Black Lips’ New Single Pulled by Italian Label Over “Allegations,” Cole Alexander Responds

The Black Lips were slated to release a new 7" single on October 22 via the Italian garage rock label Wild Honey Records. The record, announced in support of a European tour that began on October 29 and lasts until early December, was slated to feature covers of Fred Cole’s “Colt 44” and Hank Williams’ “Alone and Forsaken.” Before it could see the light of day, however, the release was pulled by the label, citing “certain allegations made against a member of the band” in a statement sent to Pitchfork. The statement to Pitchfork read in full:

Shortly after we announced the release of a one-off, limited edition 7" by The Black Lips [on October 15], it was brought to our attention that certain allegations had been made against a member of the band. Out of respect to all involved, our staff, colleagues and the artists signed to our label, we decided to pull the release. It is not a decision we took lightly, but we believe it’s the right thing to do under the circumstances.

Wild Honey Records was born in a garage 15 years ago. We are music fans. The label doesn’t pay the bills, it quite often IS the bills. A big part of what we do is give back to the DIY music scene and the community from where we came.

Growing up as outcasts, bullied and nerdy young punks, we always believed that punk rock could change our lives for the better, that it could bring people together in times of division, hatred and polarisation. We have been actively fighting against this stuff all our lives. We condemn any form of abusive behaviour and any form of discrimination. We walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

The single’s Bandcamp page and the label’s announcements of its release on social media have been removed.

Doug Tuttle, a garage rock and psychedelic rock artist who released a single on Wild Honey earlier this year, criticized the label in social media posts in October for planning to release the Black Lips’ music. In apparent protest, he requested that his single be pulled by the label. His Pinecone EP is still streaming, but moved to his personal Bandcamp page and no longer lists Wild Honey as its label on Spotify.

In posts on Tuttle’s public Facebook page, viewed by Pitchfork, he cited a Los Angeles Times article from early this year that reported allegations regarding the Black Lips’ Cole Alexander. Emily Langland told the Times that when she was 17 and Alexander was 29, the Black Lips member sent her “sexually inappropriate” texts before they had consensual sex when she was 18. Alexander declined the Times’ request for comment at the time.

Pitchfork has also learned that the Black Lips are no longer signed to Vice Records after completing their contract with the label. The band had released multiple albums on the imprint between 2007 and 2020. The Black Lips are still signed to Fire Records; contacts at Fire did not respond to requests for comment.

When asked about Wild Honey’s statement and the dissolution of their Vice Records deal, Cole Alexander replied, “The allegations are simply not true and we have no other comment.” Pitchfork has reached out to Emily Langland for comment.