West London newcomers White Lies have revealed that they are optimistic about the future of the record industry.
With the explosion in free downloading, many have predicted doom for the music industry. Previous economic models have been flung out of the window as record labels try to adapt to the shifting sands of modern culture.
The recent case with Pirate Bay brought the entire point to a head. The Swedish website taken to court with its creative team handed jail sentences for listing torrents, websites where music fans can download albums for free.
With illegal download figures on the rise, and even giants such as EMI struggling, some have predicted the death knell for the music industry.
However newcomers White Lies are surprisingly upbeat about the situation. The group released their debut album ‘To Lose Your Life’ earlier this year, stunning critics with their widescreen vision of goth-rock grandeur.
Soaked in 80s influences, the album nonetheless had a 21st Century feel in its attempts to capture the ennui of everyday life.
One of the year’s biggest debuts thus, its makers believe the music industry will survive the current convulsions. Lead singer Harry McVeigh told BBC 6Music that “people will always make music; people will always listen to music, so there’s demand out there. You’ve just got to figure out how to make enough money from it to do it full time.”
“Maybe the music industry wasn’t quick enough on the uptake in terms of downloads – if they’d jumped on a bit more, then maybe they’d be a bit more successful.”
The band also revealed that they have managed to take their current success in their stride, with drummer Jack Lawrence-Brown telling the station that the current slowdown in the industry hasn’t affected them.
“We’ve had the most successful year of our careers, and it doesn’t seem to have slowed us down at all, and I think it’s the same for other new bands.”
“If you believe in what you’re doing and it’s good enough, then it won’t affect anyone.”
However fans expecting a quick return from the band should be prepared for a long wait. The band recently announced that they have too many touring commitments to commence writing new material, and are set to take a break next year in which they will craft new material.
