‘I’ve Never Once Received a Royalty From the Record Company,’ Staind Guitarist Claims

Staind have eight studio albums under their belt, but during a recent guest appearance on the KiddChris Show (heard below), guitarist Mike Mushok revealed that he's never received a royalty check from his record label.

The veteran band has enjoyed what most would consider a successful career. Four of their studio albums have been certified platinum, with the Break the Cycle album surpassing the five times platinum mark in the U.S. So how is it that Mushok says that he's never received royalties from the band's previous work?

Staind Guitarist Shares Royalty Status

Within the conversation, the topic came up when the host revisited his 2021 conversation with Chevelle's Pete Loeffler about how that band had failed to receive any financial compensation for sales of over 6 million albums. Mushok shared a similar story about Staind's financial returns. Both bands have since left their longtime labels to sign with Alchemy Recordings.

In sharing his own story, Mushok stated, "Listen, I've sold I don't know how many millions of records, and I've never once received a royalty from the record company after — whatever — 20, whatever, 25 years. We still owe them money. We haven't been on the label since — I don't know — 2011 was the last record we put out on Atlantic, and we still owe them money."

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As for why they haven't seen financial returns, he elaborated, "Listen, I'm not gonna lie — they gave us large advances, and that's why [we still owe them]. But seriously, they have to be paid off."

According to Mushok, it's estimated that Staind will have paid off their debt to the label in three years and at that point, they should finally start making royalties off of their albums.

When asked if there's a scenario where the band can eventually retain their music, he responded, "Supposedly after 35 years, the masters are supposed to revert back to you. But I was talking to our attorney about that, and he said that no label ever lets you do that. They try to buy you out and give you money so they can continue to own the masters — unless you fight them."

Staind's Mike Mushok Guests on The KiddChris Show

Staind's Discography

Staind first arrived on the scene in 1996, self-releasing their debut album Tormented. The band then started garnering label attention, eventually signing to Elektra who released their 1999 Dysfunction album through imprint Flip Records.

The group scored their biggest success with 2001's Break the Cycle, which yielded the monster hit "It's Been Awhile." The album spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart and was certified five times platinum by the RIAA in 2003.

That began a streak of chart-topping albums that included 2003's 14 Shades of Grey and 2005's Chapter V. By Chapter V, a label reconfiguration meant they were now under the Atlantic umbrella but still part of the Flip Records imprint. Both 2008's The Illusion of Progress and 2011's self-titled set also peaked inside the Top 5 of the Billboard 200 before the band went on hiatus.

After over a decade away, the band reunited for 2023's Confessions of the Fallen that peaked at No. 64.

In total, the group has released eight studio albums, three live albums, one compilation album and issued 26 singles over a 29-year span.

Staind will kick off a co-headline tour with Breaking Benjamin and special guests Wage War and Lakeview beginning April 26 in Brandon, Miss. All dates, cities, venues and ticketing information can be found through the group's website.