Bosses at Radiohead’s music publishing company have denied suing Lana Del Rey over her track Get Free.
The Video Games singer, 32, hit headlines on Sunday (07Jan18) when she confirmed reports that Radiohead’s representatives had issued her with a legal warning over similarities between the song and the band’s 1992 hit Creep.
She wrote on Twitter that Radiohead were suing her to obtain 100 per cent of the publishing rights to Get Free.
However, in response, representatives for the group’s publisher, Warner/Chappell music have issued a statement denying her claims, but acknowledging that they have been trying to negotiate writing credits on the song.
“It’s true that we’ve been in discussions since August of last year with Lana Del Rey’s representatives,” their statement to Pitchfork Media reads. “It’s clear that the verses of Get Free use musical elements found in the verses of Creep and we’ve requested that this be acknowledged in favour of all writers of Creep. To set the record straight, no lawsuit has been issued and Radiohead have not said they ‘will only accept 100 per cent’ of the publishing of Get Free.”
Lana had claimed she had offered the band 40 per cent of the proceeds from the publishing rights to the song, but was turned down as the group wanted 100 per cent.
At a concert in Denver, Colorado on Sunday (07Jan18) she dramatically announced that if the legal battle went to court she was prepared to remove Get Free from her latest album, Lust for Life.
“Regardless if it gets taken down off of everything, that those sentiments that I wrote…that I really am going to strive for them, even if that song is not on future physical releases of the record,” she said. “I just wanted to let you know that for the kids and for the not-kids, who are the real fans, who are here. So that’s probably the last thing I’ll say about it. But thanks.”
She cancelled her next scheduled concert, in Kansas City, Missouri on Monday (08Jan18), after coming down with the flu.