Hunters & Collectors have released a statement in an effort to clear the air surrounding recent news that they requested shock-jock Steve Price remove their song Holy Grail from the intro of his 2GB radio program. The band have expressed a number of reasons behind the decision, including Price’s political views.
In a statement posted to Facebook (below), Hunters & Collectors say they didn’t retract the song due to any unauthorised public communication of the track, explaining, “No recording artist has control over radio airplay unless the song is used to sell or endorse a product.” This adds up with comments from the station, which confirm they had all the proper paperwork.
Rather, the very public intervention from the band was “prompted by the deep respect we have for the feelings of all in the Hunters family so any concerns they might have as to how our music is used are taken very seriously indeed”.
As explained in the statement, fans of the band reached out to the group about the questionable use of their song on Price’s show, bringing it to the band’s attention for the first time earlier this week. The statement also mentions Price’s inflammatory comments on a recent Q&A episode, though the band don’t pin their decision directly on that.
Hunters & Collectors say that Price’s political views (which are still deemed valid and understandable by the band) aren’t shared by them or the messages in Holy Grail. While they support Price’s right to his opinion, they “regard the use of ‘Holy Grail’ as a tacit endorsement of those views”.
Catch the band’s full statement, below.
Watch: Hunters & Collectors – ‘Holy Grail’
