Frontiers Music Srl clarifies lawsuit not against Animal Drive but against Dino Jelusick + his management

Frontiers Music Srl clarifies lawsuit not against Animal Drive but against Dino Jelusick + his management

There are always two sides to each story. Animal Drive posted a message on their Facebook account earlier today that indicated in essence that the group no longer exists due to actions from their record label Frontiers Music Srl and they were fighting for their rights in Court due to a lawsuit by the record label against them.

Frontiers Music Srl has now publicly rejected Animal Drive‘s claims. Frontiers has asserted that Animal Drive disbanded back in 2020 due to some internal issues unrelated to it. In addition, Frontiers has clarified that the only pending lawsuit is between it and Animal Drive singer Dino Jelusick + his management/representative.

The following message was posted on Frontiers Music Srl‘s Facebook page today following Animal Drive‘s subject Facebook post:

“We are aware, and surprised by, statements made today by the band Animal Drive which were published on their official Facebook page.

The band claims Frontiers has:

a) unduly and repeatedly postponed the release of the band’s second album;

b) repeatedly threatened the band and unilaterally disrupted communication with them.

In addition, the band declared that it would be defending itself in court, given the lawsuit brought “against ANIMAL DRIVE” by Frontiers and that this has somehow led the band to split up.

Frontiers, in the interest of truth and to defend our integrity, believes that a response is called for in light of these statements being released, as they are defamatory, untrue, and far from portraying the reality of the situation.

FIRST

It should be said that Frontiers was notified last year (2020) that Animal Drive had ended as a band. We were informed for the first time that the name “ANIMAL DRIVE” had become unavailable for use by them due to some internal issues completely unrelated to Frontiers. Now the band would make you believe that ANIMAL DRIVE band will no longer exist due only to Frontiers lawsuit with Mr. Dino Jelusick, which is simply untrue.

SECOND

It is not true that it was Frontiers who postponed the release of the repeatedly announced album “Follow the Blind Man” (ANIMAL DRIVE‘s second album). On the contrary, the fact is that the band NEVER delivered the definitive master of the album. The band themselves considered the provisional master that they initially delivered as not technically adequate for release. Further, no music video assets or artwork were delivered to the label. It is impossible for Frontiers to release a product without these materials that were never delivered by the band.

THIRD

There is an attempt to pass as “threats” the desire of Frontiers to enforce the rights established in contracts and that Mr. Dino Jelusic suddenly decided he didn’t want to respect. There have been many attempts by Frontiers to reconcile the disputes that have arisen, but there has always been a refusal by the other side to recognize ANYTHING that was contractually established and engage in conversation. Therefore, the label first notified the artist of the breaches of the agreement several times and finally, without any other choice, Frontiers proceeded with a lawsuit based on the terms of the existing contracts.

FOURTH

Frontiers has not sued ANIMAL DRIVE. It is indeed true that a lawsuit against Mr. Dino Jelusic and his management/representative are pending in front of the Court of Napoli, but no one else is involved beyond those persons. The nature of the lawsuit is that Frontiers believes that it contractually has the rights to the exclusive services of Mr. Dino Jelusic for recordings. The artist in question had initially recognized this agreement, but subsequently, and without any explanation, refused and even denied such right to exist.

Again, in the interest of the truth, the lawsuit is a consequence of the behavior indicated above and certainly there was, is ,and will never be any interest whatsoever from the label to prevent Animal Drive from releasing music either now, nor in the future.

This is the truth of the matter, all documentable, as in fact it was documented in front of a judge. Needless to say, if Mr. Jelusic (not the band ANIMAL DRIVE) believes he has to fight in court to assert his rights, Frontiers will do the same with a perfectly clear conscience.

Time, as well as the court, will determine who was right.”

Animal Drive released the full-length album Bite! (2018) and the EP Back To The Roots (2019) via Frontiers Music Srl. Jelusick also released the album Dirty Shirley under that band name along with guitarist George Lynch via Frontiers back in January 2020.

In an interview with Alexandra Mzorowska for Hardrock Haven back in March 2021, Lynch alluded to the problem between Frontiers and Jelusick when asked whether there would be a sophomore album from Dirty Shirley. Lynch indicated: “Right now we can’t, because there’s some legal thing going on with him, I think. Nothing to do with me, but that precludes him from working with a particular label, from what I understand. I don’t know too much about it. So unfortunately, as much as we both wanna do another Dirty Shirley record – we can’t, until he gets that business sorted out. But if we do one, we’ll definitely have a different album cover, ‘cause I don’t know where the hell that album came [from]. What does that mean…? I was like, who the hell thought of this? How did anybody look at this and think this is a good idea?”