Radiohead - Indie Kings
First of all, you might all know me as someone who has little time for Independent Music, or Indie Music, as it’s not shortened to… but I’d like to start by saying it’s not the music I dislike, but the inbred attitude of many a follower.
I find a lot of people who class themselves as ‘Indie kids’ are more concerned with what’s fashionable, rather than the music these days, and therefore band whatever’s cool as Indie *insert other genre here*, take Indie Rock, Indie Rave, Indie whatever…
What’s more, back in the early days, Indie music was a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels and an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording and publishing; so, rule number one of indie bands… ‘don’t sell out!’ - that’s you screwed then Arctic Monkeys.
So how do real Indie Bands get their music out?
Although you might be wondering how the hell bands get their music out their without the backing of a record label, just take a look at the success of Enter Shikari who managed to reap sell-out shows, just by promoting through their MySpace and word of mouth.
As it’s fairly expensive to get a demo CD knocked up these days, more and more bands are choosing to invest in some home-studio equipment, and are able to get an album recorded for a fraction of the price; which they can then sell at gigs and online.
Most bands tend to rely on the internet for promotion, and have a heavy presence on message boards, music blogs, and social networks; as well as allowing fans to share their music online for free, which, although it means the band aren’t making shedloads of money - they are getting their music ‘out there’ which is ultimately, what it’s all about.
After all, they should take inspiration from the best of them, as giving music awar for free seems to be a pretty hot trend at the moment, with Radiohead, handing out their 2007 album In Rainbows, The Go! Team with their single "Milk Crisis" and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails with the 2008 albums Ghosts I–IV and The Slip.
So why choose Independent Over Selling Out?
A lot of bands promise to stay true tot heir fans and the music they love, yet when a big record label shows interest in them, their morals often go out of the window as pound signs flash before their eyes. Although, with all credit to them, some bands choose to never go to a major label even if they are given the opportunity to do so.
The only problem is that when a band heads out on a tour of the UK, they often do so without the backing of a label, so tours become an expensive burden, which can leave bands out of pocket unless they shift a load of their merchandise; however, some might argue that it’s all worth it, for the sake of letting fans hear their music.
So, whilst band after band pose on the pages of NME week after week, and get labelled at the latest ‘Indie Icons’ It might be worth thinking abut what the Independent part of Indie music is supposed to mean, and whether they’re staying true to their roots, or just wanting to sport the latest fashions from Topman.
FemaleFirst - Ruth Harrison
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