John Lydon has said that the reason Public Image Ltd struggled to find a record label is because of The X Factor. The frontman told NME that he and his band had found it hard to find a label they wanted to work with because the music industry is unwilling to take a risk on artists who "strive to b...
John Lydon has said that the reason Public Image Ltd struggled to find a record label is because of The X Factor.
The frontman told NME that he and his band had found it hard to find a label they wanted to work with because the music industry is unwilling to take a risk on artists who “strive to break barriers”.
With Public Image Ltd set to release their new studio album ‘This Is PiL’ this year, Lydon revealed that the band were now “very close” close to signing with a label but said that it had been hard to find one free from “shenanigans or dictatorships”.
Speaking about the impact the likes of TV talent shows like The X Factor and American Idol had had on the music business, he said: “[They’re] unimportant. And it’s a shame that the music industry has been taken over and dominated by them. Particularly American Idol… you know, the way they love to award themselves every year, those institutions.
“It’s all artists from that ilk, isn’t it? If you want to call them artists. Unfortunately there’s some fantastic singers that come out of that, but they’re karaoke.”
He went on to add: “It becomes like the way record companies used to operate. In fact, if you ever want to know why I’m not on a record label, look at The X Factor!
“Honestly, of all the people that strive to break barriers in music and do good things and write great lyrics, not one of them would ever pass the first round on any of these competitions.”
‘This Is PiL’, which is expected to be released in the first half of 2012, will be the band’s ninth studio album. Lydon previously claimed that [url=http://www.nme.com/news/public-image-ltd/60702]the band were forced to tour extensively to raise enough money to record the LP[/url], stating: “Everybody thinks I made such a fortune with the Sex Pistols. Well, unfortunately that is not true, to make this record we had to tour extensively for two years.”
In December, it was announced that Public Image Ltd would be [url=http://www.nme.com/news/public-image-ltd/61075]reissuing their entire back catalogue in 2012[/url].