From England to Cleveland: Guy Snowdon builds following, fights streaming battle

Guy Snowdon likes to joke that he landed in Cleveland Heights by accident. Nine years ago, he, his wife and their young daughter packed up their lives outside Birmingham, England, after his wife earned a promotion with her company’s Ohio-based office.

Before the move, he knew almost nothing about the region.

His introduction came in the form of tourism videos, the kind that show the lakefront on a sunny day and fans packed shoulder-to-shoulder in a Cleveland arena.

“There was one specific one, and it showed a lady on a stage, and in the background was some windows and there was a shipping container floating past,” he said. “And I remember distinctively watching that and thinking, ‘I wanna play that stage when we move there.’”

That stage was the Music Box Supper Club on the West Bank of the Flats, which Snowdon realized when he ended up performing in the venue.

Gaining traction in the local music scene

Not long after moving to the Cleveland area, Snowdon dreamed up a tribute project built around the work of his musical hero, Harry Nilsson.

A friend told him he should pitch the idea to David Spero, a name unfamiliar to Snowdon.

Juanita McGowen

He dialed the number he was given, and on the other end of the line Spero listened, paused and then gently shut the idea down.

“He basically said ‘It's not gonna happen,’” Snowdon said. “And then I said to him, ‘How do you know this kind of stuff?’ And [he said], ‘Because I was Harry's last manager.’”

Spero saw potential in Snowdon but had a different plan.            
Spero, who today manages several members of Bad Company, eventually took Snowdon under his wing.

“He says, ‘You need to form a band and you need to make a name for yourself, because that's how you're gonna get there,” Snowdon said.

With years of experience playing in bands in England, Snowdon took Spero’s advice to heart and formed his band, Guy Snowdon and the Citizens, which Spero now manages.

Blending English and American influences

In the years since, Snowdon has built an artistic presence that feels distinctly British American, infusing elements of hair metal that fogged the ‘80s Sunset Strip in Aquanet to the ‘90s Brit-pop he grew up listening to.

His band’s sound leans into anthemic guitars, bluesy rhythms and harmonies that pull from artists like Guns ‘n’ Roses and Metallica.

“If you want a band to be big and successful, you've got to sound big,” he said.

Regular collaborators include guitarist Greg Hido, drummer Matt Schieferstein and vocalist Tanisha Salary, rounding out a lineup that has stayed active on stages across Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Michigan.

They’ve steadily released new work, from the studio albums “One” in 2021, “Two” in 2024 and “Three” this year, to a live album recorded in Detroit.

This summer, the Citizens signed a distribution deal with the independent label Young Outlaw Music.

Though an indie label, their distribution is through Universal Music and Virgin Music Group.

“I wanted to be associated with a record label. Because I knew if you get associated with a record label, then you can kind of branch out to publicists and proper booking agents and stuff like that,” Snowdon said.

As part of the rollout for 2025’s “Three,” the label re-released “Desert,” a standout track from Snowdon’s 2021 debut.

Promotion ramped up across social media, newsletters and press releases, and by early September the band saw what looked like a promising wave of activity.

“During this time, we saw kind of organic growth coming through, and we thought, ‘Hey, things are getting better,’” Snowdon said. “Mind blowing. It's getting serious now.”

Snowdon’s music was available on major streaming platforms until a sudden email this October upended everything.

Navigating a system stacked against artists

The issue began on Oct. 23, when Snowdon received an email from TuneCore, a digital music distribution service, informing him that Spotify had flagged “Desert” for “artificial streams,” citing a violation of Spotify’s terms.

Snowdon said there had been a sudden increase in plays for the track, which was consistent with his label’s promotional campaign.

“Spotify had seen an increase on the song, and they'd taken it down instantly,” Snowdon said.

The message contained no details, only a link to appeal.
By the next day, his entire album had been removed from every major platform, including Apple Music and YouTube, and royalties were deducted.

“They'd also fined me, and it just said, ‘artificial stream fine,’” Snowdon said.

A later review of analytics revealed a three-day spike in late July, precisely matching the promotional push by Young Outlaw Music.

That surge, Snowdon said, was organic and expected.
He submitted an appeal on Oct. 24, providing evidence of legitimate listener activity.

But penalties had already been imposed before anyone had reviewed his case, a dynamic he describes as a “presumption of guilt.”

Snowdon’s situation echoes concerns voiced by many independent musicians: opaque algorithms can automatically penalize artists without explanation, a process dominated by systems rather than human review.

Platforms like Spotify have cracked down aggressively on fraudulent streaming amid a rise in AI-powered boosting schemes.

But without transparency, legitimate artists can be unreasonably penalized.

“I'm 37 years old. I've been doing this for long enough to know kind of what I'm doing,” Snowdon said. “But say this happens to a band that is just starting … They may not appeal, they may not fight this, they may think, ‘Well, that's it.’”

Although Snowdon's music was restored to streaming services, the damage lingered.

All the metadata tied to the track and album, including play counts and playlist placements, was wiped.

The royalties deducted during the penalty period were never reinstated.

“This is a battle worth fighting. We'll get this sorted. And we'll win,” he said.

The experience underscores what Snowdon calls a “systemic imbalance.”

Major labels have established contacts and industry leverage to resolve disputes quickly.

Independent artists, however, are left to navigate automated systems with little clarity or recourse.

“To see a band like us, that's hit a little bit of success, suddenly be just shut down … This should be a time of celebration and us being happy and excited. But actually, it's the opposite,” he said.

His key concerns echo broader industry critiques of streaming services, including a lack of tools for prevention, punishment before due process and collateral damage.

He said music fans can best support local artists by attending their live shows, rather than streaming their music online.
His plan next year is to take his band out on the road.

“It's all about supporting original music. You know, go out and discover,” he said. “You can buy a ticket for a gig for on a Saturday, for what, five, 10 bucks? And see four incredible bands … you've never heard before.”