Exotype Versus Rise Records

You may not have heard of Orlando's Exotype before now, but after this recent shitstorm with their label, Rise Records, you'll definitely remember them.

So, here's the skinny.

The metalcore outfit was going to release a music video for their song, 'Stand Up', (exclusively released through AP), which would pay respects to those killed in the recent Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando - their hometown. However, the video was reportedly taken down by Rise Records as it seems that the band and their label have had a falling out. And that's putting it lightly.

The issues between the two parties have been bubbling for a long while now if a recent tell-all statement from the Florida-based band is to be believed. But enough of my intro bullshit. Read the full and unedited statement from the band's vocalist, Steven McCorry, below. Yes, it is long, but it paints one hell of an interesting picture of their relationship with the US record label.

“Attention bands, and musicians alike! Lets talk a little bit about the music industry, shall we? Let’s talk about what can happen when you dedicate your time, energy, career, and life to your music and art.

Rewind to 2014. Our single “Nanovirus” gains the attention of “record label” Rise Records. Our excitement, and pace becomes a blur. Emails are flying back and forth, good vibes and high morale all around. We sign the contract, and we’re assigned a dream team of individuals who will make decisions and shape the direction of our careers and future. We’re offered an amazing tour with The Amity Affliction, and we’re playing to sold out crowds every night. We record what we believe to be a kick ass record with super producer Joey Sturgis, and are gaining some good momentum. Then it all goes down hill.

Phase one of their plan to control and manipulate us comes in the form of our logo and branding. They didn’t like it, and wanted us to change it. We held our ground, especially after some of our members got the logo tattooed on our hands. Its a brand we believe in, and something we put a lot of time and effort into developing. When our contract and negotiations were taking place, there was a lot of talk for a radio program for us. Yet, Wide Awake is the first single we were forced to release? If you’ve heard Wide Awake, it’s dreadfully apparent that it wouldn’t be on the radio anytime soon, but we listened. On the aforementioned Amity Affliction tour, the tour coincided with our first week of album release. Yet it’s strange, we didn’t have any pressed CD’s to sell whatsoever on the tour.

By reasonably calculating the tour attendees with the amount of fabric merch we sold, we estimate our first week sales would have been upwards of 1000 MORE than we sold. We never got another leveraged tour from Rise Records as a result of our lower than usual first week sales, as a result of bad planning and execution on behalf of Rise Records.

Lets talk about how Rise Records abandoned us, as well as the reason we are no longer on the label. On that very same Amity Affliction tour, we employed a tour manager. After picking him up in texas and playing a few dates, we receive a text from Craig Ericson stating that said tour manager is “cancer” and to “leave him on the side of the road”.

Ummmm no, sorry. That’s a human being. Come to find out, Craig had some personal beef YEARS back with this individual that has NOTHING to do with Exotype. We told him that we would no longer employ him on the tour and that he needn’t worry about it any longer. Plus, with a 150 dollar per night guaruntee we could barely afford to eat, much less pay for a plane ticket to send the guy home, so he remained on the road as a passenger with us. People talk, and word got back to craig that we didnt leave him in the desert of Arizona at a gas station, and what followed could best be described as a grown man having a temper tantrum.

He pulled us off upcoming tour plans, including warped tour and said things such as “guess you want to ruin your relationship with your label, time to learn your lesson”.

From then on, Rise Records refused to repost any updates from our band. Nothing from Facebook or any other social media [platforms]. They assigned us a day to day manager to slowly feather us into the dirt. We were offered no more tour support, and were completely abandoned. As a result of not having our label back us any longer, we lost our agent, as well as our management, and were left to die. We offered out of the kindness of our hearts to fund and execute a music video for our song STAND UP, which Rise agreed to repost on social media and push, as our last offering on Rise Records.

AP [Alternative Press] released it exclusively, and Rise reposted it from their Facebook page. Only, there was a little gear icon next to the post instead of the normal “world” icon. They reposted it so only we could see it. To shut us up. They PURPOSEFULLY went out of their way to ensure that only we saw it, and no one else.

Keep in mind, this is a video we DEDICATED TO THE VICTIMS OF THE PULSE SHOOTING in our hometown of Orlando. It’s a video we put a lot of money and effort into making, to raise awareness of the horrible atrocities that took place, and to inspire people to stand up for themselves and what they believe in. Rise chose to let personal interfere with business, and rob the music community of that video just to spite us. Frankly, that’s disgusting.

We are going harder than ever now, because that’s all we know. We have a single coming out shortly, co produced by Joey Sturgis and Matt Johnson, with subsequent visual media to follow. We have an agent, and we have a manager. We aren’t going anywhere and we will continue to have a voice. We aren’t afraid to speak, and we aren’t afraid to Stand Up for what we believe in.

Fuck Rise Records.”

Okay, that's a lot to digest.

Sure, Exotype are a rather generic metalcore band, as far as 2016 goes, and they aren't a massive band in the grand scheme of things. But that doesn't mean that they deserve to have their art fucked with like this. Of course, a label is a business at the end of the day, and it has to make money and bring in audiences somehow. If they don't think that something will make money, be successful or at least not get online traction and in turn generate revenue and buzz, then as the label they can potentially pull the pin on a particular project.

However, with the terrible Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, you would almost be making yourself public enemy number one in the public eye by withholding that video, and from a band who is from fucking Orlando themselves! That just ain't smart, label or not.

The radio single is a bit suspect, but it's not like there aren't alternative/heavy music radio stations in the US. Also, that CD part may have been out of Rise's control if issues with distribution and pressing came about. But sharing the video privately is a pretty dick move for a label to do, too. And if it's true, it's also a giant dick move telling the band to leave their manager stranded in the middle of fucking nowhere as well.

If you go over and check the Rise Records Facebook page, you'll find more than a few comments on all of their recent posts about this Exotype debacle. After scrolling through a lot myself, commenters are standing with Exotype and it seems that some comments are being deleted, which is never a good sign.

Now, since the band's first statement, they've released images of recent text message correspondence between themselves and label founder, Craig Ericson.

Tagged along with the above photo was the following post from the band on Facebook:

"Here's why you guys cant see our new video. Because apparently none of you know who we are. Our music fell on "deaf ears". Gee, I wonder if that's because they didn't do shit to promote us, and tried to sabotage our careers the second we didn't sell enough CD's that we werent supplied with first week. Also, "what video"? hahahaha. Just goes to show how in tune with his label he is."

Now, that takes some balls to release that, that's for sure. Although, I suppose that this has given Exotype a lot of exposure, so that's always a plus. Clouds and silver linings and what not.

HOWEVER!

Before we go and get out our online pitchforks and call for the label's blood, Rise Records haven't officially said anything in response to this yet. So at this point in time, it is just one side voicing their side of this story. So there may be even more to this than what it seems. Whatever the case, we'll update you when, or if, Rise makes a statement public. So y'know, maybe hold off from being a nasty commenter for the time being. Just sayin'.

Finally, while the music video for 'Stand Up' was initially removed from YouTube, the original stream from last year's album is still up on Rise's YouTube channel and Exotype has recently released the music video straight through their Facebook page. You can also find their previous single 'Wide Awake' here.

Finally, I hope that this mess doesn't fuck up things too much for UNFD over here, what with their partnership with Rise. I really like the idea of Americans finding out about the beauty that is Hellions.