TV CANDY AD LANDS TORONTO INDIE BAND
‘MAJOR’ EXPOSURE
BY POPULAR DEMAND, “ROLLERCOASTER” WILL BE RELEASED JULY 31
ON iTUNES CANADA
If ever a song could make your mouth water, this is it. That impossibly catchy tune in the Maynards Candy TV commercial has hooked thousands of Canadian viewers desperate to get their hands on the full version of the song and to discover the identity of the band who wrote it.
Case in point, Cadbury-Adams (Maynards parent company) has been flooded with inquiries and there are dedicated chat-rooms on Yahoo, Facebook, Answerbag and blogs buzzing with curiosity. YouTube views of the commercial are at 54,000 and counting, while the Toronto Sun has run an entire feature on ‘The Mystery Behind Maynards’ and Canada’s Marketing Magazine comments ‘The best thing about this spot is the music.”
It’s official – Toronto-based indie-rockers Major Maker are responsible for this sweet track, entitled “Rollercoaster.” The band was formed in 2006 by Todor Kobakov and Lindy Vopnfjord. By popularizing the song on television, the Maynard’s ad campaign forced the band to push through indie ambivalence to meet the mass appetite for its sound. The “Rollercoaster” digital-only single will be released Tuesday, July 31 exclusively on iTunes Canada.
Bulgarian-born Kobakov is a classically trained composer with a degree in performance piano from the University of Toronto. Recent projects include string arrangements for Stars, Emily Haines, Sarah Slean, Jason Collett and Fields as well as touring duties for both the Emily Haines band The Soft Skeleton and the Astralwerks-signed Small Sins. In addition, Kobakov’s remix of Haines’ “Mostly Waving” can be found on her new EP “What Is Free To A Good Home” - in stores today.
Lindy is a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter of Icelandic descent with three solo albums under his belt, a penchant for killer hooks and a commanding live performance. Major Maker’s huge sound is created live with the help of bassist Thom D’Arcy (Small Sins) guitarist Ian LeFeuvre (Starling, Jim Bryson) and drummer John Ocerbian (Sarah Harmer).
The song caught the ear of acclaimed engineer John O’Mahoney (U2, Prince, Paul McCartney) who signed on to mix the track. The music video will be shot in August by acclaimed French director Arno Salters (Imogen Heap, Mates of State, Golden Dogs). Major Maker are now hard at work on the Rollercoaster EP set for a fall release.
And there’s more. The band has partnered with EMI Music Canada in a precedent setting deal that points to the evolving landscape of the music industry. Paul Shaver, VP of Marketing and Promotion at EMI Music Canada says ‘When I saw the Maynards spot I fell in love with the track and was surprised to learn the song was written by a young Canadian band because it has this British 60‘s pop vibe to it. I found out that the full version had yet to be released and so we approached the band on the idea of a single-song license deal.”
The unique deal encompasses world-wide wireless, digital and physical rights. As a result of the partnership, EMI Music Canada takes “Rollercoaster” to radio this week with the hope that the television story will have a positive affect with station programmers.
“It’s smart when you think about it,” states Major Maker manager Daniel Cutler. “A TV campaign is like a nation-wide focus group. The overwhelming response to the ad is proof that thousands of Canadians love this song. The band was savvy to hold the full version of ‘Rollercoaster’ until the demand was created. Now radio has the chance to play the full version of a song that people are already familiar with.”
“I think that’s great set-up for a radio single,” Cutler adds. “There are many examples of international artists ‘breaking’ or re-inventing themselves through a television spot, from Badly Drawn Boy to Nick Drake. So why not in Canada?”
ROLLERCOASTER DIGITAL-ONLY SINGLE RELEASE JULY 31 ON iTUNES CANADA
MAJOR MAKER TOUR DATES
AUGUST 18 TORONTO @ MOD CLUB (early show - 8:30pm )
AUGUST 16 WATERLOO @ STARLIGHT
Click here to view the Maynards Candy ad featuring “Rollercoaster”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ7pGMfVNVg
