If you are not currently living under a rock, then you know Music City’s darling Taylor Swift released a new album today. But for a lot of musicians, bigger news broke yesterday when it was revealed that Taytay (as we affectionately refer to her at our office) will be re-recording all of her early songs. It is but another chapter in the ongoing fallout from the purchase of her original record studio (and our neighbor) Big Machine Label Group by an associate of Taylor’s less-than-favorite interrupting rap mogul.
Look, Taylor Swift is as business savvy as she is talented, and her music career can be chalked up as lucrative, but this is just one of the latest, and luckily one of the more mild, examples in a long history of artists getting shafted by the fine print. Even luminaries and fashion icons Prince and David Byrne have compared record contracts to indentured servitude. And let’s not forget the woes of another Nashville native (#TeamKesha)…
However, despite how they may seem, record executives, just like lawyers, aren’t inherently evil. There’s no reason musicians and record execs can’t coexist in peace and prosperity, but you have to remember that record executives’ number one priority is making money, while yours, hopefully, is to make money while staying true to your artistic vision. Being named Music City Law and all, we’re pretty invested in keeping the “Music” in Music City, which is why we offer great deals to up-and-coming artists to make sure their rights are protected, their contracts are favorable, and they can still afford to keep the lights on and the amps plugged in. Because we know that you’ll be so pleased with our service that down the road, when you’re buying the penthouse of the newest flashy apartment complex in town, we’re still going to be your lawyers of choice.
So, don’t wait another minute, musicians of Nashville – set up your free consultation today! And Taylor… shake it off. (#SorryNotSorry)