Push Admin

How song covers can be problematic: Orange & Lemons frontman explains

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/news/02/01/zel1.jpg"/><figcaption>Zel Bautista found himself the target of ire from some local fans after he opened up about his thoughts on &quot;people who use someone else&#x27;s work for money.&quot; <em>Zel Bautista&#x27;s Instagram</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>When December Avenue&#x27;s Zel Bautista launched an attack on &quot;people who use someone else&#x27;s work for money,&quot; one would think that he was killing off the local music scene based on the reactions. </p><p>Aggrieved fans were quick to criticize him for supposedly looking down on those who do song covers, claiming that these artists are actually doing them a favor by promoting their music. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">If you want instant Fame, copy other people&#x27;s work and suck from it. You get the money but not the glory and respect. You dont have a voice, you dont even belong. ❌</p>— Zel Bautista (@zelbautista) <a href="https://twitter.com/zelbautista/status/1075000539107053569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2018</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is my perspective as an artist. I did not mention any names nor anything about covers. This is for people who uses someone else&#x27;s work for money and that they dont belong in this creative world. Read it again.</p>— Zel Bautista (@zelbautista) <a href="https://twitter.com/zelbautista/status/1076323153360478208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2018</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>This week, pitchforks were apparently aimed at Bautista as these same fans play connect-the-dots with his rant and the decision of Agsunta, a popular cover band, for <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/01/30/19/agsunta-signing-off-takes-down-youtube-videos">&quot;signing off&quot; and deleting their work online</a>. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/news/02/01/agsunta2.jpg"/><figcaption>Agsunta, a popular cover band, has decided to &quot;sign off&quot; and delete all their work on their YouTube channel. Agsunta&#x27;s Twitter</figcaption></figure></div><p>They argued that people should be free to do covers as these are good launchpads for aspiring artists and can be considered as free publicity for the original writers of the song, both of which overall helps paint a supposed healthy music industry. </p><p>If only things were as idealistic and simple. </p><p>Clem Castro, frontman for one of the country&#x27;s most iconic bands, Orange &amp; Lemons, tried to lay out how song covers could be problematic as he aired his thoughts on the issue on Twitter. </p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkCIxIgjZ47/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"> </div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"> </div><div style="display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkCIxIgjZ47/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div><div style="padding-top:8px"><div style="color:#3897f0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:550;line-height:18px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkCIxIgjZ47/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div></div><div style="padding:12.5% 0"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;margin-bottom:14px;align-items:center"><div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"> </div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"> </div></div><p style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkCIxIgjZ47/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by Clementine (@clemcastro)</a> on <time dateTime="2018-06-15T05:21:32+00:00" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px">Jun 14, 2018 at 10:21pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>He began by labeling both bands as &quot;victims of the ever-changing landscape of the music industry.&quot; </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The <a href="https://twitter.com/Agsunta?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Agsunta</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/decemberave?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@decemberave</a> issue sets a precedent for future intellectual property concerns. I don’t take sides on this matter and I have very little knowledge of the full story. But I believe they are both victims of the ever changing landscape of the music industry.</p>— Clementine (@clemcastro) <a href="https://twitter.com/clemcastro/status/1090911659529363456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2019</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I started out as a Beatles cover band in high school and progressed to a New Wave cover band before injecting original songs little by little during sets. It’s essential for any band to develop their sound and style through their influences. It is a normal part of the process.</p>— Clementine (@clemcastro) <a href="https://twitter.com/clemcastro/status/1090912656020492288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2019</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">But back then there was no YouTube or online streaming sites. Everything was done live and marketing is through word of mouth. You can’t just record a cover song and have it played on the radio or TV cause you’ll need a license for that.</p>— Clementine (@clemcastro) <a href="https://twitter.com/clemcastro/status/1090913941482483712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2019</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>He then explained that Agsunta&#x27;s &quot;novel goal of promoting OPM&quot; crossed a line when the band decided to sign with a major music label back in 2017 and &quot;use their brand for commercial purposes.&quot; </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">When Agsunta started, they have a novel goal of promoting OPM. They even covered one of my songs from O&amp;L. They sure did a great job. The problem is, the initial goal of being an OPM cover band crossed a fine line when they decided to use their brand for commercial purposes.</p>— Clementine (@clemcastro) <a href="https://twitter.com/clemcastro/status/1090916082636845058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2019</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The advent of YouTube is phenomenal for showcasing talents and was used to augment music promotion alongside live performances. But nowadays, it surpassed live performances in terms of geographical reach and fan building, which is a good thing.</p>— Clementine (@clemcastro) <a href="https://twitter.com/clemcastro/status/1090918222298148864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2019</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">When YouTube decided to monetise “original” content, herein lies the problem. If you are a commercial brand (artists included) using another brand to monetise content, that is indeed questionable. Agsunta became a “major brand” the moment they signed with ABS-CBN.</p>— Clementine (@clemcastro) <a href="https://twitter.com/clemcastro/status/1090920513977823234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2019</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">As a major brand, you now have a moral responsibility to adhere to industry practices. You are no longer just cover band but a professional artist. Especially if there is a huge following. Agsunta is caught in between this transition.</p>— Clementine (@clemcastro) <a href="https://twitter.com/clemcastro/status/1090922339762503680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2019</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>&quot;As a major brand, you now have a moral responsibility to adhere to industry practices. You are no longer just cover band but a professional artist,&quot; he said. </p><p>Castro added that song covers may &quot;seem harmless&quot; but will &quot;unknowingly incite unhealthy competition&quot; when it is released too close to the original, as what apparently happened between Bautista&#x27;s December Avenue and Agsunta. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">In the case of a newly released song by Brand X being covered by Brand Y, it may seem harmless and perhaps considered added leverage for the song to others, it will unknowingly incite unhealthy competition since Brand X is still in the middle of promoting the song.</p>— Clementine (@clemcastro) <a href="https://twitter.com/clemcastro/status/1090925733403275266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2019</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Worse if it is monetised. I do believe the best way to resolve this is not social media. Artist to artist, publisher to label. A legal notice perhaps. If it is indeed monetised, a simple take down or settle with a licensing agreement w/o involving fans who are clueless of such.</p>— Clementine (@clemcastro) <a href="https://twitter.com/clemcastro/status/1090927851765882883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2019</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">An issue like this is a double edged sword that will have negative repercussions on both parties and music fans. I cite this from experience, believe you me.</p>— Clementine (@clemcastro) <a href="https://twitter.com/clemcastro/status/1090929281000067072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2019</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>&quot;I do believe the best way to resolve this is not social media. Artist to artist, publisher to label. A legal notice perhaps. If it is indeed monetised, a simple take down or settle with a licensing agreement w/o involving fans who are clueless of such.&quot; </p><p>&quot;An issue like this is a double edged sword that will have negative repercussions on both parties and music fans. I cite this from experience, believe you me,&quot; he concluded. </p><p>Bautista has already clarified that his tweet was not pertaining to any particular artist or covers in general, while Agsunta also issued a statement that the reason for them &quot;signing off&quot; was just to take a short break. </p>

<p>Cover bands argue their use of other groups' work acts as a promotion; the original artists don't agree, saying much more is at stake.</p>

Cover bands argue their use of other groups' work acts as a promotion; the original artists don't agree, saying much more is at stake.