Update!

Coldplay Accused of Foul Play

A Brooklyn band accuses Chris Martin & Co. of swiping one of its songs

By Erik Pedersen Jun 17, 2008 3:55 PMTags

Did Chris Martin & Co. swipe the melody for "Viva la Vida," the group's new song on those iTunes commercials?

The Brooklyn band Creaky Boards seems to think they did. And the tune in question?

It's called, "The Songs I Didn't Write."

Oh, the irony...

Creaky Boards singer Andrew Hoepfner posted a YouTube video that combines both "Viva la Vida" and "The Songs I Didn't Write" with text in which he claims he and his band thought they saw Martin in the audience when the Creaky Boards played the CMJ festival in October 2007.

"We were flattered when we thought we spotted Chris Martin in the crowd that night. He seemed pretty into it!...Maybe TOO into it," writes Hoepfner.

A rep for Coldplay denied the accusations, telling the Guardian that Coldplay cut a demo for "Viva la Vida" in March 2007 and that Martin couldn't possibly have been at the CMJ show because he was in London recording.

In an email to E! News, Hoepfner elaborates.

"Soon after the video blew up, I received a call from Coldplay's manager. They were really nice about the whole thing and explained about their whereabouts and old demos. I guess the song similarities are just a coincidence...great minds think alike?

"Anyway, I must have been mistaken about seeing Chris at the show because all British people look the same. I lived in London for six weeks and I seriously thought every third person on the corner was Coldplay."

Give it a listen and decide for yourself.

(Originally published 11:15: p.m. PT.)