Big Blog no.1 - American Roots Music - Indie Music

 

What is Indie?

“Indie” is short for independent, and its genre is characterized by many things, such as its status of independence from commercial music and mainstream culture. Indie music is often associated with alternative, underground, or independent music scenes.  An Indie artists’ unique sound is described by their poetic lyrics, an often rustic and less polished sound, and time signatures and chord progressions. Indie artists typically use electric guitar, electric bass guitar, analog  or live drum kits, and synthesizers/digital pianos in their music.

Indie and Alternative music grew out of the post-punk and new-wave scenes of the 1970’s.  Indie music was considered “College Rock'' because it was an alternative to normal commercial radio and it was popular with college radio stations. While early indie music was prevalent in America, Indie music charts were quite popular in the United Kingdom in the 1980’s. This was due to the popular music magazine NME’s release of C-86 in 1986. This was a compilation of music on cassette that featured new and upcoming artists. The cassette was full of bright and eclectic guitar tones that captivated listeners. Soon after, the genre started expanding rapidly. The term “indie” became much larger than before, slowly encompassing an aesthetic rather than a single style or genre. Below is a link to a playlist containing the original songs from the C-86 compilation cassette: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBZYEdp33RyQRqXgfycUfhEPcd1bJJJSy

The earliest Indie bands which defined the genre are bands such as REM, The Smiths, Husker Du and Sonic Youth. These bands were frequently played in the UK and the United States during the 1980’s on various college radio stations. The Smiths were one of the most popular English indie rock bands of the 1980s. At this time, it was the end of synth-driven new wave and the birth of the guitar rock that dominated British rock into the 1990s. The Smiths were inspired by the “do it yourself” ethics of punk. They soon became the first indie outsiders to achieve mainstream success on their own terms. The video linked below is the song “There Is a Light that Never Goes Out” by The Smiths.

One of the key elements that defines a successful indie band lies with their label. Throughout musical history, many bands are tied down on certain artistic decisions due to the recording label or agency that they are signed with. For many years, the technology and required budget to make and produce an album was only possible through the help of these recording labels. One of the biggest drawbacks that indie bands and artists face from this is that most major labels view independence as a potential loss of profit, making it difficult to compete in the modern musical market. With the somewhat recent rise of independent music labels, artists are able to maintain control over their creative decisions and directions. Independent labels, by nature, are much smaller than major labels, which in turn leads to smaller and tighter budgets. One of the biggest handicaps indie bands face is the lack of substantial advertisement. Most promotion comes from word of mouth, playlist advertisements and social media. This has led to success for some, but has remained largely inconsistent in today’s age of social media.

In the video below, LA Buckner interviews Quinn Christopherson, an up-and-coming indie musician in Anchorage, Alaska , who was the 2019 NPR Tiny Desk Contest winner. LA interviews Quinn about what it's like to create DIY music. Together they create their own indie song that you can hear at the end of the video.

Indie vocal styles can get a bad rap, especially for its alleged “cursive singing.” Many indie vocal styles are varied due to the singers’ accents and their training. Similar to the overall Indie sound, many indie vocal artists can have a more free formed vocal sound & technique. Indie lyrics typically include the use of imagery and story-telling. Most of the lyrics are stories told from a different unique perspective, or they could be a topic that’s written without rhyme or reason - but that’s what makes the lyrics so special. An artist could write a whole song and it would be confusing, but then a huge thought provoking one-liner at the end of the song could make sense of it all!

A few popular Indie artists that are my favorites are Flipturn, Peach Pit, Men I Trust, Mac Demarco, The Marias, Remi Wolf, Foster the People, and Tame Impala. Although all of these artists sound completely different, their music sits underneath the Indie genre. Since these artists fall underneath the independent category, they have more freedom to write whatever kind of music and style they prefer. They all play at unique shows, they sell different types of merchandise, their social media pages look different - but all of their media is distinctive to who they are as musicians. Here is the link to one of my favorite Men I Trust songs, “Serenade of Water.” I love Men I Trust because of their unique melancholic sound… and because their lead singer's name is Emma. :) 

In the video below, indie rock band Flipturn performs one of their most popular songs, “August” for a popular social media platform named Audiotree Live. This is recorded in a professional studio with the intent to showcase musical talent from around the world. Audiotree has done many studio music videos like the one linked below, but I feel that Flipturn does a fantastic job of showing the true nature of what really defines “indie.” In the beginning of the video, you can tell that all of the musicians truly feel comfortable and confident performing what they love. There is a certain energy in the air that surrounds the band as they get to the chorus of the song. In typical indie fashion, the band takes on a completely new feel after the chorus, almost resembling a bridge-like second verse. Due to the independence of the genre, the band is able to take some unique liberties with their music, which carries over to the rest of their discography.

Works Cited

“The History of Indie Music – Boysetsfire.” Accessed January 17, 2023. https://www.boysetsfire.net/the-history-of-indie-music/. 

“Indie Music.” Visit the Main Page. Accessed January 16, 2023. https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Indie_music. 

Samantha Bennett Senior Lecturer in Music. “Explainer: Indie Music.” The Conversation. Last modified January 15, 2023. Accessed January 16, 2023. https://theconversation.com/explainer-indie-music-28321#:~:text=Indie%20as%20a%20defined%20musical,we're%20all%20 founded%20in%201978. 

Deane. “What Instruments Are Used in Indie Music? - Indie Song Makers.” Indie Song Makers - Indie Music Production Guides for DIY Singer-Songwriters. Last modified January 11, 2023. Accessed January 16, 2023. https://indiesongmakers.com/what-instruments-are-used-in-indie-music/#:~:text=in%20the%20middle.-,Indie%20Rock,%2C%20Les%20Pauls%2C%20and%20Jazzmasters.