In a new interview with São Paulo, Brazil’s 89 FM A Rádio Rock radio station, THE CULT frontman Ian Astbury addressed the fact that rock music has been underrepresented at the Grammy Awards in recent years, in part due to changing tastes, sales and streaming numbers, and the need to attract viewers. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Well, first of all, THE CULT has never been honored by the Grammys. So it’s an institution. This is an institution — I’m gonna say something controversial — like the church or science or whatever. And they wanna control the cultural narrative for themselves. So they have 15,000 experts on music.”There is millions and billions of music fans around the world,” he continued. “I’d say ask them. Ask the people who actually buy music, who come to the concerts, who buy the tickets, who work hard. For me, when these people say ‘we respect you’ and ‘we wanna give you an accolade,’ then that is something really special. But when it comes from an institution, there is always some kind of contract, dark contract.”I mean, I love that the Grammys is trying to diversify, but with rock music, they are making a big mistake,” Astbury added. “And I feel that they are destroying the culture of… Well, they’re an institution. So they’re like a museum. But we are living, breathing, and there’s rock musicians who are 15 to 65, 75. THE [ROLLING] STONES are still playing music. There’s this incredible tradition of diversity in rock music, and there’s so many different aspects of rock music. And they do not acknowledge this.”THE CULT holds a significant place in musical history due to its pioneering use of post-punk, hard rock, and experimentalism, pushing boundaries and influencing countless bands across multiple genres. With their musical prowess, uncompromising attitude and captivating stage presence, they forged a distinct identity while charting new territory for bands to explore. From guitarist Billy Duffy’s formative, and influential, years in the Manchester underground, to Astbury’s groundbreaking “Gathering Of The Tribes”, the duo has left an indelible mark on modern music, shaping its trajectory in profound ways.THE CULT’s latest album, “Under The Midnight Sun”, arrived in October 2022 via Black Hill Records. The LP was produced by Tom Dalgety (PIXIES, GHOST, ROYAL BLOOD). Dalgety is the first British producer THE CULT has worked with since its second album, “Love” (1985).Born out of the ashes of the U.K. post-punk scene, THE CULT evolved to become one of the most influential and controversial rock bands of the late 20th century, selling millions of albums, headlining arenas and stadiums around the world, infusing innovative possibilities into the worlds of music and art, and quickly ascending through the ranks of the indie music world to achieve global status. THE CULT, whose music transformed from punk rock to post-punk, psychedelia, heavy dance music and transcendental hard rock, became one of the handful of important bands in the U.S. post-modern and hard rock communities, and was embraced by a generation that was waking up to the influence of 1960s and 1970s rock icons like LED ZEPPELIN, THE NEW YORK DOLLS and David Bowie.The constant core of THE CULT is the “head and heart” of the band, Astbury and Duffy. Attitude incarnate, the chemistry between these two vastly different artists — equal parts genuine affection and palpable tension — remains the source of their long-standing partnership. Duffy grounds Astbury’s esoteric side with a hard rock perspective, and there is no doubt that at all times, these two have each other’s back. THE CULT’s current lineup also includes former WHITE ZOMBIE, EXODUS and TESTAMENT drummer John Tempesta.[embedded content]