The Cult's Ian Astbury: Giving Away Music Is 'Selfish' And 'Irresponsible'

LONDON (Hypebot) –
"Whoever was irresponsible enough to decide that music was worth nothing and decide to give away the music, that was a very selfish move. When I look at a 17-year-old kid who's starting out in a band and is hearing, 'You know what kid? Your music's worth nothing.' I think that is disgusting."

"I thought it was irresponsible what Radiohead did (letting fans decide what they wanted to pay for their 2007 album In Rainbows). People watch what they do and they copy it. I don't see U2 giving their music away for free. They're smart boys."

– Ian Astbury, The Cult

Astbuy's solution? Give fans more value for their money. Astbury believes that the album has been "cannibalized" by single track downloads. The Cult is putting out four EPs in 2010 that he calls "capsules" packaged with original short films, conceptual photography and modern art.