Nils Lofgren Pulls Songs From Spotify in Solidarity With Neil Younger

Nils Lofgren has joined Neil Younger in removing his songs from Spotify to protest the misinformation about vaccines spread by the streaming service’s Joe Rogan Encounter.

“A few days in the past, my wife Amy and I became aware of Neil and Daryl [Hannah] standing with hundreds of wellness treatment gurus, scientists, medical practitioners and nurses in contacting out Spotify for marketing lies and misinformation that are hurting and killing people,” the Rock Corridor-inducted guitarist and Outrageous Horse and E Street Band member wrote Saturday on the Neil Young Archives. “When these heroic women and guys, who’ve spent their lives therapeutic and preserving ours, cry out for enable you do not switch your back again on them for revenue and electric power. You pay attention and stand with them.”

The guitarist ongoing, “As I create this letter, we have now gotten the previous 27 yrs of my tunes taken off Spotify. We are reaching out to the labels that own my earlier new music to have it taken out as nicely. We sincerely hope they honor our needs, as Neil’s labels have carried out, his.”

On Tuesday, Youthful became the initial large-profile artist to desire that their catalog be removed from Spotify, with the rocker crafting to his administration group and report label in a considering that-deleted publish, “I am carrying out this simply because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – likely creating demise to those who feel the disinformation staying spread by them… They can have [Joe] Rogan or Young. Not both of those.” (The preceding month, 270 medical professionals, physicians, and science educators signed an open up letter asking Spotify to halt spreading Rogan’s baseless promises.)

By week’s end, the huge vast majority of Young’s catalog was off of Spotify, a go not unnoticed by Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon and Sirius XM, every single of whom threw shade at Spotify but amplifying their Young catalogs.

“I assistance absolutely free speech,” Younger even further explained in an open letter. “I have in no way been in favor of censorship. Non-public organizations have the suitable to select what they profit from, just as I can choose not to have my songs support a system that disseminates damaging data. I am happy and very pleased to stand in solidarity with the entrance line health and fitness care employees who possibility their life just about every working day to enable other individuals.”

Joni Mitchell joined her buddy and fellow Canadian in protest Friday evening, stating, “I’ve decided to get rid of all my music from Spotify. Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing folks their lives. I stand in solidarity with Neil Youthful and the world-wide scientific and healthcare communities on this problem.” By Saturday, some of Mitchell’s music began disappearing from her Spotify artist site.

Thank you @jonimitchell #DeleteSpotify #StandWithNeilYoung Conclude the misinformation campaign that is stressing our overall health treatment staff. https://t.co/lyqLHkDa5d

— Nils Lofgren (@nilslofgren) January 29, 2022

As a member of Outrageous Horse, some of Lofgren’s current audio — like Colorado and Barn — was eradicated during Young’s catalog exodus, but the guitarist tweeted Friday that he also began the course of action of having his individual audio off Spotify quickly right after Younger did.

“We motivate all musicians, artists and audio lovers everywhere, to stand with us all, and slice ties with Spotify,” Lofgren additional Saturday. “Music is our planet’s sacred weapon, uniting and healing billions of souls each and every day. Decide up your sword and get started swinging. Neil always has. Stand with him, us (Joni Mitchell!) and many others. It’s a impressive motion you can all choose now, to honor truth, humanity, and the heroes risking their lives each and every day to preserve ours.”