Wavves’ Nathan Williams Is Fighting Warner Bros. Over His New Song ‘Way Too Much’

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 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)