The Gaslight Anthem’s ‘horrible’ contracts

The Gaslight Anthem think record contracts are “so horrible they should be illegal”.

The alternative punk band’ singer and guitarist, Brain Fallon, said he can’t believe the type of contracts that fledgling bands are talked into, and is glad his group has always remained independent.

He told Gibson.com: “I think the music industry has been very greedy to its artists. They trick artists into signing things that are so horrible it should be illegal.

“Tom Waits said, ‘The large print giveth, the fine print taketh away’ and that's the truth. That's why we've stayed independent.

“The labels need to understand that it's a team between band and label, a group effort. It's so clear when you're not blinded by greed. But I also think the music industry will survive. People need music.”

‘The ’59 Sound’ singer – who is joined in the band by Alex Rosamilia, Alex Levine and Benny Horowitz - also talked about how the band’s second album ‘American Slang’, features lyrics about his dedication to building a career as a musician, at the cost of other things in his life.

He added: “This record has to do with me as a person. I've been chasing this dream of being a musician all my life with everything inside me.

“I never really dealt with myself and what I felt and what had happened to me all my life. I was moving so fast I ignored a lot of feelings and buried them way down. This record’s about personal things.

‘American Slang’ is released on June14.