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ICYMI: PAPER LIONS – Trophies EP (Online Re-issue)
Back in August of 2009, PEI pop-rock quartet PAPER LIONS had put together their self-funded EP Trophies with studio and producer payments before being approached by a record label that wanted to release the album on behalf of the band.
Fast-forward to today – nearly two and a half years later (17 months after its label release in September 2010) – and the band has revealed in a lengthy online letter (see transcript below) that they have yet to receive any of the proceeds of the album’s sale from the label. As such, the band has decided to release it online FOR FREE DOWNLOAD – and all you have to do is hand over your email so they can inundate your inbox with PAPER LIONS love.
Download your own copy of Trophies from the embed below and hit these guys up with a ‘like’ over on Facebook if you get the chance – I had the chance to catch them myself recently back in December and they put on one hell of a live show.
[UPDATE: While not originally singled out by name, the album was released through MB3 Records (the record label division of the management/publicity company the MuseBox) and distributed through EMI. The MuseBox has since contacted PAPER LIONS and assured the band that the confusion was caused due to a staff changeover and the closure of the label's Canadian offices - the band is to receive all the money they're owed.]
The Letter:
Some of you may have noticed that we’ve started doing something that, for us, is a little different. Today, we’d like to tell you why.
In August of 2009, we raised the money to rent a studio, hire a producer, and record Trophies. A few months later, we were approached by a record label that wanted to release Trophies on our behalf. After a period of negotiation, we signed a deal with that company. They released the record in September of 2010, and everything was dandy.
Fast forward to the present: 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.
Follow the link, click on “Free Download”, enter your email, and Trophies (with Traveling as a bonus track) is yours for the taking.
Thanks everybody.
PS. We will only use your email addresses to occasionally update you with news about the band. We will never give your email addresses to anyone else.
PPS. If you ever bought Trophies directly from a band member (at a show, from the back of the van, etc.) we did get that money. It was used for gas.
