Giving any Wavves song even a cursory listen would make you feel like lead singer Nathan Williams is a pretty laid-back dude. But scan Wavves official Twitter over the last day and you’ll see a man on the warpath.
Wavves has spent the last few days fuming over Warner Brothers Records’ attempts to block or alter the release of his latest single “Way Too Much.”
It all began July 14 when Warner Bros. tried declined the single’s artwork.
https://twitter.com/wavves/status/621100489417949184
https://twitter.com/wavves/status/621100839264894976
https://twitter.com/wavves/status/621135631951880192
Williams expressed his rage in the only way he knows how, wrestling clips.
https://twitter.com/wavves/status/621136346791350272
https://twitter.com/wavves/status/621153712027754496
Williams then released “Way Too Much” without label permission. When they threatened to pull the song, he countered that he’d leak the entire album.
https://twitter.com/wavves/status/621812692118958081
https://twitter.com/wavves/status/621812790265708544
https://twitter.com/wavves/status/621812790265708544
https://twitter.com/wavves/status/621813835523997696
https://twitter.com/wavves/status/621814273069551617
https://twitter.com/wavves/status/621815083128127489
He then encouraged fans to pirate the song and spread it before Warner could take it down.
https://twitter.com/wavves/status/621815368000999424
Warner eventually caved.
https://twitter.com/wavves/status/621818219267948545
https://twitter.com/wavves/status/621818290206212096
https://twitter.com/wavves/status/621818324804960256
But when the track was pulled from YouTube, Williams posted the song to Soundcloud and tagged Warner several times in a tweet with a link. Warner pulled the original Soundcloud link and Williams reposted it. As a final “eff you,” he leaked the album artwork and title. It’s going to be called V and its cover art is a take on the Five of Cups from a tarot card deck.
https://twitter.com/wavves/status/621903937008865280
By the way, the song is really, really good.
(Via Stereogum)
