After 18 years and millions of records sold, the Counting Crows have split with their label DGC, a division of Geffen Records that has been home to Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Beck, and many more indie-friendly rock acts.
In a statement on their site, singer Adam Duritz explained their decision to split with their longtime label and hinted that they will be exploring new ways to release their forthcoming music through the Internet. “A lot of people think it’s a tough time to be a band but we don’t feel that way,” Duritz wrote. “The internet opens a world of limitless possibility, where the only boundaries are the boundaries of your own imagination. We want a chance to push those boundaries back as far as we can.” With a massive fan base at their disposal and plenty of cash in the bank, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Counting Crows start using the business model that Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails have been so successful with. Perhaps they will even attempt a subscription service like Prince plans to unveil one week from today.
Duritz ended the statement by taking a small jab at Madonna, who named her album Hard Candy even though the Crows had just released a chart-topping album by that same name. “So, in the spirit of this new frontier we’re entering, we offer you our homage to a certain lady who honored us last year by expressing her longtime deep and abiding worship of our band by naming her entire album after one of ours,” Duritz wrote, adding that a free mp3 of their cover of Madonna’s “Borderline” was available for download in celebration of their new freedom from major record labels.