Alt-country heroes Wilco have defended the use of their music in a Volkswagon television campaign.
Shortly after the release of their seventh album, 'Sky Blue Sky', Wilco have approved the use of five or six songs for a Volkswagon advertising campaign. Posting an explanatory message to fans on their website, hopefully to arrest calls of "sellout", the contention is that since radio and television mostly ignore them, this is the best way to get their music out to the masses.Wilco openly admit that this is not the first time they have allowed their music to be used for commercial purposes (noting a recent Spanish telecommunications company advert and the appearance of frontman Jeff Tweedy in an Apple ad) and say that members of the band actually drive VWs.
The statement said, in part, "With the commercial radio airplay route getting more difficult for many bands (including Wilco); we see this as another way to get the music out there. As with most of the above (with the debatable exception of radio) the band gets paid for this."
The songs used so far are 'The Thanks I Get', a bonus track from the 'Sky Blue Sky' sessions, and 'You Are My Face'.
