The Presets' Kim Moyes has apologised for a series of Facebook posts about the imminent execution of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, saying that the situation "got a bit out of control".
The electronic duo told fans to stop listening to their music if they supported the "state sanctioned murder" of the two Australians convicted for drug smuggling, and were not shy in condemning anyone who disagreed.
"If you believe in state sanctioned murder, are against compassion and think you are above making mistakes ... please ... unfollow us, delete all our music and stop listening to us altogether. Peace," the duo posted on their official Facebook page.
Debate raged between the artists and their 228,000 Facebook fans, with some accusing Moyes and singer Julian Hamilton of being rude and insensitive to alternative views. In the course of the discussion, the band had called some people "f--cking idiots", "c---s" and "dickheads" and told others to "f--k off".
"If you agree with murder, lack compassion and openly display those views on our page then yes, you are a total c--t and can f--k off," the band posted in response to one comment thread.
"I don't care if that offends, if you truly have delicate sensibilities then surely you are not a passive murderer."
A posted signed by Moyes on Monday said he was sorry for any personal offence taken during the course of the debate.
"Obviously that all got a bit out of control yesterday. I feel strongly about this issue but that's still no excuse for getting personal ... SORRY," he posted.
Moyes went on to explain: "I personally believe that state sanctioned killing almost never does any good and it often does great harm. Of course other people have the right to disagree (respectfully) with me about that, and I have the right to disagree (respectfully) with them too."
Moyes and Hamilton are no strangers to politically charged issues. Their 2007 single My People was inspired by the plight of asylum seekers during the Howard era.
"I felt so horrible about the way we treat these destitute people that I wanted to write a desperate-sounding song. The line 'Let me hear you scream if you're with me' could be understood to come from the perspective of someone who is locked up, needing to hear that there are people outside who are behind him and supporting him," Hamilton told the now defunct Rave Magazine at the time.
The song spent more than 1½ years in the ARIA top 100 singles chart and was later used by Channel Seven to promote coverage of the Beijing Olympics.
