Deacon Blue says artists should “get up” as synthetic intelligence threatens the inventive industries.
Deacon Blue members Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh have voiced their views concerning the UK Authorities’s deliberate modifications to AI copyright legal guidelines
Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh – two unique members of the Scottish pop/rock band – have known as for musicians to “take cost of their profession” and for the music business to guard songwriters because the British Authorities seeks to permit AI corporations to make use of copyright-protected work with out permission.
It comes as Kate Bush, Annie Lennox and greater than 1,000 different singers hit again on the controversial proposal by releasing a silent album known as ‘Is This What We Need?’ in February 2025, which Ricky was grateful for as they had been “taking over the battle”.
The 67-year-old frontman informed ContactMusic.com: “The silent album that got here out, I feel that was a very good factor.
“Musicians have gotten to get up and battle again.
“After I began in songwriting and publishing, it was frequent then for publishers to have 50 per cent of royalties. All of us fought again in opposition to these items.
“Issues do not occur by osmosis, you already know.
“So it is essential for musicians to take cost of their profession and for the music business to look and see what the long run is, and just be sure you’re defending songwriters.
“So, sure, it’s actually essential stuff, and I’m grateful for people who find themselves taking over the battle.”
A spokesperson for the UK Authorities mentioned the deliberate modifications to the laws would “defend the pursuits of each AI builders and proper holders [to] ship an answer which permits each to thrive” – which Ricky and his spouse Lorraine have forged doubt over.
Requested if AI developments may signify the tip of bands like Deacon Blue making music, lead vocalist and songwriter Ricky admitted: “It’s a scary time throughout all these items, and it’s such a brand new world that nobody actually fairly is aware of.
“I imply, there are some nice issues about AI, don’t get me incorrect. I’m very enthusiastic about what’s going to occur by way of medical stuff and so forth.
“However, I feel we’ve acquired to get up and be fairly robust.”
Lorraine pressured that AI must be regulated and never simply merely be “unleashed”.
The 60-year-old singer mentioned: “It needs to be regulated, would not it? It will possibly’t simply be unleashed, which it appears to be being.”
The band – which is celebrating 40 years of Deacon Blue in 2025 by releasing their extremely anticipated eleventh studio album ‘The Nice Western Highway’, in addition to going out on two excursions – has seen a “full scene change in how music has been consumed” and the way individuals have “misplaced a lot of their potential revenue from file gross sales”.
Nonetheless, Ricky appreciates the music enterprise for doing “very well” to “claw a few of that again”.
Regardless of that, he pressured: “We’ve acquired to be very cautious.”
Deacon Blue launch ‘The Nice Western Highway’ on Friday, March 21 2025.
Deacon Blue 2025 tour dates:
Sunday, March 30 – Edinburgh Usher Corridor
Monday, March 31 – Bradford St George’s Corridor
Wednesday, April 2 – Bristol Beacon Theatre
Thursday, April 3 – Cambridge Corn Alternate
Friday, April 4 – London Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Area Tour:
Friday, September 19 – Liverpool M+S Financial institution Area
Saturday, September 20 – Brighton Centre
Monday, September 22 – Birmingham Utilita Area
Tuesday, September 23 – Leeds FirstDirect Area
Thursday, September 25 – Bournemouth Worldwide Centre
Friday, September 26 – Cardiff Utilita Area
Sunday, September 28 – Nottingham Motorpoint Area
Monday, September 29 – Sheffield Utilita Area
Wednesday, October 1 – Manchester AO Area
Friday, October 3 – London Wembley OVO Area
Sunday, October 5 – Hull Connexin Dwell
Monday, October 6 – Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Utilita Area
Wednesday, October 8 – Dublin 3Arena
Friday, October 10 – Glasgow Hydro
Saturday, October 11 – Glasgow Hydro
