Tyler Armes of the now-defunct Canadian rock band Down with Webster has filed a lawsuit against Post Malone, alleging he was cheated out of a songwriting credit on the rapper’s hit “Circles.” Malone has fired back, claiming Armes had nothing to do with the song.
Armes claims Malone, whose real name is Austin Post, “freely admitted” that Armes co-wrote the track but has “steadfastly refused” to give him credit or a share of the earnings.
The lawsuit accuses Malone and Canadian collaborator Frank Dukes, whose real name is Adam Feeney, of “bad faith refusal to accord Tyler Armes the credit and share of the profits he is due as a co-writer.”
Armes claims he collaborated with Malone and Dukes on “Circles” during a session in Dukes’ studio on Aug. 8, 2018. His suit alleges that he had a hand in the chords, bass line and guitar parts, including “the guitar melody which is played in the introduction to the song and which repeats throughout the song.”
According to the lawsuit, Armes contacted Malone’s manager Doc London in August 2019 after he shared a clip of “Circles” on Instagram, and asked for credit and minimal [publishing].” He claims he was offered only five percent of royalties and tried unsuccessfully to negotiate for more.
Armes’ lawsuit alleges he has been prevented from “capitalizing on the success of the song in order to further his career in the music industry.”
He is seeking credit on “Circles” as well as a percentage of royalties determined at trial.
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Malone filed a lawsuit of his own, calling Armes accusations “utterly baseless.”
It alleges: “Armes did not write or author any portion of [“Circles”], and he is not entitled to any of the revenue.”
According to Malone’s filing, Armes was indeed in the studio when “Circles” was coming together but did not contribute to the track. His lawsuit claims Malone, Dukes and three other songwriters – Billy Walsh, Kaan Gunesberk, and Louis Bell – worked on “Circles” in follow-up sessions that “Armes did not participate in, and was not even present for.”
None of the allegations in either lawsuit have been tested in a court of law.