RAYE calls out “evil” music industry practises, claims “songwriters are being manipulated”

nme.com:

RAYE has spoken out against “evil” practises within the music industry, claiming that “songwriters are being manipulated”.The musician made the comments backstage at Coachella, where she spoke with Rolling Stone. “We’re all here at Coachella essentially to watch songs we love, hear the lyrics and the melodies that we love,” she began. “And there are some incredibly, stupidly, ridiculously talented people who can’t pay their rent who are writing the songs.

And it’s incorrect, and it’s wrong. It is just evil if I’m going to be transparent.”She went on to demand that “artists with big platforms and big songwriters” should “help take a stand,” adding: “Songwriters are being manipulated.”One common industry practise, she alleged, was record labels forcing songwriters to approve a 10 per cent split and no master royalty points.

They did this by threatening to withhold their songs: “If you don’t sign this agreement right now — the songs not going to come out.

We’re not going to use it. All your hard work will go to waste.”RAYE claimed that the lack of fair payment resulted in working-class songwriters being at a disadvantage in the industry: “Are we saying now that if you’re rich and you come from wealth and from money that you can be a songwriter because you can keep yourself afloat?