The Australian rockers pulled their entire 27-album catalog from Spotify to protest CEO Daniel Ek’s military tech investments — and fans can now download it all for free.
After 15 years of constant reinvention, Australian genre-hopping band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have made their boldest move yet — saying goodbye to Spotify.
The band, known for their wildly experimental catalog that spans everything from metal to psychedelic rock to jazz, removed all their music from the streaming giant in July. The decision came after reports revealed Spotify CEO Daniel Ek’s €600 million investment in Helsing, an AI company that develops technology for military use.
Frontman Stu Mackenzie tells The Guardian the choice came down to conscience. “Sometimes you just forget that you have free will — you can do whatever you want,” he said. “For us, it was a decision about what we think is right and what we think is not right. We’re just gonna walk and deal with consequences later.”
The move was inspired by Melbourne singer-songwriter Leah Senior, a longtime collaborator who also left the platform. “I told her I was really proud of her,” Mackenzie shared. “It’s a beautiful thing — I admire the courage to do the thing that’s different and also right.”
Fans didn’t have to wait long for an alternative. Alongside their Spotify exit, King Gizzard made their entire 27-album catalog — plus dozens of live recordings — available for free or ‘pay what you want’ on Bandcamp. For Mackenzie, it wasn’t about making a statement so much as staying true to their roots.
“Bandcamp has been a really big part of King Gizzard’s story from the beginning,” he said. “It just felt like what we would usually do.”
Despite giving fans unlimited access to their work, Mackenzie admits the band wasn’t making much from Spotify to begin with. “It is small,” he said simply. The group continues to earn most of their income from touring, merch, and vinyl — and they’re not worried about missing out.
“I know that we are a quote-unquote ‘brand,’ but that makes me vomit in my mouth a little bit,” he added with a laugh. “I just want to make music with my friends.”
That passion remains front and center as the six-piece prepares to play a free rave-style set in Melbourne’s Federation Square on October 24, followed by an orchestral concert series.
For Mackenzie, the message is simple: “You put music at the top of the triangle, and everything else falls from that.”
