{{short description|American singer-songwriter}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2014}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Maia Vidal | image = | birth_name = Maia Vidal | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1988|02|20}} | death_date = | birth_place = [[Santa Barbara, California]] | origin = [[Ithaca, New York|Ithaca]], New York | genre = Indie, Chanson, Toy Folk | occupation = Singer, songwriter, arranger, visual artist | instrument = voice, accordion, violin, clarinet, toy piano | years_active = 2004–present | label = [[Crammed Discs]] | website = {{URL|maiavidal.com}} | current_members = | past_members = }}
'''Maïa Vidal''' (born February 20, 1988) is an American-born composer, songwriter, musician, and visual artist. Currently based in Europe (primarily [[Barcelona]] and [[Paris]]), she has toured in Europe, [[Canada]], [[Japan]], and the United States.
== Biography == Maïa Vidal was born in [[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]], California, moved at an early age to [[Brooklyn]], New York, and then to [[Ithaca, New York]] where she began studying violin. She started her first band, an all-girl punk group, while a student at [[Ithaca High School (Ithaca, New York)|Ithaca High School]]. Her band, Kiev (later changed to Kievan Rus to avoid name conflicts with a California band of the same name), played in two [[Warped Tour]] events,<ref>{{cite news|last=Catalano|first=Jim|title=Kiev has Warped date at Darien Lake|url=http://orig.theithacajournal.com/entertainment/stories/20040812/music/1029263.html|accessdate=December 3, 2011|newspaper=The Ithaca Journal|date=August 12, 2004}}</ref> and toured briefly with [[Bad Religion]], [[Anti-Flag]], and [[Gogol Bordello]]. Bad Religion's [[Greg Graffin]] took an early interest in the band, and produced their EP ''Kievan Rus.''
The band was cast in a series of [[Coca-Cola]] commercial called "Girl Band" directed by cinematographer [[Lance Acord]] that aired in 2005.<ref>{{cite news|title=Coke Taps Real Band for "Real" Campaign|url=http://creativity-online.com/news/coke-taps-real-band-for-real-campaign/42005|accessdate=December 3, 2011|newspaper=AdCritic|date=January 28, 2005}}</ref> [[Mike Viola]] provided lyrics and musical direction for the commercials, but 'Kiev's' music was used for the series of ads. Various articles referenced the Coke ad highlighting the DIY attitude of the band, the documentary style used by Acord for the Coke "Real" campaign, and the ironic juxtaposition of a real "girl band" in an advertisement being more "real" than the reality TV show "American Idol" during which it aired.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lippert|first=Barbara|title=Barbara Lippert's Critique: Just Wanna Have Fun|url=http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising/barbara-lipperts-critique-just-wanna-have-fun-77290|accessdate=December 3, 2011|newspaper=Adweek|date=January 24, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Horyn|first=Cathy|title=The Next Wave of Style Begins at Home|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/28/fashion/28DRES.html|accessdate=December 3, 2011|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 28, 2004}}</ref>
Vidal started a new project, Your Kid Sister, while an art student at [[Concordia University (Quebec)|Concordia University]] in Montreal. Your Kid Sister began as an homage to [[Rancid (band)|Rancid]], her favorite punk band, and she covered Rancid songs in the persona of [[Tim Armstrong]]'s fictional younger sister. Rancid's [[...And Out Come the Wolves]] was a major influence and during the Your Kid Sister project, Vidal always performed while wearing a wolf hat. Her music video for the song, "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRbYOndHY1s Poison]", was made during a summer class at [[Cornell University]] taught by animator [[Lynn Tomlinson]].
In 2009, Vidal moved to [[Barcelona]] and began writing new material while continuing to perform Rancid covers as Your Kid Sister, and playing in other bands. She independently released the album 'Poison: 5 Rancid Songs That I Love' in 2010.
Barcelona design company [[Desigual]] commissioned Vidal to compose music for the "Dreams 2011" ad campaign featuring designs by Christian Lacroix.<ref>{{cite web|title=We are all made of Dreams|url=http://blog.desigual.com/we-are-all-made-of-dreams/?lang=en|publisher=Desigual|accessdate=December 3, 2011}}</ref>
While writing and recording new material she transitioned to using her given name, Maïa Vidal, as her performance name. Her first effort as Maïa Vidal, ''God Is My Bike'' was recorded in Barcelona and was released in Europe and Japan by the Belgian label [[Crammed Discs]] on October 31, 2011.<ref>{{cite web|title=Maia Vidal|url=http://www.crammed.be/index.php?id=34&art_id=182&bio=full|publisher=Crammed Discs|accessdate=December 3, 2011}}</ref>
Guitarist [[Marc Ribot]] plays on two of the tracks on the album: "God Is My Bike", and "Le Tango de la Femme Abandonnée".
Several French and Spanish radio and television programs have interviewed Vidal about her influences and her approach to music.<ref>{{cite web|title=La pop accordéon de Maïa Vidal|date=December 2011|url=http://www.france24.com/fr/20111201-maia-vidal-god-is-my-bike-accordeon-oscar-wilde-pere-lachaise-tombe-les-lyonnais-edmond-vidal-louise-dupont-fr-culture|publisher=France 24|accessdate=December 3, 2011}}</ref> She tours widely in Europe, and recently played 3 sold-out shows in Japan opening for the French artist [[Zaz (singer)|Zaz]]. Vidal's 'Follow me' track has been used in the Greek IKEA commercials and in the DKNY fragrance commercial for the fragrance "Be Delicious."
Positive reviews of the album "God Is My Bike" include a listing in the influential French rock magazine [[Les Inrockuptibles]] as one of their "5 groups to follow" in which they write, "Simple yet twisted, playful and delicate, [Maïa Vidal's] brief pop masterpieces don't evoke any specific territory and don't burden themselves with any roots."<ref>{{cite web|title=Cinq groupes à suivre (69)|url=http://www.lesinrocks.com/2011/11/04/musique/5-groupes-a-suivre/cinq-groupes-a-suivre-69-117255/|publisher=Les Inrockuptibles|author=Thomas Brugel|date=November 4, 2011|accessdate=November 30, 2011}}</ref>
Vidal's '[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c_rY4uOCSY Follow Me]' music video was nominated for the [[UK Music Video Awards]] in 2012 in the category Best Pop Video International, along with Lana del Rey (who went on to win the award), Rhianna, and Justice.<ref>{{cite news|last=Knight|first=David|title=UK Music Video Awards 2012: here are the nominations!|url=http://www.promonews.tv/news/2012/10/08/uk-music-video-awards-2012-here-are-nominations|accessdate=November 3, 2014|newspaper=PromoNews|date=October 8, 2012}}</ref>
Two of her songs from "God Is My Bike" ("Le Tango de la Femme Abandonnée" and "The Waltz [Instrumental]") were featured in the animated feature "[[The Scapegoats]]" (2013), by independent filmmaker [[Tor E. Steiro]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2987316/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1|title = The Scapegoats (2013) - IMDb| website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref>
In the summer of 2015, the beer company [[Estrella Damm]] released a short film entitled "D'acord" (in [[Catalan language|Catalan]]) / "Vale" (in [[Castilian Spanish|Spanish]]) directed by [[Alejandro Amenabar]] and starring [[Dakota Johnson]], [[Natalia Tena]], and [[Quim Gutierrez]]. Vidal wrote the song "Our Place" for the short film.<ref>({cite web|title=Our Place de Maïa Vidal, Estrella Damm 2015|url=http://www.elmundo.es/happy-fm/2015/06/22/55883a08ca4741571a8b4594.html|accessdate=July 21, 2015|newspaper=El Mundo|date=6/22/2015})</ref> In the summer of 2018, [[Estrella Damm]] did another short directed by Dani de la Torre, and Vidal had a cameo appearance playing "Our Place" outside of a guitar shop.
In 2017, Vidal started a new project in Barcelona, called Side Chick, with Eduardo Benatar (drums) and Scarlett (vocals, guitar). They published a CD called Side Chick in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|title=Side Chick discography in Foehn Records|url=http://www.foehnrecords.com/artistas-foehn/side-chick/|publisher=Foehn Records|accessdate=November 8, 2019}}</ref>
== Discography == Vidal has been involved in 4 groups that have available recordings:
=== Side Chick === * ''Side Chick'' (CD) (2019)
=== Maïa Vidal === * ''[[God Is My Bike]]'' (CD) (2011), featuring [[Marc Ribot]] * ''Maia Vidal'' (EP) (2011) * ''[[SPACES]]'' (CD) (2013) * ''[[You're the Waves]]'' (CD) (2015)
=== Your Kid Sister === ''Poison: 5 Rancid Songs That I Love'' (2010)
=== Kiev (Kievan Rus) === * ''Kievan Rus'' (EP) (2004) * ''Live at the Chapter House'' (2004) * ''Get Out of My Basement'' (2003)
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website|http://maiavidal.com|Maïa Vidal official website}} *[http://www.crammed.be/index.php?id=34&art_id=182 Maïa Vidal pages on the Crammed Discs website] *[https://www.youtube.com/user/ifoundamaia?feature=watch Vidal's official YouTube playlist] *[https://www.facebook.com/maiavidal Vidal's facebook fan page] *[https://www.instagram.com/maiavidal/ Vidal's Instagram page] *[https://www.instagram.com/sidechickband/ Side Chick Instagram page]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vidal, Maia}} [[Category:American women singer-songwriters]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1988 births]] [[Category:American indie pop musicians]] [[Category:21st-century American singer-songwriters]] [[Category:21st-century American women singers]] [[Category:21st-century American women composers]] [[Category:Ithaca High School (Ithaca, New York) alumni]]