Feedback on Indie Artist

• Need to expand some of the points into full paragraphs
• Could take our own photos and videos (maybe by concept sketches)
• Good photo editing
• Good use of links to our inspirations
• Lots of detail, very specific
• Strong, effective name
• Good collection of ideas
• The blog background distracts the eye
• The album cover is strange, but very Indie
• Like the links to artists at the end
• Good photoshop skills
• Good idea
• Good target audience
• Very detailed
• Could be more detailed instead of bullet points
• Examples of music videos
• idea is good
• could make own press release stories and photos

Creating an Indie Artist

Pride & Joy

 

 

A Brother and Sister Band that play primarily indie folk music. We are aiming at something similar to groups like Mumford & Sons. They are called John Harte and Robin Harte. Often portrayed in the sense of a loving brother and sister, often seen together. As an indie band, they will have their own facebook and twitter pages with which they personally had before their music was released.

 

Target Audience

 

People aged 20 to 35 for the main target audience, however they will play at music festivals like croprody which appeal to people from early teens to late 60s. People who are middle class, who are raised in similar circumstances to them. Popular in throughout England and not just in cities.

We are going for the same sort of target audiences as similar bands which appeal to a wide range of people as they are folk musicians .Appeal to younger members of society (late teens) by their style of both clothes and hair. The appeal that attracts the fans is the music, however lifestyle, clothes and personality also win over some fans.

 

Costume

 

Robin always wears a hat and it's something people associate with her. John has thick rimmed glasses as these are more indie than thin rimmed ones. Have matching wristbands, one in blue, one in red. These were given by the parents for their first performance which was in the local pub and the fans wear copies of them.  Simple jewelry for Robin and none (except wrist band) for John. John often seen in a scarf. John's colours are beige, dark brown, maroon and grey.

Robin wears more mature clothes than other musicians her age as the band want to focus on their music not their looks. No brands shown as this is seen as “selling out”

 

Props

• acoustic guitar for Robin
• small banjo for the John (banjolele)
• guy plays cajon for percussion themed songs   
• No headsets but conventional microphones
• Harmonica is played by Robin.

These instruments are often played by other indie folk bands like Mumford and Sons and aren't normally used by mainstream artists. The instruments mark them out as different and maintain the idea that it's all about the music.

 

Hair

 

 

John and Robin have messy, light brown, curly hairto show that they are brother and sister. John has a beard like the chaps below. They both rarely changes her hairstyle as this is their “image” and to maintain their indieness they don't follow fashion trends. Beards and long messy hair seem to be a running theme as well, this is why John has facial hair as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Music Video Concept

 

The duo are performing the song in a suburban area of a town. (the scene is the same as the album cover). They walk across a tattered sofa with instruments on it. They sit down and begin to play. The scene cuts to another couple (who the narrative is based on). This couple are shown in a car driving around a busy city. cut to an over shoulder shot of a man looking at the couple when the line “see you driving round town” comes on. We see continuous shots of the band then him until the chorus where he sits on the sofa in between the two musicians (but as if they aren't there) a similar effect to the opening scene of “Tomorrow” by Boris Cezek & Dean Muscat. Throughout the rest of the song there are more shots of him in this scene but he is in different places (like the album artwork). We then see the musicians follow him around the scenes, they are obviously not part of the narrative though as they break the fourth wall. at the end we see the man bump into another girl and they walk off together leaving the band behind, symbolising he has (like the title of the song) forgotten her.

 

Press Release Photos

Similar to this, showing the band playing instruments in random locations.

 

 

 

Press Release Stories

 

Stories of their life before music revealing that they are brother and sister that have a good relationship. Saying they have an unprivileged upbringing - they used to be buskers on the street to get any money they could to help their mum and dad

Story of him defending sis below

 

 

The singer from the folk indie band, John Harte has been attacked in a pub in North Yorkshire.  An eyewitness report, says that john was defending his fellow band member and sister, after an alleged sexual harassment claim. According to eyewitnesses, John went over to the harasser and began a heated argument. The man (who is yet to be named) was highly intoxicated and began shouting at the singer. This lead to violent shoving and eventually a serious fight.  Police were quickly on the scene and both men were arrested. After a night in custody and eyewitness reports, John was allowed to leave and was greeted at the police station by his sister. The harasser has yet to be given a sentence. If nothing else, this fight has shown how close these two siblings are and how even their advancing careers can not affect that.

 

Choice of Existing Song Cover

 

• Forget you (Folk Version)
• This song was originally performed by cee lo green
• A ukulele version was made by the band The Ukuleles
• It is from the Ukuleles version that the song is developed, except the additional use of a guitar and a cajon

 

similar to what we’re trying to create for our album cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Album Cover

 

Links to similar Artists

 

Mumford and sons http://www.mumfordandsons.com/

The Decemberists http://www.decemberists.com/

Fleet Foxes http://fleetfoxes.com/

The Ukuleles http://theukuleles.com/

Lana Del Rey

Representation

Lana Del Rey started out as a singer just like many others, trying to make it in the clubs of New York. She was known under her real name - Lizzie Grant. Unlike Lana Del Rey's image, Lizzie was shy, quiet and restrained and she never made it. It wasn't until she totally re-constructed herself, that she found fame and was signed to 5 Point Records. She was represented as an indie artist that had lived an unprivileged life on a trailer park. There were also speculations of plastic surgery and completely changing her look to find fame. Whether you agree with it or not, it's worked for her. 2 albums, millions of YouTube views and the fact that everyone is still talking about her must mean one thing - success.

Lana Del Rey has caused what has been described as hype. Her first album under the name Lana Del Rey, was an overnight sensation. She won many fans with her distinctive sound and indie feel. She was thought to have real integrity but this (in my opinion and many others) was not the case. She became more mainstream and as stories came out about her upbringing being privileged and her past career as Lizzie Grant. Many fans soon turned on her with brutal criticism not only about her music but also criticising the way she looked. Many before and after pictures have been created to show the differences between Lana Del Rey and Lizzie Grant. Her performance on Saturday Night Live was disappointing, more Grant than Del Rey.

This allowed the opportunity for her critics. They ripped her to shreds. "An inevitable let down as one unconvincing lethargic vocal blends into the next" is one example from USA Today. So where next for Miss Del Rey. She still has fans but you could argue she has more haters. She has been successful and probably has the capacity to continue but does she need to? She has the money. If she continues then I would argue she is an artist with integrity.

Album

The image on the left is her second album. The cover is very simple. She is wearing white, a colour that she wears throughout her music videos to connote purity and the blue sky and text adds to these connotations. The picture on the right is her first album. Again it is simple. The shadow could show the transformation from Grant to Del Rey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Music Videos

Her music videos appear to be connected. There are themes running through all her videos and she has created a series of videos.

 

Video Games

This is one of her early videos. She directed it and edited it herself. It s filmed on 1950's film which gives it a retro feel and having connotations that she is an indie artist because it unlike modern videos. It uses slow motion which matches the slow tempo of the song. It also uses black and white, alluding to the retro theme once again. Their is a hint of a narrative that involves suicide and it may allude to her life and transformation from Lizzie Grant to what she is now. The smoke connotes mysteriousness and could show how her transformation from Grant to Del Rey has been covered up. There is a fast cutting speed and jerky camera movements which could show her inexperience as an artist. She is dressed in white connoting pureness. The screen shot on the right is from the end of the video. It shows Del Rey and another figure to the right. I think this shows her double personality as Lana Del Rey and Lizzie Grant and how Del Rey is bolder and more successful. It appear to be a simple music video but with lots of hidden messages.

 

Blue Jeans

This is a very different video to video games. It is far more polished video that uses black and white making it feel more professional. The black and white also alludes to the 1950' and 60's theme that flows through her videos. The man in this video also appears in more of her videos. There are sexual references throughout the video and connotations of violence. Her videos often show aspects of her life and there may be more messages hidden. The framing in this video has been carefully planned and it is very artistic. The screenshot on the right is a good example.

 

 

 

Born to Die

 

 

 

There is a lot of symbolism in this video. The same man that is in blue jeans is in this video to reinforce the links between all her videos. The American theme is also strongly present in this video by stating and ending with the American flag in the background. She is presented as a queen in this video and maybe this represents her "making it" in the music industry. Also by showing her dying at the end of the video could connote a number of things. One connotation it could have is her transformation from Lizzie Grant to Lana Del Rey. It might also connote the criticism she's received and how it has "shot her down" Like many of her videos, she is shown wearing white, connoting purity. There also connotations of violence from the man. Lighting is used effectively in this video to denote shadows and I think it gives connotations of her career, by going in and out of the light it reflects how she has gone through good and bad patches.

 

 

National Anthem



 

 

An interesting video, national anthem shows Lana to be the lover of JFK who is played by a black rapper who is well known in the US. It continues the themes of the 50's and 60's, America and violence. By being represented as the presidents lover it could suggest that she has been successful in the music industry. She is shown with lots of material possessions which shows her lifestyle. Recreating the death of JFK in a music video is very risky and it's done to create interest and argument and this is what has got her so well known.

 

 Interviews and Quotes

 

http://www.electronicbeats.net/en/features/interviews/lana-del-rey-interview/



 

In this interview she says she was a gypsy. She wants to reinforce her identity as this unprivileged traveller. The interviewer revealed that she actually lived in one place. This interview focusses non her upbringing and lifestyle more than her music. Also the way she looks and her style are heavily discussed. Her use of themes in her videos are also mentioned. 

 

 

She has openly spoken about her issues with alcohol. "I was a big drinker at the time. I would drink every day. I would drink alone. When I write about the thing that I've lost I feel like I'm writing about alcohol because that was the first love of my life."

My Opinion

I'm not a fan of her music or her voice but I like her music videos. She has created a new idea, that music videos can be linked. She uses symbolism effectively and challenges conventions. Although I don't like the fact tat she has changed herself I admire her because she only did it to get where she is now. There is no doubt that she's successful despite the immense criticism.