'My favorite is when he sings, as opposed to rapping,' Jared Leto says of the MC's part on 'Hurricane.'
Earlier this month, Kanye West got people talking (and not about the whole "gay fish" thing) when he posted a photo of himself, Killers singer Brandon Flowers and 30 Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto on his blog and wrote that the trio were working on a "dope-ass song" for 30STM's new album.
Aside from saying that he worked the MPC sampler while Flowers played some keyboard, West revealed very little else about the song (he did, however, add that the "sh-- was dope"). Leto wrote a post on 30STM's site a few days later — in which he revealed that the song was called "Hurricane" — but there's been no other updates on the collaboration.
Until now. On Monday, when MTV News went to Leto's Los Angeles home, we asked him about working with Kanye on the track, and here's what he had to say:
"I had actually brought up [the idea of working with West] some time ago, but it's pretty unbelievable that it actually happened," Leto said. "He came by here, he was here in the studio, and we did some initial kind of listening, and he did some singing, and we knew we needed to kind of follow up and finish things, so I went over to Hawaii [with] an engineer and a small crew, and we had a great time."
Leto said that "Hurricane" features West's voice, au naturel, a decision he made even though the rapper/producer has trafficked almost exclusively in Auto-Tune as of late (like last year's 808s & Heartbreak). And surprisingly, the notoriously headstrong West listened.
"This is Kanye singing. I happen to think he has a really great voice. I like his voice a lot," Leto said. "My favorite is when he sings, as opposed to rapping, and I told him that as well, that I really liked him as a singer. But the Auto-Tune thing doesn't really bug me."
But there is one similarity between "Hurricane" and West's 808s: the icy sentiment. Seems both come from the same cold, dark place, be it the recesses of West's love-torn heart or, you know, Berlin, where Leto wrote the track.
"I wanted to work with him before 808s, but ... there was something about the direction that he headed in that album that lent itself to the song," Leto said. "I wrote 'Hurricane' in Berlin in the winter in 2007. It was winter, it was getting dark at like 3:30 in the afternoon, and it could go either way. It could be incredibly comforting or incredibly depressing. Thankfully, it was a little bit of both. It was inspiring nonetheless."
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Blink-182, Motion City Soundtrack Albums In The Works
Blink-182 frontman Mark Hoppus says the band has already written a number of new songs, but don't expect a follow-up to 2003's self-titled smash before the big reunion tour this summer.
"We started writing a few months ago and got well into the writing process, but now we've kind of put the recording of the next album on hold and are doing rehearsals for the upcoming tour," Hoppus told Billboard.com.
After a four-year hiatus, Hoppus, Travis Barker and Tom DeLonge appeared on stage at the 2009 Grammy Awards and announced their reformation as Blink-182.
Hoppus has also been busy in the studio with Motion City Soundtrack, producing the band's fourth album - and major-label debut - for Columbia Records. Hoppus last worked with the group on it's sophomore release, 2005's "Commit This to Memory."
"I think that 'Memory' is a really great record," Hoppus said. "For me, it encapsulates what Motion City Soundtrack is and can do. Now they want to make a record that's along those lines but pushes it even further."
As for the Minnesota-based electro-pop band's new material, Hoppus says fans will hear a heavier, more experimental side of the group. "There's an edge on this record that I'm really excited about getting into," he said. "But it still has all the catchiness of everything that I personally love about Motion City Soundtrack. As a fan, it's really exciting to get to work with them again and help them flesh out this new vision of themselves."
With a long-standing friendship and mutual respect, Hoppus does not rule out the possibility of taking Motion City Soundtrack out on tour with his newly reunited Blink-182. "We're still booking the Blink tour for this summer, so we'll see how that all ends up working out," he said. "I would love to tour with Motion City. They're a really cool band to tour with and they're great live, so I wouldn't be angry at that."
As for his full plate, the 37-year-old bassist/producer isn't complaining. "I felt like I had a couple of years to kind of relax, and I love those years, but there's a lot going on right now and it's a lot of fun."
"We started writing a few months ago and got well into the writing process, but now we've kind of put the recording of the next album on hold and are doing rehearsals for the upcoming tour," Hoppus told Billboard.com.
After a four-year hiatus, Hoppus, Travis Barker and Tom DeLonge appeared on stage at the 2009 Grammy Awards and announced their reformation as Blink-182.
Hoppus has also been busy in the studio with Motion City Soundtrack, producing the band's fourth album - and major-label debut - for Columbia Records. Hoppus last worked with the group on it's sophomore release, 2005's "Commit This to Memory."
"I think that 'Memory' is a really great record," Hoppus said. "For me, it encapsulates what Motion City Soundtrack is and can do. Now they want to make a record that's along those lines but pushes it even further."
As for the Minnesota-based electro-pop band's new material, Hoppus says fans will hear a heavier, more experimental side of the group. "There's an edge on this record that I'm really excited about getting into," he said. "But it still has all the catchiness of everything that I personally love about Motion City Soundtrack. As a fan, it's really exciting to get to work with them again and help them flesh out this new vision of themselves."
With a long-standing friendship and mutual respect, Hoppus does not rule out the possibility of taking Motion City Soundtrack out on tour with his newly reunited Blink-182. "We're still booking the Blink tour for this summer, so we'll see how that all ends up working out," he said. "I would love to tour with Motion City. They're a really cool band to tour with and they're great live, so I wouldn't be angry at that."
As for his full plate, the 37-year-old bassist/producer isn't complaining. "I felt like I had a couple of years to kind of relax, and I love those years, but there's a lot going on right now and it's a lot of fun."
Friday, May 1, 2009
Warped Founder Planning Country Music Tour
Vans Warped tour co-founder Kevin Lyman plans to launch a similar tour for the country genre, and has opened an office of his 4fini Productions in Nashville to put the tour together.
Lyman, who has also launched the Rockstar Taste of Chaos and Rockstar Mayhem tours, now has his sites set on a similar model for country- a multi-act, multi-stage, sponsor-driven tour with heavy label involvement and a conservative ticket price.
Lyman's team visited Nashville in January and started meeting with labels, managers and agents on an exploratory trip, and interest was high. "Everyone was saying the time is right," he says. 4fini execs Sarah Baer and Kate Truscott have relocated to Music City from Chicago, and former Clear Channel online music manager Allison Skiff has joined the Nashville team.
The first version of the yet-to-be-named tour will go out in summer 2010. "We want to customize what we've been able to do with Warped [in the punk genre], and last year with Mayhem in metal," Lyman tells Billboard.biz. "We invested a lot of time with the metal labels before we put that tour into motion, and we've put a lot of time into this [new] project."
The inaugural country tour will probably book about 13-14 acts and 10-12 singer/songwriters, Lyman says. He also envisions targeted ancillary events with other exhibition partners, and action sports exhibitions. "It's very wide open. We're not down to those details yet, but we're not discounting anything," Lyman says.
Promoter Live Nation works with Lyman on the Mayhem tour, and Lyman says a similar model would be likely for the country tour. "There is a commitment from them to support if we can put the right project together," he says. Baer and her team are actively seeking sponsors for the country tour and Lyman says they're already garnering interest.
Meanwhile, Warped had its strongest Internet pre-sale ever, up 48%, from 24,000 to over 35,000 this year, according to Lyman. "Now it's selling like the Warped tour, but we've got a pretty good head start," Lyman says, attributing the increase to a more coordinated digital marketing effort. "Mayhem pre-sales are also up quite a bit, which might be attributed to more brand awareness."
Lyman, who has also launched the Rockstar Taste of Chaos and Rockstar Mayhem tours, now has his sites set on a similar model for country- a multi-act, multi-stage, sponsor-driven tour with heavy label involvement and a conservative ticket price.
Lyman's team visited Nashville in January and started meeting with labels, managers and agents on an exploratory trip, and interest was high. "Everyone was saying the time is right," he says. 4fini execs Sarah Baer and Kate Truscott have relocated to Music City from Chicago, and former Clear Channel online music manager Allison Skiff has joined the Nashville team.
The first version of the yet-to-be-named tour will go out in summer 2010. "We want to customize what we've been able to do with Warped [in the punk genre], and last year with Mayhem in metal," Lyman tells Billboard.biz. "We invested a lot of time with the metal labels before we put that tour into motion, and we've put a lot of time into this [new] project."
The inaugural country tour will probably book about 13-14 acts and 10-12 singer/songwriters, Lyman says. He also envisions targeted ancillary events with other exhibition partners, and action sports exhibitions. "It's very wide open. We're not down to those details yet, but we're not discounting anything," Lyman says.
Promoter Live Nation works with Lyman on the Mayhem tour, and Lyman says a similar model would be likely for the country tour. "There is a commitment from them to support if we can put the right project together," he says. Baer and her team are actively seeking sponsors for the country tour and Lyman says they're already garnering interest.
Meanwhile, Warped had its strongest Internet pre-sale ever, up 48%, from 24,000 to over 35,000 this year, according to Lyman. "Now it's selling like the Warped tour, but we've got a pretty good head start," Lyman says, attributing the increase to a more coordinated digital marketing effort. "Mayhem pre-sales are also up quite a bit, which might be attributed to more brand awareness."
Foster to Direct Carrey in The Beaver?
We've been following movement on "The Beaver" with more than a little interest: Kyle Killen's buzz script, after all, topped the Black List and has been pretty much lauded as some of the best (yet-to-be-produced) writing out there.
Now there's some new info on those who may be associated with the project, with Jim Carrey emerging as a leading candidate to play the starring role. (Previously, Steve Carell had been loosely attached to play the lead when Jay Roach was talking about directing the pic.)
Those familiar with the situation say Carrey really likes the script and producers really like him for the role, though any casting would be dependent on a director coming aboard first.
An offbeat dramedy that Anonymous Content is producing, "Beaver" centers on the relationship between a man and a beaver puppet he wears on his arm, which he talks to and treats as a companion.
Killen's script has generated enormous interest in development circles, drawing comparisons to "Being John Malkovich" and 'Lars and the Real Girl."
Producers, who'd like to shoot the pic this year, are currently out to directors, with several contenders in the mix, including one novel choice: Jodie Foster, who has had conversations about helming.
The brave one has directed several pics previously, including the 1991 mother-son drama "Little Man Tate" and the 1995 family tale "Home for the Holidays," though this would certainly mark a bit of a switch.
Meanwhile, the CAA-repped Carrey has recently engaged in a pattern of alternating between his trademark big-budget comedies and more quirky fare. He's next up in Disney's version of "A Christmas Carol" and has signed on to play Curly in the Farrelly brothers reboot of "The Three Stooges."
But he also recently starred in the Sundance trail-of-deception drama "I Love You Philip Morris” and has flourished in offbeat dramatic roles. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" redux, anyone...
Now there's some new info on those who may be associated with the project, with Jim Carrey emerging as a leading candidate to play the starring role. (Previously, Steve Carell had been loosely attached to play the lead when Jay Roach was talking about directing the pic.)
Those familiar with the situation say Carrey really likes the script and producers really like him for the role, though any casting would be dependent on a director coming aboard first.
An offbeat dramedy that Anonymous Content is producing, "Beaver" centers on the relationship between a man and a beaver puppet he wears on his arm, which he talks to and treats as a companion.
Killen's script has generated enormous interest in development circles, drawing comparisons to "Being John Malkovich" and 'Lars and the Real Girl."
Producers, who'd like to shoot the pic this year, are currently out to directors, with several contenders in the mix, including one novel choice: Jodie Foster, who has had conversations about helming.
The brave one has directed several pics previously, including the 1991 mother-son drama "Little Man Tate" and the 1995 family tale "Home for the Holidays," though this would certainly mark a bit of a switch.
Meanwhile, the CAA-repped Carrey has recently engaged in a pattern of alternating between his trademark big-budget comedies and more quirky fare. He's next up in Disney's version of "A Christmas Carol" and has signed on to play Curly in the Farrelly brothers reboot of "The Three Stooges."
But he also recently starred in the Sundance trail-of-deception drama "I Love You Philip Morris” and has flourished in offbeat dramatic roles. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" redux, anyone...
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Celebrity Apprentice Renewed for Another Season
NBC isn't saying "you're fired" to Donald Trump just yet.
The Peacock has renewed The Donald's Celebrity Apprentice for another season to air in spring 2010. This will mark the show's ninth cycle, the first six of which were not celebrity-based.
This season — which features Joan and Melissa Rivers, country musician Clint Black and poker player Annie Duke — NBC expanded the show's running time to two hours per episode. The show has averaged 8.6 million viewers on a highly competitive Sunday night.
"It's a valuable franchise and proven competitor," said Paul Telegdy, NBC's executive vice president for alternative programming. Trump called the show a "wonderful experience" and said he is "greatly honored that NBC has renewed us for another season."
The Peacock has renewed The Donald's Celebrity Apprentice for another season to air in spring 2010. This will mark the show's ninth cycle, the first six of which were not celebrity-based.
This season — which features Joan and Melissa Rivers, country musician Clint Black and poker player Annie Duke — NBC expanded the show's running time to two hours per episode. The show has averaged 8.6 million viewers on a highly competitive Sunday night.
"It's a valuable franchise and proven competitor," said Paul Telegdy, NBC's executive vice president for alternative programming. Trump called the show a "wonderful experience" and said he is "greatly honored that NBC has renewed us for another season."
Bruce Willis Eyeing Three More Action Pics
The Hollywood Reporter's Risky Biz Blog says that 54-year-old Bruce Willis is eyeing three more action films, including a thriller for NuImage/Millenium titled Inventory, the CIA tale Red for Summit and the mob biopic Scarpa for Morgan Creek.
In Inventory, Willis, who is in negotiations for the role, would play a detective on the trail of a murderer.
In Red, Willis would portray a former black-ops agent who has gone into retirement but is forced back into action when a high-tech assassin comes a-callin' to threaten him and his girlfriend. Erich and Jon Hoeber are writing the screenplay, which is based on the WildStorm/DC Comic.
Willis has also been weighing an offer from Morgan Creek to play the title character in Scarpa, a mob biopic directed by Tears of the Sun helmer Antoine Fuqua about Greg Scarpa, an FBI informant who worked deeply undercover in New York's Columbo family, though the odds are growing that Willis won't do that pic.
Willis is attached to or is starring in a host of other action movies — the buddy action-comedy tentatively titled A Couple of Dicks at Warners, likely to be his next movie, and Lionsgate's adaptation of the video game title Kane & Lynch.
In Inventory, Willis, who is in negotiations for the role, would play a detective on the trail of a murderer.
In Red, Willis would portray a former black-ops agent who has gone into retirement but is forced back into action when a high-tech assassin comes a-callin' to threaten him and his girlfriend. Erich and Jon Hoeber are writing the screenplay, which is based on the WildStorm/DC Comic.
Willis has also been weighing an offer from Morgan Creek to play the title character in Scarpa, a mob biopic directed by Tears of the Sun helmer Antoine Fuqua about Greg Scarpa, an FBI informant who worked deeply undercover in New York's Columbo family, though the odds are growing that Willis won't do that pic.
Willis is attached to or is starring in a host of other action movies — the buddy action-comedy tentatively titled A Couple of Dicks at Warners, likely to be his next movie, and Lionsgate's adaptation of the video game title Kane & Lynch.
Keanu Reeves in Talks for Cartagena
Production Weekly reports that Keanu Reeves is in talks to star in Cartagena. Clive Owen was previously attached to the drama.
The film centers on an undercover agent who gets caught in a complex plot and must elude drug dealers and international agents if he hopes to survive. The project is named for a city on Colombia's northern coast that has a colorful history featuring wars, robust economic activity and tourist development.
Michael Ross wrote the script.
The film centers on an undercover agent who gets caught in a complex plot and must elude drug dealers and international agents if he hopes to survive. The project is named for a city on Colombia's northern coast that has a colorful history featuring wars, robust economic activity and tourist development.
Michael Ross wrote the script.
Todd McFarlane In Talks To Make A New Spawn Movie
It’s been a week of reboot news, and tonight is no different. Comic book artist/writer turned entrepreneur Todd McFarlane tells IESB that he’s got “five offers on the table” for a new Spawn movie, ranging from big studio to smaller scale. Todd says that he’s leaning towards the latter, which would “keep it down, keep it dark, keep it grungy”, comparing his idea to “The Departed with something moving in the shadows.”
“It’s not a comic book movie, it’s just a scary movie, a creepy movie. Everything’s real except for one element, which happens to be the character we know as Spawn. So it’s not going to be super villain vs superhero or any of that stuff, it’s just going to be a ‘tight’ movie.”
Back in the early 1990’s, I was a huge fan of Spawn. McFarlane, a popular Spider-Man artist defected from Marvel and formed Image Comics with six other popular comic book artists. McFarlane’s art was always the big selling point for me. The first issue went on to sell over 1.7 million copies, a record for an independent comic book. McFarlane has since expanded to other areas, and is probably best known outside of the comic book world for line of action detailed figures.
Anyway, a film based on the comic was released in 1997. Despite the special effects, which were impressive at the time, the movie was not well received by fans or critics. I know that we’re now in a post-Dark Knight world where dark is back in style, but I felt one of the reasons the original film didn’t work was that it was too gritty, and lacked much of the style and gloss of the comics. Don’t get me wrong, Spawn will never be Spider-Man, but I think its better to aim for stylistic more than gritty. More Sin City than The Dark Knight, Spider-Man or X-Men. What do you think?
“It’s not a comic book movie, it’s just a scary movie, a creepy movie. Everything’s real except for one element, which happens to be the character we know as Spawn. So it’s not going to be super villain vs superhero or any of that stuff, it’s just going to be a ‘tight’ movie.”
Back in the early 1990’s, I was a huge fan of Spawn. McFarlane, a popular Spider-Man artist defected from Marvel and formed Image Comics with six other popular comic book artists. McFarlane’s art was always the big selling point for me. The first issue went on to sell over 1.7 million copies, a record for an independent comic book. McFarlane has since expanded to other areas, and is probably best known outside of the comic book world for line of action detailed figures.
Anyway, a film based on the comic was released in 1997. Despite the special effects, which were impressive at the time, the movie was not well received by fans or critics. I know that we’re now in a post-Dark Knight world where dark is back in style, but I felt one of the reasons the original film didn’t work was that it was too gritty, and lacked much of the style and gloss of the comics. Don’t get me wrong, Spawn will never be Spider-Man, but I think its better to aim for stylistic more than gritty. More Sin City than The Dark Knight, Spider-Man or X-Men. What do you think?
Disney to Join NBC Universal, News Corporation and Providence Equity Partners as an Equity Owner of Hulu
Hulu and The Walt Disney Company today announced that Disney, through a subsidiary of ABC Enterprises Inc., has agreed to join NBC Universal, News Corporation and Providence Equity Partners as a joint venture partner and equity owner of Hulu, a leading online aggregator of video content. Upon closing, the agreement will enhance Hulu’s programming line-up through the expanded online distribution of Disney’s most popular current and library primetime series and library feature films. In particular, full-length episodes of hit current and library programs like Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Private Practice, Ugly Betty, Scrubs, Greek, Hope and Faith, Less Than Perfect, Wizards of Waverly Place, Phineas and Ferb, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, General Hospital, The View and The Secret Life of the American Teenager will soon be streamed on Hulu on an ad-supported basis.
“From our landmark iTunes deal to our pioneering decision to stream ad supported shows on our ABC.com player, Disney has sought to meet the constantly evolving viewing habits of our consumers, and today’s Hulu announcement is the next important step in that ongoing journey,” said Robert A. Iger, president and CEO, The Walt Disney Company. “Disney and Hulu share a focus on delivering the highest-quality entertainment experience and we look forward to working with Hulu to build value for our consumers, our brands and our shareholders.”
“We're honored to welcome the Disney team in our mission to help people find and enjoy the world’s premium content, when, where and how they want it,” said Jason Kilar, CEO of Hulu. “With the addition of shows like Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy and many more to Hulu, we continue to aspire to deliver a service that users, advertisers and content owners unabashedly love.”
Following the closing, content available to Hulu users will include:
“Hulu has shown that if you make quality content available on the web and combine it with an unbeatable user experience, viewers will come, and so will advertisers," said Jeff Zucker, president and CEO, NBC Universal. "The addition of some of the best content Disney/ABC has to offer will only enhance Hulu’s standing as a top site for high quality video entertainment.”
Jonathan M. Nelson, CEO of Providence, said “Hulu is creating significant value for users, advertisers and content owners. This balance, together with aggregated professional content and an expanding base of over 200 brand advertisers, is establishing Hulu as a compelling online video monetization platform. Hulu is a bright spot in the new media landscape.”
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory review. As an equity partner, Disney will have three seats on the Hulu Board that will be held by Mr. Iger; Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney/ABC Television Group; and Kevin Mayer, executive vice president, Corporate Strategy, Business Development & Technology. All other current directors from News Corp, NBC Universal and Providence will remain on the Hulu board.
“From our landmark iTunes deal to our pioneering decision to stream ad supported shows on our ABC.com player, Disney has sought to meet the constantly evolving viewing habits of our consumers, and today’s Hulu announcement is the next important step in that ongoing journey,” said Robert A. Iger, president and CEO, The Walt Disney Company. “Disney and Hulu share a focus on delivering the highest-quality entertainment experience and we look forward to working with Hulu to build value for our consumers, our brands and our shareholders.”
“We're honored to welcome the Disney team in our mission to help people find and enjoy the world’s premium content, when, where and how they want it,” said Jason Kilar, CEO of Hulu. “With the addition of shows like Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy and many more to Hulu, we continue to aspire to deliver a service that users, advertisers and content owners unabashedly love.”
Following the closing, content available to Hulu users will include:
- Full-length episodes of ABC primetime programs like Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Samantha Who?, Scrubs, Private Practice and popular late night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live
- Full-length episodes of hit ABC Family series like The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Greek
- Popular series from ABC Daytime and SOAPnet like General Hospital and The View
- Classic series from ABC’s library like Hope and Faith, Less Than Perfect, Commander in Chief, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Dancing with the Stars
- Select hit programs from Disney Channel like Wizards of Waverly Place and Phineas and Ferb which can be easily accessed from a new DISNEY location in the Channel section of Hulu.com
- Popular library titles from The Walt Disney Studios
- Short-form content including webisodes, sneak peeks and episode recaps from ABC Entertainment, ABC Family and SOAPnet
“Hulu has shown that if you make quality content available on the web and combine it with an unbeatable user experience, viewers will come, and so will advertisers," said Jeff Zucker, president and CEO, NBC Universal. "The addition of some of the best content Disney/ABC has to offer will only enhance Hulu’s standing as a top site for high quality video entertainment.”
Jonathan M. Nelson, CEO of Providence, said “Hulu is creating significant value for users, advertisers and content owners. This balance, together with aggregated professional content and an expanding base of over 200 brand advertisers, is establishing Hulu as a compelling online video monetization platform. Hulu is a bright spot in the new media landscape.”
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory review. As an equity partner, Disney will have three seats on the Hulu Board that will be held by Mr. Iger; Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney/ABC Television Group; and Kevin Mayer, executive vice president, Corporate Strategy, Business Development & Technology. All other current directors from News Corp, NBC Universal and Providence will remain on the Hulu board.
30 Seconds To Mars Back On Virgin
After suing each other for alleged breach of contract, 30 Seconds to Mars and Virgin/EMI have set aside their differences and signed a new multi-album recording deal.
The major had sued the Los Angeles band last year for $30 million over 30 Seconds to Mars' unilateral termination of its contract, in which the band cited a California law that governs the ability of entertainers to end their contracts after seven years. The band countersued the label last fall, alleging "creative accounting" that it said had resulted in unpaid royalties.
Neither EMI nor the band’s management would comment on how the lawsuits were resolved. In a posting on his band’s web site, frontman Jared Leto attributed the new contract to “the willingness and enthusiasm by EMI to address our major concerns and issues, the opportunity to return to work with a team so committed and passionate about Thirty Seconds to Mars, and the company's dedication to changing the status quo of the business of recorded music.”
Leto went on to write that the band had debated how far to take its legal battle, and whether to put out its next album independently or continue to rely on an experienced label.
“In the future, whether there are record companies or not, whether you put your music out only through the internet or sell it from an ice cream truck, you still need the help of individuals. And at the end of it all the biggest reason for us to reunite with EMI is exactly that. The people. It isn't for business or finance or contracts or the end of lawsuits. It is for the chance to rejoin the people who remain, who have been a part of our phenomenal journey throughout, and for the limitless possibilities of those wonderful new individuals who will be helping us along this new path.”
30 Seconds to Mars’ yet-untitled album, produced by Flood, is due this fall.
The major had sued the Los Angeles band last year for $30 million over 30 Seconds to Mars' unilateral termination of its contract, in which the band cited a California law that governs the ability of entertainers to end their contracts after seven years. The band countersued the label last fall, alleging "creative accounting" that it said had resulted in unpaid royalties.
Neither EMI nor the band’s management would comment on how the lawsuits were resolved. In a posting on his band’s web site, frontman Jared Leto attributed the new contract to “the willingness and enthusiasm by EMI to address our major concerns and issues, the opportunity to return to work with a team so committed and passionate about Thirty Seconds to Mars, and the company's dedication to changing the status quo of the business of recorded music.”
Leto went on to write that the band had debated how far to take its legal battle, and whether to put out its next album independently or continue to rely on an experienced label.
“In the future, whether there are record companies or not, whether you put your music out only through the internet or sell it from an ice cream truck, you still need the help of individuals. And at the end of it all the biggest reason for us to reunite with EMI is exactly that. The people. It isn't for business or finance or contracts or the end of lawsuits. It is for the chance to rejoin the people who remain, who have been a part of our phenomenal journey throughout, and for the limitless possibilities of those wonderful new individuals who will be helping us along this new path.”
30 Seconds to Mars’ yet-untitled album, produced by Flood, is due this fall.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
