L7 Address ‘Pledge Music Scam,’ Honoring Pre-Orders + Release New Video
One of the bigger fiascos of 2019 has been the dissolution of Pledge Music, with many acts left holding the bag for promised music to fans and a financial burden they may not be able to recover. One such act affected by the fallout is the reunited '90s rock outfit L7, but they've issued a statement on how they intend to proceed.
The group was lucky enough to have support from Joan Jett and Blackheart Records, who are helping the band to manufacture and ship what they had promised to fans. After reuniting a few years back, the group was utilizing Pledge Music to help release their first new full length album in 20 years, a record titled Scatter the Rats.
The band has now issued their lone statement on the matter, offering, "We do not wish to further comment on this situation as we do not want to be the face of being screwed over. L7 are bigger and mightier than this mess. The only time we will speak of this again will be in a courtroom."
The group has just released a new video for "Holding Pattern" and come up with a Golden Ticket promotion to win Donita Sparks Flying V guitar she played on the band's recent touring. More on that in the full statement released below:
Thank you to all who were able to come out and see us during our Scatter the Rats U.S. Tour this summer. We will have more dates coming up and news for our International fans for 2020, so stay tuned!
For those of you who generously backed the recording of our new album “Scatter the Rats” through Pledge Music crowdfunding, you know the frustrating Holding Pattern and run around we have all been in with them.
To give a brief summary for those not familiar with the Pledge Music scam, in a nutshell, the funds that many bands and their supporters raised through the crowdfunding platform were absconded by the company with zero accountability and unreturned legal appeals. Their site is no longer live and they are filing for bankruptcy protection in the U.K.
It’s been a disappointing, time consuming, and expensive mess for all artists and fans involved with this Pledge Music FIASCO.
As bad as it is, the band nonetheless has made the financial decision to honor our fans who pre-ordered the album through Pledge Music, and which they have yet to receive. Thanks to Joan Jett and Blackheart Records, L7 was able to manufacture and ship what would have been utterly impossible without their support. Pledge Music has held over twenty thousand dollars in shipping costs alone that we have no access to and will likely never see. However, L7 has made the financial commitment to honor these mailings. From the Borough of Brooklyn to the shores of Peru, every Pledger who paid for the record please take note, the music is on its way!
We do not wish to further comment on this situation as we do not want to be the face of being screwed over. L7 are bigger and mightier than this mess. The only time we will speak of this again will be in a courtroom.
So with the graciousness and empathy of our fans, we are turning this unfortunate page in an otherwise amazing chapter in our career.
Although our song “Holding Pattern” is not about this lousy experience with Pledge Music, we believe that we can all relate to its inspiration of being caught in a disheartening loop of stagnation in one way or another.
To karmically break this holding pattern and to say a big universal Thank You to the Best Fans in the World we want to take this opportunity for some fun - “Willy Wonka” style. With the help from Blackheart Records and Gibson Guitars one backer will find a GOLDEN TICKET in their envelope to receive Donita’s iconic Gibson Flying V guitar, signed and played on stage during the Scatter the Rats Tour! Whoa!
So, without further ado, Please enjoy our NEW VIDEO “Holding Pattern” and remember to ALWAYS...
Scatter the Rats!
We love you, L7
As stated, L7 have released a new video for their song "Holding Pattern." Donita Sparks says of the track, "'Holding Pattern' is a song about being stuck, caught in a loop of stagnation either by fate or psychological paralysis, or both. I’ve been there a few times and it’s depressing and frustrating. Lyrically, this is a pep talk to my soul from the fairly incompetent life coach that lives in my brain to get things moving forward in a positive manner ... 'Do it, it’s just your life… The future is waiting, get here soon.'" Take a look below.
L7, "Holding Pattern"
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