Provident Stops Distributing Evanescence

Provident Music Distribution, the Christian distribution arm of Zomba, says it will no longer distribute Wind-up Records act Evanescence to the Christian retail market. The move results from comments that band member Ben Moody made during a print interview that stressed the band does not consider itself a Christian act.

Don Noes, senior VP of Provident Music Distribution—which had been working Evanescence's debut album, Fallen—issued a letter to accounts April 10 saying that Wind-up had recalled the group's product from Christian retail because of Moody's comments. Noes tells accounts they can return Evanescence product for full credit.

Moody was quoted in the April 18 Entertainment Weekly as saying, "We're actually high on the Christian charts, and I'm like, 'What the fuck are we even doing there?' " However, the band played Provident's sales conference last December.

Fallen was No. 1 on last issue's unpublished Top Contemporary Christian Album chart but has now been removed from that chart. The set is No. 10 on The Billboard 200 this issue.

In a letter to Provident, Wind-up chairman/CEO Alan Meltzer apologized for "an unfortunate and embarrassing situation" and vowed that in the future, the label will scrutinize "Christian artists' beliefs and commitment with even greater diligence."