King Gizzard‘s Stu Mackenzie on Removing Music From Spotify

Last month,aussie rockers King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard joined a growing number of bands removing their music from Spotify. This followed CEO Daniel Ek’s investment in Helsing, an AI-driven military weapons company.

Though King Gizzard’s spotify profile is still visible, most of their music is now unavailable.

Frontman Stu Mackenzie recently discussed the band’s decision in a new interview with the LA Times.

Mackenzie saeid he initially felt “a bit of shock” upon learning about Ek’s investment in Helsing, but quickly realized he “shouldn’t be shocked.”

“We’ve been criticizing Spotify for years,” he explained.”Among musician friends, that’s a common sentiment, for all the reasons everyone already knows.”

Seeing other admired bands take similar action prompted King Gizzard to reconsider their own presence on the platform. “I don’t really want our music to be here, at least right now,” Mackenzie stated. “I don’t consider myself an activist, and I’m not pleasant lecturing people.But this feels like staying true to ourselves and ensuring our music is in places we’re comfortable with.”

King Gizzard’s move mirrors decisions made by indie artists like Sabrina Carpenter and others protesting Spotify’s business practices.