Graham Nash and India Arie withdraw music from Spotify in protest against Joe Rogan

More musicians have announced they are withdrawing their music from Spotify.

The exodus from the music platform began when Neil Young asked that his music be removed from the platform due to its affiliation with podcaster Joe Rogan, whom he said had spread “false information” regarding Covid-19 vaccines.

Joni Mitchell followed suit in solidarity with Young followed by Crazy Horse and E Street band guitarist Nils Lofgren.

Now, Graham Nash and Indie Arie have done the same.

Nash, 79, wrote on Instagram on Tuesday (1 February): “Having heard the Covid disinformation spread by Joe Rogan on Spotify, I completely agree with and support my friend, Neil Young,”

Young’s former bandmate continued: “There is a difference between being open to varying viewpoints on a matter and knowingly spreading false information, which some 270 medical professionals have derided not only false but dangerous.

“Likewise there is a difference between misinformation, in which one is unaware that what is being said is false, versus disinformation which is knowingly false and intended to mislead and sway pubic opinion. In this case, in a way that could cost people their lives.”

“Brown Skin” singer Arie said that Young had “opened a door that I MUST walk through” in her own statement posted on Tuesday.

“I believe in freedom of speech. However, I find Joe Rogan problematic for reasons OTHER than his Covid interviews...FOR ME ITS ALSO HIS language around race,” Arie said.

The Independent has contacted Spotify for comment.

In the wake of the boycott, Spotify has now said it will add Covid-19 content advisory labels in response to the backlash caused by the controversy.

In 2021, Rogan invited widely discredited doctor Robert Malone on to his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience. During the interview, he Malone claimed that Americans were “hypnotised” into wearing masks and getting vaccines.

In a lengthy video posted to Instagram on Monday (31 January), Rogan addressed the controversy, telling his followers that he thinks “a lot of people had a distorted perception of what I do”.

“[My] podcast has been accused of spreading dangerous misinformation, specifically about two episodes,” he said.

He continued: “I’m not trying to promote misinformation. I’m not trying to be controversial. I’ve never tried to do anything with this podcast other than just talk to people and have interesting conversations.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have a deal with Spotify that’s worth a reported £18m, released a statement on Sunday (30 January), in which they said they have spoken to the music platform’s bosses about their concerns regarding “disinformation”

The couple said they hope platform makes changes ‘to help address this public health crisis’