On the forthcoming Record Store Day compilation The Space Project, artists like Beach House and Youth Lagoon contribute songs that use sounds recorded in space. Spiritualized contributed the new song “Always Forgetting With You (The Bridge Song),” but then frontman Jason Pierce, earlier this week, had some not-too-flattering things to say about the entire endeavor. Pierce claimed, in an NME interview, that he was broke and only recorded the song because he needed the money, and he also called the project’s entire scientific plausibility into question. Here’s the most damning line: “They said they’ve give me $1,500 to do a drone, which I can do in my sleep. And they got lucky, because I didn’t go in to write a tune, but I came out with that song, so it kind of worked out.” And while Pierce hasn’t exactly apologized for those comments, he has backpedaled, and he’s using the old why would anyone listen to the things I say in interviews? defense.

As Pitchfork points out, Pierce made a statement on Spiritualized’s Facebook:

…….Must’ve been a slow news day. It was never my intention to criticise the Space Project as has been suggested in the press the past couple of days. It don’t even read like me. I am deeply proud of the track i have recorded and I have no idea how the few words I said over the phone could have been written up the way they have been. The Space Project is one of the more interesting Record Store Day releases and we have worked hard on this project. The news story currently doing the rounds couldn’t be further from the truth. Guess my humour and humility didn’t translate that day. Don’t believe all you read …. Xspaceman

The Space Project is out 4/19 (Record Store Day) on Lefse. Also, a new Spiritualized song should be worth way more than $1,500.