In the wake of sexual assault allegations against PWR BTTM cofounder Ben Hopkins, the band’s music has been pulled from major streaming services.
A rep for the record label Polyvinyl, which parted ways with the band on Saturday (read the label’s statement here), noted that the move was part of its earlier decision to cease selling and distributing the band’s music, and that it had taken time for the music to be removed from streaming services.
The move was the latest in a rapid downfall for the once-promising band, whose two founding members — Hopkins and Liv Bruce — identify as gender non-binary. The group has made a name for itself with hard-rocking songs that celebrate the contradictions and positivity of those identities, and their sophomore album, “Pageant,” was set for a major push around its release on May 12. But after a woman levelled accusations of “ “inappropriate sexual contact with people despite several ‘nos’ and without warning or consent” against Hopkins in a Facebook post just two days before the album’s release, things unraveled quickly. The band quickly issued a statement on Thursday saying “Ben has not been contacted by any survivor(s) of abuse. These allegations are shocking to us and we take them very seriously. Further, the alleged behavior is not representative of who Ben is and the manner in which they try to conduct themselves.” But two band members quit, the artists scheduled to support the band on tour pulled out, on Friday the group’s management, Salty, announced that it was parting ways with PWR BTTM.
On Saturday, Polyvinyl followed suit and announced that they were severing their working relationships with the band. Polyvinyl offered refunds to customers who had purchased the album and requested the band’s music be pulled from streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music and retailers like iTunes.
While a number of upcoming dates are still listed on the band’s website, the status of the tour remains unclear.
