Genre Research
As the track I have chosen is a fine example of the indie genre, I will be researching into this culture. In it's traditional terms, Indie culture focuses on individuality and uniqueness. Originating in the film and music industry in the 1950's and 60's to describe those were unsigned or without a distributor, who then released their content completely independently. Major companies dominated these markets (and indeed still do) making it difficult for aspiring artists to enter the mainstream market. Various producers and artists in both the UK and the US attempted to start independent labels, but many of these failed to match the already established record labels. Eventually these independent labels began grouping together and, skipping forwards to 1980, the UK Indie Chart was created, with the distribution of indie music becoming more refined in the late 1970's onwards.
The indie music genre today enables some bands to emerge onto the mainstream market through major labels. These companies continue to dominate the music business, offering greater financial aids and contacts within the industry; often making use of vertical integration to ensure the process from production to exhibition is secured. However, this does often come at a cost, with major labels often dictating and developing a particular 'star image' to promote and categorise a band. This results in signed artists maintaining an 'indie' aesthetic for marketing purposes, altering the intended meaning of this genre.
The proliferation of hardware and content enables aspiring artists of the present to create and share their own music creations through a multiple of social media sites. From quality software to create the content available for affordable prices, to websites such as SoundCloud and Youtube allowing international sharing of such content with a click of a button. Technological convergence also means that much - if not all - of this process can be created using just one device, traditionally a desktop or laptop computer, which the majority of people have reliable access to. Combining all this makes the production and distribution of independent music very accessible, maintaining creative freedom which is often restricted by a record label.
Due to the ease to which one can create music nowadays, the indie market has become saturated due to quite how broad the genre is. Sub genres including indie rock, indie psych, and indie pop refine this genre further, but still maintain a broad arrange of styles. Today, indie music can be defined as "melodic... simple but well textured guitar riffs... soft vocals" corresponding to the dreamy, vintage, and summery aesthetic evidenced in previous indie music videos I've analysed.
In summary, indie music has become increasingly popular in recent years due to the proliferation of hardware and content. Popular among those in their mid-teens to early-twenties, the term 'indie' originates from unsigned and independent artists, but has since developed into an aesthetic to describe soft, melodic music.
Indie Culture:
Indie culture in itself is very difficult to define. A CNN article aptly defines indie culture as: "if it's cool, creative and different, it's indie" which I believe to be a good description as to what modern day indie culture encompasses.
The aforementioned origins of indie culture focused solely on the handmade aspect, which can be applied to music, film, and indeed fashion, suggesting that those who identify as indie will source and create their own material. However nowadays indie appears to encompass all that which is not actually independent, becoming a fairly mainstream aesthetic, which many aspire to. This is evidenced through the many articles which are available on how to be indie, such as "3 Ways to Be Indie" and "How to Dress Indie" just two guides as to how appear more 'indie'. Evidently, indie culture has become very mainstream at present, and perhaps could be interchangeable with the word 'trendy'.
Adding substance to this, stereotypically, indie culture is fiercely independent, with those identifying as indie striving to be as unique as possible; from avoiding branded clothing, to scouring vintage shops to get one-of-a-kind antique furniture. With the growth and dominance of MP3, many in this culture and music genre like to listen to music in a more traditional way, sourcing vinyl records to listen to; resulting in many mainstream artists who maintain an indie aesthetic to release their track in this format, catering to their target audience. In turn, this alters their consumption of music, turning it into more of an experience rather than a background noise, which demonstrates the passion which this audience conventionally possesses.
Indie culture holds a close connection to music, sharing an overall philosophy regarding individuality and resisting conformity. As indie is such a large culture, this can be further categorised into sub-cultures, most notably Hipsters. Hipsters tend to shun anything which is considered 'mainstream', with the focus on anti-conformity at all costs. Perhaps considered an extreme version of indie, hipsters are stereotypically more snobbish than the indie social group, with more definitive tastes which tend to exhaust irony, with many stating that they despise a mainstream, dominant company, only to purchase and consume a product made by said company. As my music video corresponds with the indie genre, I am not going to be focusing on the hipster sub-culture, although due to it's relation I deemed it necessary to mention.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=indie%20music
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_music
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/19/indie.overview/index.html?iref=allsearch
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