July 19, 2010 10:05

Vampire Weekend: 'Being sued over 'Contra' artwork is frustrating'

Band respond to $2million lawsuit

Photo Gallery: Vampire Weekend
Photo: The disputed 'Contra' album cover

Vampire Weekend have responded to being sued by the cover star of their second album 'Contra' by telling NME they are finding legal issues around the case "frustrating".

The New York four-piece are being sued for $2million (£1.3million) by Kirsten Kennis, the model whose 1983 picture appears on the album that was released in January.

She claims a signature on the release form which allowed the band to use the image was forged.

Frontman Ezra Koenig said he could not go into details to how the band will respond to the lawsuit as it was the first time they had ever experienced anything like it, and they wanted to engage with the process "properly".

"I think I can speak for all of us and say this is the first time any of us have ever been sued, so we’re still learning how it works," explained the singer. "There’s so many things we could say about it but given we have no experience of it we’re just keeping conversations to a journal for now, which is a little frustrating."

He added: "There’s nothing we can say about it. We’re not trying to be mysterious. I imagine in the next few months there’ll be plenty to talk about. Given it’s our first time we just want to do it properly."

See the new issue of NME, out in the UK on Wednesday (July 21), or read it digitally worldwide for the full interview with the band.