The Cranberries have terminated the remainder of their recording contract with MCA Records, a division of Vivendi Universal.
The group signed in 1991 with Island Records America, and transferred to MCA in 2000 following a contract renegotiation. Under the terms of that agreement, the group had one studio album remaining but terminated following advice from their legal advisors.
Says a disgruntled Dolores O'Riordan: "Since we were signed in 1991 by Island, we have gradually seen our label dissolve from a pioneering independent spirited label into a corporate monolith that completely lost touch with the group's creative vision. All of the people we've worked with over the years have been fired or left the company, so the band felt it was time to move on."
According to a band source, "The crunch came when they toured America last year and had to organise virtually all of the press themselves. A record person company went so far as to tell them that their Wake Up And Smell The Coffee album was 'dead' and they weren't going to promote it any more. Fair enough if the gigs had turned out to be empty but most nights they were playing to 10,000 people."
MCA America's lack of support does seem strange given that in the three years the Cranberries were with them, they sold 3.2 million albums.
"With little effort from our label, we've been pleased to see top 10 sales in many countries," reflects guitarist Mike Hogan. "The band is excited about the prospect of a new beginning, starting fresh and looking forward to another ten years in the business. We expect to have a new album released by the end of 2003."