in a band that’s trying to tour.

At the current time, there has been no further elaboration on the story nor a confirmation from the band or their people, but over at Metal Injection, the writer of the article did do a search on what exactly “maintaining a drug house” means.

Funny enough, the result that populated was from a lawyer in Michigan. According to the lawyer it means:

“In the state of Michigan, maintaining a drug house is illegal. An individual, who is suspected of drug activity such as maintaining a location where illegal drugs or controlled substances are kept, sold, or used by others such as a home, building, store, or other structure, or even a vehicle, may be arrested for maintaining a drug house. Even if an individual is not actually charged with this offense, he or she may still face a civil fine of up to $25,000 if penalized by the state.”

So pretty much, there is an endless list of possibilities as to how Mark was involved, if he was involved at all.

Front Porch Step Suspends Upcoming Tours, Tourmates Speak Out

There have been major developments in the Front Porch Step controversy over the last few days, some that will majorly affect those who had tickets or were planning to see shows where he would be performing at.

Allison Weiss announced she would no longer be touring with Jake Mcelfresh on the United Kingdom tour they were scheduled to be on, but she did say that there was hope the tour would go on without Mcelfresh.

Now, Mcelfresh has spoken out once again, revealing that he has suspended not only the U.K. tour, but has also, willingly, dropped off this year’s Vans Warped Tour.

“As I posted 3 days ago, I am taking the appropriate time to assess these very serious allegations against me and I am not taking them lightly. Until I can do that in a complete manner with all the information I have at my disposal, I will not be continuing with any current touring activities for the time being.”

But Mcelfresh isn’t the only one speaking out against the allegations and the impact it’s had on his tour schedule. Have Mercy and Head North have released statements about the issues at hand.

From Have Mercy:

“We have been receiving your emails, tweets, and posts regarding us not responding to the allegations brought upon Front Porch Step.  While we have been planning to disassociate ourselves from FPS for several days, we have been working very hard behind the scenes to book our own tour so we are not left stranded for the spring. 

We, Have Mercy, in no way condone the alleged actions that have come to light over the past week, and hope that message above all is clear to our fans. Safety in music, and life, should never be risked for selfish decisions. We were incredibly excited at the opportunity to hit the road this spring, and that is still our top priority.

Over the coming weeks, we hope to have news about a new tour with Head North and other trusted friends.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.”

From Head North:

“We are sorry to have remained silent about this issue for so long.  We do not in anyway condone the situation at hand with Front Porch Step regarding the recent allegations that presented themselves this past week.  

The whole situation is incredibly upsetting and our thoughts go to anyone at all affected by this. We are very sorry to anyone planning on coming to a show, but have been working on an alternative plan to make sure we can still come to towns this spring with new music in hand.

We will post more information about that as it becomes available.”

The petition on Change.org against Mcelfresh has received over 12,000 signatures from supporters since it was started last week.

Warped Tour Founder Speaks About Front Porch Step Controversy

As the Front Step Porch accusation controversy keeps progressing, Vans Warped Tour founder, Kevin Lyman, has once again taken to the internet to speak about the petition started to get Jake Mcelfresh (aka Front Step Porch) taken off the tour due to allegations of sexual harassment against underage girls.

Lyman, who had previously posted on Twitter that the situation at hand would be examined and addressed when he returned from his vacation, has revealed that he would be returning earlier than expected to “deal with the situation that had been brought” to his attention.

I will be back to work earlier then expected to deal with the situation that has been brought to my attention.

— KevinLyman (@KevinLyman) January 1, 2015

As if having to cut your holiday vacation short to deal with a major controversy wasn’t bad enough, it looks like a lot of bands are trying to cash in on the drama by asking him if they can replace Mcelfresh on the tour.

So many have been taking advantage that Lyman has had to ask them to stop asking and posting request to do so on his social media accounts.

We should also point out there has been no official word on his decision or towards which side he’s leaning towards.

Please don't ask to have your band replace FPS if he is not on the our, iI am in no mood for it right now

— KevinLyman (@KevinLyman) January 2, 2015

A few days ago, Mcelfresh posted statement online in which he said that he was aware of the accusations against him and would be taking step to address the situations at hand. As for his record label, Pure noise Records which were the first to comment on the matter, they have not released any statement since their initial response a few days ago.

At current time, the petition against Mcelfresh has reached over 10,000 supporters.

Front Porch Step Issues Official Statement About Allegations

It’s been more than 24 hours since news broke that a petition had been started to get Front Porch Step taken off of the 2015 Vans Warped Tour line-up.

Now, Front Porch Step himself, Jake Mcelfresh, has issued a formal statement about the matter at hand.

“I am aware of the serious allegations and sensational things being posted on the internet about me and my personal life. While this is personally difficult to experience, I am taking the appropriate, meaningful, and objective steps to address the severity of these things and the horrendous words being used. I would truly hope that others who have or will propagate these serious allegations will do the same.”

For those not familiar with the situation, the petition on Change.org was started to get Mcelfresh taken off the 2015 Vans Warped Tour after allegations were made against the musician that he had sent vulgar messages to underage girls. The accusation also states that once the girls had asked Mcelfresh to stop, he would continue with the sexual statements and harassment.

Mcelfresh’s record label, Pure Noise Records released a tweet yesterday informing followers that they were not at liberty to speak about the situation because of the legality of the issue.

Kevin Lyman, founder of the Warped Tour also tweet late in the evening yesterday, advising followers that at that precise moment, he could not speak about the matter because he was on vacation, but once he returned to the States, he would make sure that the issue would be examined, thoroughly.

Currently, the petition has garnered almost 8,000 electronic signatures as can be seen below.

Petition Issued to Get Front Porch Step Off Of Warped Tour 2015

UPDATE 2: 

In the early morning hours, Jake Mcelfresh tweeted his followers that he was aware of what was happening and that he would be making a statement about the accusations.

I am aware of everything going on right now and will be addressing it soon. I'm so sorry this happened.

— FRONT PORCH STEP (@Frontporchstep) December 31, 2014

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UPDATE 1:

Kevin Lyman has issued a quick tweet about the allegations against Jake Mcelfresh. Don’t expect any answers because the Warped head honcho is currently on vacation with his family.

I am on vacation and when I get home #frontporchstep allegations will be completed vetted. I deserve a few days off to be with my family.

— KevinLyman (@KevinLyman) December 31, 2014

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While Pure Noise Records were riding a high yesterday with the release of their Winter Sampler and new album announcements from some of their acts in the new year, today brings some bad news for the record label.

A petition was started on Change.org asking Vans Warped Tour creator Kevin Lyman to drop the act from their 2015 line-up. Lyman and company posted on the official website that Mcelfresh would be one of the acts next year.

According to the description of the petition: “There have been multiple instances of Jake Mcelfresh talking to underage girls and sending them vulgar photos. He has been asked to stop by these girls every time and continues with the sexual statements and harassment.”

In a tweet to their followers, Pure Noise has issued a simple statement that they are not able to speak about the matter due to the “serious legal nature” of it.

Read a tweet from the record label below.

Yes, we're aware of the rumors. Due to the serious legal nature of them this will not be handled over night. Thank you for your patience.

— Pure Noise Records (@purenoiserecs) December 30, 2014

As of now, Mcelfresh has not responded to the accusations, but considering Pure Noise has already announced they cannot further discuss the matter, we don’t think he’ll be commenting on the accusations any time soon.

Being that it is not our place to take sides, only report the story as it happens, we will be leaving the link to Change.Org here and if you feel the need to add your name to the growing list of backers, you are more than welcomed to do so.

YouTube Faces $1 Billion Lawsuit from Musicians

YouTube are in a little bit of a legal bind which can cost them up to $1 billion.

Yesterday afternoon, it was reported that Pharrell, The Eagles, and other musicians had filed a lawsuit against the popular music streaming site which can result in a major pay out. Lawyers for the artists have demanded that YouTube take down over 20,000 videos from the streaming site which they reportedly have no rights to.

According to Irving Azoff, the founder of a new legal group named the Global Music Rights, YouTube does not have the performance right to thousands of songs from his clients which include the previous named musicians as well as Chris Cornell, John Lennon, and Smokey Robinson, and more.

Azoff also claims that even though YouTube negotiated with the respected record labels for the rights to the music, they did not reach out to negotiate with the artists themselves. Azoff also says that his clients want to pursue YouTube first because they are the least cooperative of the companies and that their clients feel they are the worst offenders.

Google, who will be launching their own subscription music service next year in a partnership with YouTube, claim that the site does in fact have the performance rights from previous deals that had been made.

Global Music Rights’ lawyer Howard King says that has yet to be seen.

“Without providing a shred of documentation, you blithely proffer that YouTube can ignore the Notices because it operates under blanket licenses from performing rights organizations other than Global,” reads the letter King sent to YouTube earlier this month.

“However, you refuse to provide the details of any such license agreements, presumably because no such agreements exist for YouTube’s present uses of the songs in any service, but certainly with respect to its recently added Music Key service.”

But this streaming site vs artist battle is nothing new and has been escalating more a more over the past few months. The major hit came when Taylor Swift decided to pull her entire catalog off of Spotify which resulted in the music streaming giant trying to coax her back with “cutesy” letters. That did not work as we all know.