Former Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti Drummer Sues Band for $1 Million

Drummer Aaron Sperske says that even though his bandmates in Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti ousted him in May, he's still entitled to 25% of their earnings. To collect his alleged share of the band's profits, Sperske has filed a lawsuit against the rest of the band for $1 million.

The suit, reported by Entertainment Law Digest (via Pitchfork) claims that in 2008, Sperske formed an oral partnership with bandmates Ariel Pink, Kenny Gilmore, Tim Koh and Cole Greif-Neill to split equally all profits from songwriting and touring. Greif-Neill left the partnership in 2010 and is not named as a defendant in the suit.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti's brand-new release, 'Mature Themes,' hits retailers on Aug. 21 and is available now for streaming on NPR. Sperske says he contributed to that album "diligently and competently" and is entitled to 25% of the revenues it earns. He wants the court to affirm that he's still a member of the partnership and can continue to collect royalties.

No comment yet from the rest of the experimental pop group, who are about to kick off a month-long U.S. club tour in support of the new record, beginning on Sept. 7 in Austin. Haunted Graffiti's last album, 2010's 'Before Today,' was their first to crack the Billboard 200 and reached No. 25 on the Independent Albums chart.