Vampire Weekend Sued by Album Cover Model

As they gear themselves up to headline this weekend's Latitude festival in Suffolk, England, New York afro-rockers Vampire Weekend have found themselves at the centre of a $2 million (£1.3 million) lawsuit after being sued by Kristen Kennis, the model who graces the cover of the band's latest album, 'Contra.'

According to TMZ, Kennis -- whose image was used as part of an extensive promotional teaser campaign to herald the launch of the album -- filed a lawsuit on Wednesday, July 14, with the Los Angeles County Superior Court. She has claimed that the signature on the model release form was a forgery.

The vintage photo was originally taken in 1983 by Tod Brody when Kennis worked as a fashion model in New York. She is blaming Vampire Weekend as much as the photographer for not bothering to check whether the signature on the release was real or not.

According to lawsuit, she further argues that "the album design, in which the photograph is featured prominently, was a substantial factor in generating recognition and buzz for the 'Contra' album, thus increasing sales and profits."

Kennis claims to have been unaware of the image's use until she was one day confronted by an image of her younger self. Vampire Weekend and Tod Brody have yet to respond to the claim.