April 24, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ROCK RIDGE MUSIC SIGNS ONLINE PHENOMENON KNOWN AS BUNNY
What started as a 4-hour recording session and a YouTube viral video has landed Philadelphia-based Leah Kauffman (a.k.a. Bunny) a record deal with Rock Ridge Music. Kauffman is the voice behind the spoof song “My Box in a Box.” Rock Ridge will be releasing the song digitally, and it will be available worldwide beginning May 15.
The video for the song has received over 8 million online views, and both Kauffman (and her alter ego video persona, played by a Philadelphia based Melissa Lamb) have made TV appearances about the song. “My Box In A Box” has also gotten worldwide radio airplay. The song, a parody response to a “Saturday Night Live” song performed by Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg, initially gained attention when it received over 1 million views in a single week. Following that, MSNBC made it the #1 story on their “Countdown with Keith Olberman” twice in the same week, calling it "The Viralist Video.”
The song and video then continued to snowball:
- the song has become one of the top 100 viral videos of all time
- the box used in the video sold on eBay for $1500 (all proceeds went to two local charities)
- a Facebook page dedicated to the song has over 1000 group members
- the song has been featured in Rolling Stone, perezhilton.com, E!, and Cosmopolitan
- the song has been played on dozens of radio stations around the world, including several where it became the most requested song
In addition to the recent signing and forthcoming digital release, Kauffman plans to continue writing and producing songs in the Bunny character that fall outside the box (no pun intended) of typical pop music.
“I just finished 5 months in London so I’m excited about getting back in a studio and recording again,” says Kauffman. “I’m thrilled that ‘My Box In A Box’ has given me this opportunity.”