Aussie Band Apologizes for Hurtful Usher Remarks

Anhas issued a heartfelt apology to their fans

Last week,  punk band Radio Free Alice appeared on Triple J's Like A Version program, where music acts are invited into the station's studio and asked to play a cover, and revealed their bizarre reason for choosing an Usher song, claiming they wanted to improve 'the ugliest duckling'.

After their remarks were slammed online, the band posted a statement to social media apologising for the comments they made.

'We've taken some time to sit with the response to our Like A Version interview and want to address it personally. We've done a lot of reflecting and it's clear we didn't consider the hurt our words about Usher's song could have caused,' they began.

'To black artists and other communities, and for that we are sorry. Our intention was for it to be tongue-in-cheek, which isn't an excuse for misjudging how it would land, particularly as a band of four white Australian males.' 

The band finished by saying they would be more careful about what they said in the future, considering the context of their words.

'We now better understand the issues many of you have raised, and we will continue to learn from them. We care a lot about the music we make and the community around it, and we don't take your criticism lightly,' they wrote.

Last week, the group sparked controversy when they revealed the reason they were covering the hit 2010 Usher song, DJs Got Us Fallin' In Love.

'We have always felt that good songs don't need good covers. Bad songs need good covers,' they began.

'This song is the ugliest duckling of bad songs! So, we thought it was a fun challenge to see if we could turn it into a good song, if that was physically possible.'

The band's blunt remarks about the hit dance song quickly enraged listeners, who took to social media to eviscerate them.

'It's not too late to apologise for at best the clearly thoughtless comments,' one person wrote. 

'Are they calling……. DJs got us falling in love again by THE USHER…… a bad song? Who tf are they WHAT???!!' a second added. 

'Just watched the cover... They DO NOT have the talent to back these remarks,' a third person chimed in.