STUCK MOJO Guitarist Says His Bands Are Owed $150K In Unpaid Royalties

STUCK MOJO/FOZZY guitarist Rich Ward has elaborated on the reasons for his decision to sell a guitar and amp from his personal collection in order to help cover the recording costs for STUCK MOJO's new album, "Southern Born Killers".

In a posting on his official message board, Ward writes, "In a perfect world, I would hold on to these items, but events far out of my control have put me in this position. When we get a little closer to the release date of 'Southern Born Killers', I will give you some details concerning the reality of the music business.

"For now, I will tell you this much. 'Southern Born Killers' will not be released in the 'traditional' way that our previous records have been. They ethics of many of the record companies that I have dealt with in the past few years have brought me to this decision. There are a total of FOUR record companies that are in breach of contract for not paying us (FOZZY/DUKE) for album sales and songwriting publishing. The total amount of money that we (FOZZY/DUKE) are owed is in excess of $150,000.

"We have spent a great deal of our own money on attorneys and are in the process of trying to collect this debt. We are not alone, as more than a few of my friends in other bands are experiencing the same problem. The label admits owing us the money, they just say that they don't have it to pay us. So, the hard-earned money that you, the loyal fans, have spent on our records, has stayed in the pockets of a bunch of crooks in suits that did NOTHING to earn it. Please know that not all of the record companies that I have done business with have been this despicable. The problem that I am facing is that almost all record contracts contain clauses which prohibit the artist from making disparaging remarks about them, 'the label.' So, if I were to post a list of the labels that have stolen OUR/MY money, then 'I' would be in breach of contract and possibly create even more difficulty in collecting the money that I/WE are owed.

"So, if your boss didn't pay you for A YEAR AND TEN MONTHS in one case and A YEAR AND SIX MONTHS in another, then you may be selling your treasured possessions as well. I'm not happy about it, but I have to stay focused on completing this album and this is the solution that has made the most sense to me.

"As I said earlier, I will post more details about this situation in the coming weeks."

STUCK MOJO, who recently announced the addition of vocalist Lord Nelson to the group's lineup, have posted another new track, entitled "Metal is Dead", on their MySpace page. Also available at the same location is the song "That's When I Burn".

Most of the initial "Southern Born Killers" tracks were recorded at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, U.K. with producer Andy Sneap (NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY, MACHINE HEAD, EXODUS).

Joining Lord Nelson and guitarist Rich Ward in STUCK MOJO's current recording lineup are FOZZY/DUKE bassist Sean Delson and drummer Eric Sanders.

"Southern Born Killers" projected track listing (in no particular order):

01. I'm Back
02. Southern Born Killers
03. Metal Is Dead
04. Born For This Moment
05. Friends
06. The Sky Is Falling
07. That's When I Burn
08. The Fear Is All Around Me
09. Open Season
10. In My Mind
11. Home
12. Invincible
13. Rhythm and Bullshit

"Southern Born Killers" is tentatively scheduled for release in early 2007 through an as-yet-undetermined label. The band was previously signed to Century Media Records.