Tame Impala's Kevin Parker Confesses to Downloading Music Illegally, Says He Doesn't Want Your Money

"I used to download music illegally," Parker said in an interview on Sunday. "Everyone has. No one is innocent. Everyone has done that."

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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For those who thought the historically contentious debate surrounding the consumer's preferred method of music consumption would have surely entered a ceasefire by now, then 2015 has probably been a pretty frustrating year. With Apple Music making ingeniously calculated moves aimed at achieving another in a long line of takeovers and Tidal seemingly never safe from often unjust ridicule, it's easy to wish someone would just confess to consuming music just like everyone else does: the cheapest and most convenient way, whatever that may be at any given time.

Thankfully, Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker is doing exactly that. During a visit to BBC Radio 6 on Sunday, Parker spoke extensively with Mary Anne Hobbs about not only his own thoughts on the financial side of making art, but the future of that increasingly flimsy business model. "Obviously artists need to make money and stuff like that, but if you do something good or if you make good art or make good stuff, the wealth will find you in some way," Parker says. "Not to be kind of overly spiritual about it, but it's not the kind of thing that's worth complaining about."

Parker also spoke candidly regarding his own listening methods, revealing that he believes there simply is no "best" method. "I used to download music illegally," Parker admits. "Everyone has. No one is innocent. Everyone has done that. If someone says, 'Hey man, I love your album, it really got me through a breakup, but I downloaded it for free,' I'd be like, 'Good!'" Adding that maybe this theoretical person simply didn't have the money to purchase or stream it in a more legal way, Parker asserts that he doesn't want such a person's "twenty bucks."

For more of Parker's forthright thoughts on money's unfortunate relationship with music, check out the full interview here.

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