The Grammys have turned into he said, she said. The internal PR nightmare has stolen the spotlight from the artists. Interim Grammy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. released a statement calling out former President Deborah Dugan. “I’m deeply disturbed and saddened by the ‘leaks’ and misinformation, which are fueling a press campaign designed to create leverage against the Academy for personal gain,” Mason said. The full statement is here. Why was Dugan fired 10 days before the Grammys? Some claim she created a toxic environment while others said she was attempting to drain the swamp.
I was asked, hence I committed to cover more artists with three or less single releases. It’s easier to follow the trajectory of a new artist. Here is Hannah Evans. She’s a 21 year old Brighton electro pop artist. Think Billie Eilish, Bea Miller and Banks. She just dropped the mid-tempo track Crying On Your Own. BBC Music Introducing will play the track as their ‘tip of the week’. Check out the track on the Indie Invaders Playlist.
K bye for now – not so quick. Ariana Grande is now a target of a lawsuit over her hit song 7 Rings. She joins the list of pop stars including Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran who’ve spent time in court fighting off other songwriters who claimed their works have been stolen.
Josh Stone claims he took the song to music industry executives, including producer Tommy Brown, who has worked with Grande. He claims took key elements of his song for Grande’s “7 Rings.” Grande’s song includes the repeating line: “I Want It, I Got It. I Want It, I Got It.” While Stone’s song has: “You Need It, I Got It. You Want It, I Got It.” “7 Rings” has made over $10 million in revenue.
Speaking about odd timing. The Grammys will air in 10 days and their is a major shakedown on the inside. The Grammy CEO Deborah Dugan was fired after being assused of sexual misconduct. Dugan’s lawyer came to her defense and tweeted “this is what happens when you step up,” “old boys network” and “fix grammys now.”
Dugans is claiming she was ousted not because of sexual misconduct and promises that the truth will be exposed. Here are some questions insiders are asking. Why was Dugan let go 10 days before the show? That’s pretty suspicious. Insiders claim that Academy veterans didn’t want her to establish herself with a successful first show. Other insiders claim the Academy is filled with ‘old dogs’ who are resistant to change. “It was too much change for them, to soon”
Another source added, “She may have been asking questions like ‘Why is the board so large?’ and ‘Why are we spending so much money’” on certain executives and expenses. “There are people who had been there for years who knew they were going to be let go, and who knew they would not get a job that paid as well anywhere else.”
According to The New York Times, Dugan had sent a memo to the Academy’s human resources department, saying that she was concerned about the organization’s practices and spending, stating that “something was seriously amiss at the Academy” and citing voting irregularities, financial mismanagement, “exorbitant and unnecessary” legal bills, and conflicts of interest involving members of the academy’s board, executive committee and outside lawyers.
Check out “Gold Tongue” by Posh Chocolates, a three-piece Manchester act. It’s a cool track that was played on BBC introducing as their recommendation of the week. The track has garnered over 12k Spotify streams and has been playlisted on Sonic Sounds and Fresh Hits. We’ve added them to yours truly Indie Invaders. They’re a new band, with a bit of a fresh sound, hence, keep an eye out for them in 2020.