New York noise-pop duo Sleigh Bells have sued pop star Demi Lovato over copyright infringement.
Late last year, Lovato released her single “Stars”, and as Consequence of Sound note, Sleigh Bells’ Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller were quick to suggest the track sounded a bit like their own song, 2010’s “Infinity Guitars.” Today, Krauss and Miller have filed a lawsuit in California that contends the similarities in the two songs are not coincidental.
“A comparison of the two songs reveals that, at the very least, the combination of the hand claps and bass drum, structured as 3 quarter beats and a rest, with the bass drum providing a counter-rhythm to the hand claps, is at least substantially similar in both works,” claim Krauss and Miller in their filings. “This infringing material repeats throughout the Defendants’ song.”
Read the full complaint here.
.@ddlovato Demi Lovato flattered you guys sampled Infinity Guitars & Riot Rhythm for "Stars" but we were not contacted. Gotta clear those.
— SLEIGH BELLS (@sleighbells) November 2, 2015
Sleigh Bells’ lawsuit names its defendants as Lovato and UMG Recordings, as well as the song’s producers, Carl Falk and Rami Yacoub, who last year denied that “Stars” used any samples and deflected any accusation from the New York band.
Take a listen to both songs below and decide for yourself.
Meanwhile, Sleigh Bells play The Sinclair in Cambridge on September 13.