Pitchfork

Band of Horses took a bit of flak a couple months back-- on the interwebs, anyway-- for licensing a song to Wal-Mart (and another to Ford) for a net-based ad campaign. "My personal stance," Band-leader Ben Bridwell wrote in response to the haters, "is that once that music is recorded and released to the world then I don't really care where it goes."

But despite this apparent nonchalance, Bridwell has drawn a line. Speaking to Fargo, North Dakota publication The Forum this week (linked via Brooklyn Vegan), Bridwell confirmed that while it could have taken quite a leap forward, Band of Horses' dalliance with the mega department store chain with the questionable ethics has come to an end.

"I called my family, talked to my girlfriend about it, talked to the guys in the band and decided it's no big deal," Bridwell said of the initial decision to license the song. "We tested it with that Web site thing that I figured nobody would really even see. But in the Internet age, you can't do anything without someone catching wind of it.

"Some fans, they don't even give a crap," he continued. "They're like, 'Whatever, bands got to get paid.' But at the same time, I was reluctant to do it in the back of my mind, and some fans reminded me there is a reason to feel that way about it.

"So once I saw our fans were let down by it, I nixed the TV commercial, and said, 'You know what, this isn't for me. Keep your money.'"

The TV commercial Bridwell mentions was an option Wal-Mart put before the band following the success of the web campaign (which has since ended), according to Band of Horses' label, Sub Pop.

So, in summary: Band of Horses could have gone all the way with Wal-Mart, but they didn't. Yay for them. Meanwhile, life goes on, Cease to Begin is out now, and Band of Horses continue their recently upsized tour in Montana this weekend. Go see them, and please people, leave the cameras at home.

Horsin' around:

11-17 Bozeman, MT - Filling Station *
11-18 Boise, ID - Neurolux/Crazy *
11-19 Seattle, WA - Showbox *
11-20 Seattle, WA - Showbox *
11-21 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom *
11-23 San Francisco, CA - Fillmore *
11-24 Los Angeles, CA - Avalon *
11-26 Pomona, CA - Glass House *
11-29 London, England - Bush Hall
12-28 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
12-29 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
12-31 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
02-20 Dublin, Ireland - Button Factory
02-21 Glasgow, Scotland - ABC
02-23 Birmingham, England - Academy
02-24 Manchester, England - Academy
02-25 Bristol, England - Thekla Social
02-28 Paris, France - La Maroquinerie
02-29 Cologne, Germany - Gebäude 9
03-01 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
03-02 Hamburg, Germany - Knust
03-04 Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega
03-05 Gothenburg, Sweden - Sticky Fingers
03-06 Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser
03-07 Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller
03-08 Stavanger, Norway - Folken
03-10 Berlin, Germany - Columbia Club
03-11 Frankfurt, Germany - Mousonturm
03-12 Oslo, Norway - Garage
03-13 Zurich, Switzerland - Abart
03-14 Lausanne, Switzerland - Le Romandie
03-15 Brussels, Belgium - Botanique

* with the Drones, Tyler Ramsey