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Earlier this month, a newly-unveiled batch of Epstein Files revealed that Casey Wasserman, founder and CEO of the talent management company Wasserman, had traveled on Jeffrey Epstein's plane during a 2002 humanitarian trip. Additionally, around that same time, Wasserman had engaged in some raunchy email exchanges with Ghislane Maxwell, who in 2022 was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of child sex trafficking with Epstein. Wasserman represents a ton of popular and independent artists, like Chappell Roan, who's reportedly leaving Wasserman, and Best Coast, whose Bethany Cosentino has since called for Wasserman to step down as CEO. Fellow Wasserman client Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells has now issued a statement explaining why not all artists can walk away from the now-disgraced company so easily.
Krauss' statement also delves into Spotify and Ticketmaster boycotts. It reads:
I've been spending a lot of time lately contemplating my responsibility as an individual and an artist in a system that can be exploitative, morally bankrupt and at times criminal. Over the course of my 28 year career in the music industry I've often questioned why I continue to be a part of it.
When I was a teenager in a girl pop band my body was digitally altered without my consent to make me look thinner. That was probably the first time I realized that my personal values were out of alignment with the priorities of the music business.
Today, despite being in a band that I'm deeply proud of, that has tried to treat people ethically, work with. individuals and companies that share our values and act with integrity, I find myself often beholden to corporations and systems that prioritize profit over ethics. Do I wish I could burn it all down, boycott and divest? Sure I do. But to be totally honest I can't afford to. My band can't afford to. Our ability to make a living in this industry is dependent on our engagement with these companies. This might not be the case for all artists but for a mid-tier band like ours, I struggle to find a way around it.
Would I love to take our music off Spotify? Yes I would. Can we afford to lose the platform Spotify gives us? No we can't. It would be devastating for us. Would I love to never support Live Nation and Ticketmaster again? Sure I would. Is it possible for a band that barely breaks even touring? No. I can't even fathom how we would do it. We just don't have that type of leverage. Would I love to just leave Wasserman Music? Yes I would. Can we? No because I love and respect our agent and I trust him to make the decision that is best for himself, his family and his artists. The agents at Wasserman are not the villains.
Have my values aligned with every sync we've ever approved? No they haven't, but does that income enable me to pay mine and my child's health insurance every month? You bet it does. Cause let's remember that there's no such thing as healthcare for working musicians. Call me spineless but this is my truth. This is the hypocrisy of our realities, as we try to do the least harm in an unscrupulous system. Could I do more to hold these individuals and corporations accountable? Absolutely. Do I have the capacity to? No I don't.
In my opinion it's not the responsibility of the artists, especially those struggling to make a living, to fix these broken systems. I'm not saying we're powerless, but without systemic change and accountability for those at the highest levels of power, no meaningful change is going to occur. I certainly wish more multimillion and billionaire artists would step up and try to hold these institutions accountable. At some point you just don't need anymore fucking money. People with real power need to speak up. I'm always grateful when an artist uses their platform to disrupt the status quo. You might say “it's not enough" but it's something. None of these corporations are going to bat an eye if Sleigh Bells bails on them. It'll just leave us losing more money on tour and making less streaming income than we do now. It's a shitty place to be but it's the truth. What we need is greater regulation and accountability at the highest levels of the industry.
I don't want to be cynical but honestly I am. I don't know what it's going to take for things to really change. At this point I'm still in this business because I love my band, I love my bandmate and I love the people who have given so much of themselves to our band. They are worth investing in, even if that means simultaneously supporting a depraved system.
Other Wasserman-affilliated artists like Beach Bunny and salute have followed Cosentino's lead in sharing statements expressing frustration towards the CEO, with salute encouraging artists to talk with their agents about leaving the agency. Dropkick Murphys are reportedly doing just that.
i'm looking to leave wassermann btw and if you're on their roster you should chat to your agent about doing the same
— salute (@saluteAUT) February 7, 2026Meanwhile, in more Sleigh Bells news, their Treats song "Riot Rhythm" was used in a Super Bowl commercial yesterday for the weight loss drug GLP-1 starring Serena Williams. Krauss defended the decision.
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