Stewart Copeland has opened up about his surprisingly amicable relationship with former bandmate Sting. A $2 million royalties lawsuit between the two ex-Police members continues in the background.
The drummer addressed how he and Sting have managed to maintain a personal friendship while their financial dispute plays out.
“We’re not (in court). The bean counters are, somewhere over in London. For me it’s, ‘Lemme know how it works out…'” Copeland said. “I still talk to Sting, about kids, Instagram memes, bullshit… I’m happy that we get along just fine, and we know way. It’s not because of satanic impulses or any of the human infirmities of jealousy, greed, pride, whatever. It’s because we had a spell where our music universes overlapped and we created some incredible stuff.”
Copeland went on to reflect on the nature of their creative partnership and why it ultimately ran its course.
“We really achieved everything we needed to achieve. Really, as I’ve been saying a lot recently, ol’ Sting-O and I, we make music for different reasons, and it has a different place in our lives. So we get along great as long as we’re not trying to make music together,” he continued.
He also touched on his current approach to music, describing a more relaxed and passion-driven outlook.
“I’ve had a career in music; it worked out well. Now I just do it for kicks and put (music) up on YouTube for folks to enjoy, without any agenda. I’m not chasing the charts; if I make a record, it’s probably gonna cost me money. You can’t make a living writing opera, but it’s a lot of fun,” Copeland added.
The legal backdrop to these remarks is more complex than Copeland’s casual tone might suggest. The lawsuit was filed by both Copeland and fellow Police guitarist Andy Summers. It stems from songwriting agreements dating back to 1977 — the early days of the band’s formation. The two claim Sting has failed to pay them their full share of royalties owed under those decades-old contracts.
Court records indicate Sting has already paid his former bandmates $870,000. Copeland and Summers are still pursuing the remainder of the claim, which they value at over $2 million. The case is being handled in a U.K. court, consistent with Copeland’s remarks about the dispute being settled “somewhere over in London.”
Copeland has been making the rounds on a spoken-word tour of North America. He has been discussing the band’s history, his relationship with Sting, and the inner workings of one of rock’s most iconic — and famously volatile — partnerships. The tour has given him a platform to offer candid reflections on a career that spanned some of the most commercially successful years in rock history.
The Police broke up in 1986 before a brief reunion tour in 2007 and 2008. They remain one of the best-selling acts of all time. Despite the legal friction, Copeland has been consistent in separating the personal from the professional, framing the lawsuit as a business matter entirely disconnected from his friendship with Sting.
For Copeland, the distinction is clear: the music they made together was a product of a unique and unrepeatable moment, not a reason for ongoing animosity. The lawsuit, in his view, is simply the business side of that legacy being sorted out — one that he is happy to leave to the accountants.
Source: Billboard
