Major Maker
{{Short description|Canadian indie rock band}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Major Maker
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| background = group_or_band
| alias =
| origin = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| genre = Indie rock
| years_active = 2006–present
| label = EMI
| associated_acts =
| website = [http://www.majormaker.com/ majormaker.com]
| current_members = Todor Kobakov
Lindy Vopnfjörð
Thomas D'Arcy
Ian LeFeuvre
John Ocerbian
| past_members =
}}
Major Maker is a Canadian indie rock band, formed in Toronto, Ontario in 2006 by Bulgarian-born Todor Kobakov and singer-songwriter Lindy Vopnfjörð.
History
=Founding=
Their track "Rollercoaster" was used in a Maynards candy commercial, which led the company to be inundated with requests for the name of the band. The commercial was viewed more than 77,000 times on YouTube and was written about in the Toronto Sun and in Marketing magazine.{{cite news| title=Candy Commercial Gives Major Maker A Big, Sweet Break | publisher =Chart| date =2007-07-25| url=http://www.chartattack.com/news/44098/candy-commercial-gives-major-maker-a-big-sweet-break | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706004419/http://www.chartattack.com/news/44098/candy-commercial-gives-major-maker-a-big-sweet-break | url-status=usurped | archive-date=July 6, 2010 | access-date=2009-03-06 }}{{cite news| last =Hill| first =Sylvie| title =Jingle sells| publisher =Ottawa XPress| date =2007-11-29| url =http://www.ottawaxpress.ca/music/music.aspx?iIDArticle=13570| access-date =2008-02-16| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110723012118/http://www.ottawaxpress.ca/music/music.aspx?iIDArticle=13570| archive-date =2011-07-23| url-status =dead}} The duo wrote the song initially for the 30-second ad, calling it "Maynards Candy Song", but after its popularity they wrote two-and-a-half minutes more of the song, retitled it, and released it for digital download in July 2007.{{cite journal| last =Borzykowski| first =Bryan| title =Independent thinking| journal =Marketing|volume =112|issue =19|pages= 26–27|date =2007-10-15 }} The single "Rollercoaster" entered Billboard's Canadian Hot 100 Chart and peaked at number 57 after 12 weeks on the chart.
They also licensed the song "Talk to You" to Telus,{{cite news| last =Sung| first =Hannah| title =Major Maker| publisher =Eye Weekly| date =2007-12-12| url =http://www.eyeweekly.com/music/features/article/12801| access-date =2008-02-16| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20081202132947/http://www.eyeweekly.com/music/features/article/12801| archive-date =2008-12-02| url-status =dead}} which was unreleased until Lindy Vopnfjörð uploaded the song on his YouTube channel.
=''All Illusion'' (2006)=
Their 2006 debut full-length release All Illusion was recorded and mixed in Kobakov's house.{{cite news| last =Dickie| first =Mary| title =Major Maker creates big music| publisher =Toronto Sun| date =2006-08-08| url =http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2006/08/08/1724253.html| archive-url =https://archive.today/20120715132644/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2006/08/08/1724253.html| url-status =usurped| archive-date =July 15, 2012| access-date =2008-02-16 }} Their 2007 EP People Carrier includes two remixes of "Rollercoaster", one by Small Sins and one by Sofia Scandalli.{{cite news | last=Dillon | first=Moya | title=Major Maker's Rollercoaster Ride Continues With New EP | publisher=Chart | date=2007-10-17 | url=http://www.chartattack.com/news/44661/major-makers-rollercoaster-ride-continues-with-new-ep | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607125400/http://www.chartattack.com/news/44661/major-makers-rollercoaster-ride-continues-with-new-ep | url-status=usurped | archive-date=June 7, 2011 | access-date=2008-02-16 }}
=Members=
Kobakov, who by age 20 had completed a music performance degree in classical piano at the University of Toronto, has written film scores, including for the movie Young People Fucking. He has done string arrangements for such artists as Stars and Sarah Slean. He has also toured as part of the live band for Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton and Small Sins. Separately, Kobakov has released three albums under the name Cy Scobie, and a classical piano album called Pop Music.
Vopnfjörð has also released several solo albums, most recently Young Waverer in 2013. He has played all over Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom throughout his career. He achieved his first number one single on CBC Radio 3's The R3-30 charts in May 2013.{{cite web |url=http://music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2013/6/Lindys-incredible-journey-to-the-top-of-the-charts |title= CBC Music|website=music.cbc.ca |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160301002442/http://music.cbc.ca/ |archive-date=2016-03-01}}
For live shows, Kobakov and Vopnfjörð are joined by bassist Thomas D'Arcy of Small Sins, guitarist Ian LeFeuvre of Starling, guitarist Steve Krecklo of The Carnations, and drummer John Ocerbian from Sarah Harmer's band.
Discography
=Albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of studio and live albums ! Year ! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:9em;"| Album title ! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:15em;"| Release details |
| 2006
! {{nobold| All Illusion }} |
|
| 2007
! {{nobold|People Carrier EP}} |
|
| 2008
! {{nobold|Funky Lady EP}} |
|
=Singles=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Incomplete list of singles by Major Maker ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:2.5em;" | Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title ! scope="col" colspan="4" | Chart peaks ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Certifications | |||
| style="width:2em;font-size:70%;"|Can. 100
!style="width:2em;font-size:70%;"|iTunes !style="width:2em;font-size:70%;"| !style="width:2em;font-size:70%;"| | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="1"|2007
!scope="row"|"Rollercoaster" |57 | 2 | — | —
|{{NA|none}} |Charted on Top 40 and Hot AC radio |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20160301002442/http://music.cbc.ca/#!/artists/Major-Maker] official site
- {{YouTube|u=majormaker|Major Maker}}
- [http://radio3.cbc.ca/bands/Major-Maker/ Major Maker]{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} on CBC Radio 3
{{Authority control}}
Category:Canadian indie rock groups
Category:Musical groups established in 2006