Interview by
Meagan Day
At a time when most musicians feel trapped by the streaming economy’s brutally extractive logic, Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn of the band Sylvan Esso decided to do something at once radical and surprisingly simple: they’ve taken their music off Spotify.
The indie electronic duo, whose iridescent synth-pop has garnered a loyal listener base and critical acclaim over the past decade, removed their catalog from Spotify last week, joining a small handful of other artists who’ve done the same. Their new single “WDID,” a torrential protest anthem against algorithmic overstimulation and the glittering paralysis of life in mid-scroll, is released today on their own label Psychic Hotline.
Meath and Sanborn have long been disturbed by Spotify’s exploitative practices vis-à-vis musicians, but their tipping point came after news broke of CEO Daniel Ek’s investment in an AI weapons company. Having just been released from a multi-album record deal, Sylvan Esso found themselves in a unique position of creative control. Pulling out of Spotify was an easy decision, they say, even though they’re leaving behind over a million streams on the platform per month.
“For me at this point in my life, and at this point living in America, I’m more ready to make principled decisions that destroy giant parts of my income and livelihood,” Sanborn admits with surprising candor in the following exclusive interview. Still, says Meath, “It’s amazing how good this feels,” calling it “a hopeful and aggressive first step in trying to overcome the terrifying nihilism that we’re contending with every…
Auteur: Amelia Meath
