Independent music

Last updated June 03, 2024

Independent music (also commonly known as indie music, or simply indie) is a broad style of music characterized by creative freedoms, low-budgets, and a do-it-yourself approach to music creation, which originated from the liberties afforded by independent record labels. Indie music describes a number of related styles, but generally describes guitar-oriented music straying away from mainstream conventions. There are a number of subgenres of independent music which combine its characteristics with other genres, such as indie pop, indie rock, indie folk, and indie electronic.

The origins of independent music lie in British independent record labels, such as Rough Trade and Mute. In the 1970s, these labels contributed to the emergence of a distinct sound, influenced by post-punk and new wave. NME released the influential compilation album C86 in 1986, and helped with indie's spread and development. American independent music first emerged in the 1980s, and was spread via college radios. Indie reached wide commercial success in the 1990s with Britpop (Blur, Pulp, and Oasis) and grunge (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and The Smashing Pumpkins). In the 21st century, indie inspired many distinct subgenres, such as indie folk. Due to the internet, indie music saw a global spread in popularity, as music fans were no longer dependent on publications to find new music.

Independent record labels, important to the development of indie music, are characterized by their smaller operations, lower funding, and greater creative control as compared to major labels. Independent labels use a variety of methods of distribution, with the label generally owning the copyright for the sound recording. They generally give smaller advances, or sometimes no advance, and some may offer higher royalty splits than major labels.

Characteristics

Although "Indie" was first used to described music released on independent record labels, the term grew to describe a specific sound.^[1] A defining characteristic of indie music is that artists retain much more creative control over their music as compared to major labels.^[1] Bands often have small budgets, and employ a do-it-yourself ethos which influences their sound.^[2] Indie music generally represents guitar-oriented music which strays away from commercial conventions.^[1] It often features lyrics that are earnest and emotive, with many cultural and sociopolitical references.^[1] Many artists signed to major labels have retained creative control and are still considered indie artists.^[2]

History

Origins of independent labels

Independent labels have a long history of promoting developments in popular music, stretching back to the post-war period in the United States, with labels such as Sun Records, King Records, and Stax.^[3] In the United Kingdom during the 1950s and 1960s, the major record companies had so much power that independent labels struggled to become established, until the launch of new labels like Virgin Records.^[4] Several British producers and artists launched independent labels as outlets for their work and artists they liked; the majority failed as commercial ventures or were bought by the major labels.^[3]

Emergence as a style

During the punk rock era, the number of independent labels grew.^[3] In 1977, Manchester-band Buzzcocks released Spiral Scratch , considered the first independently released rock release.^[5] In the late 1970s, certain UK independent labels (such as Rough Trade, Factory, Fiction, and Mute) contributed to the emergence of a distinct musical style found in indie music, influenced by post-punk and new wave.^[1] Important albums that contributed to this style include Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures (1979) and Depeche Mode's Speak & Spell (1981).^[1] Released on Rough Trade, Inflammable Material (1979) was the first independently-released album to sell over 100,000 copies.^[5] By the 1980s, the indie pop band The Smiths, signed with Rough Trade, "came to exemplify indie both musically and culturally" according to The Conversation.^[1] The Smith's authentic sound contrasted with the common highly produced pop music of the time.^[1]

The UK Indie Chart was first compiled in 1980, and independent distribution became better organized from the late 1970s onward.^[6] In 1986, NME released the compilation album C86 , which was influential to the development of indie music.^[5]^[7] In the United States, independent music was first spread by in the 1980s by college radios and thus dubbed college rock (also later termed modern rock and alternative rock).^[8] Defining American albums of this era include Sonic Youth 's Daydream Nation (1988) and Pixies’ Doolittle (1989).^[5] However, unlike the UK, this music was not referred to as "indie" until the 2000s.^[8]

Indie music reached wide commercial success in the 1990s, especially with Britpop bands like Blur, Pulp, and Oasis.^[1] As well, American grunge bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and The Smashing Pumpkins received mainstream success.^[5] In 1991, the Grammys added an Alternative section to its awards ceremony, for "non-traditional form[s]" existing "outside of the mainstream music consciousness".^[8]

21st century

The internet's ease of spreading information influenced indie music's popularization in the United States and global spread.^[8] Music fans no longer relied on publications or magazines to hear about new artists.^[8] At the beginning of the 21st century, the term indie came to describe a number of related but distinct subgenres.^[1] One example is indie folk, a stripped-back low fidelity approach to folk music, as seen in Fleet Foxes or Bon Iver.^[1] Widely popular indie rock bands of this era include Arcade Fire and Arctic Monkeys.^[1] By this time, the term indie had transcended the definition of solely independently released music, and came to represent a "general resistance to popular and mainstream culture, evoking realism, independence and authenticity".^[1]

Independent record labels

An independent record label is one that operates outside of the funding and creative control of major record labels. Independent labels generally have greater creative freedom, at the cost of smaller budgets and personnel.^[9] They are often able to support artists working in niche styles of music,^[10] and rely heavily on personal networking, or word of mouth, to expose their acts.^[11] Indie labels are usually small operations, with almost no outside assistance and run out of tiny offices.^[12] Some artists choose to go from an independent label to a major label if given the opportunity, as major labels have considerably more power and financial means to promote and distribute products, sometimes increasing the chances of greater success.^[13]

Distribution

There are a few ways an independent label may go about distributing its music.^[10] Some independent labels are owned by major labels, who carry out the distribution for them.^[10] Other labels instead go through independent distributors.^[10] Many current artists use their own resources to produce, record, market and release music through Spotify, SoundCloud, and other streaming platforms with social media in a direct, do-it-yourself manner allowing creative distribution.^[14] There is the potential for artists to gain large numbers of streams on Spotify if their music are included in certain popular playlists.^[15]

For both independent and major labels, the label generally owns the copyright to the sound recording.^[10] Artists who maintain their copyrights usually must sacrifice other parts of their deal, and must give the label a temporary license to the recordings.^[10]

Contracts

An advance is a pre-payment of royalties from the label for the artist to record the album; it is paid back through the album's royalties.^[16] Independent labels generally give out much smaller advances than major labels, if any.^[16]^[10] Additionally, some independent labels will cover an album's recording costs instead of proving a set dollar amount as an advance.^[10] One advantage of smaller advances is that artists have less to pay back, and therefore can begin to profit quicker.^[10]

There are a number of ways that an independent label may structure their contract.^[10] Some independent labels have contracts that are essentially equivalent to major label deals.^[10] On a major label, a typical royalty rate (what the artist takes) is 13% to 16%;^[16] however, some independent labels offer 50-50 splits, which functions more as a partnership.^[17]^[10] One issue is that artists often forgo their mechanical royalties in 50-50 deals,^[10] and it can be more difficult to recoup the advance, meaning it takes longer to turn a profit.^[16] Some labels forgo a formal contract altogether, and their deals include few restrictions.^[10]

Styles

Independent music is a broad category that is made up of distinct subgenres with influences from various other genres.^[1]

Indie pop

Indie pop is a style of pop music that originally grew out of British post-punk in the late 1970s.^[18]^[19] Indie pop was one of the first independent music genres, and was initially synonymous with "indie".^[19] Indie pop is characterized by a focus on melody, arrangments, and harmony, with less angst and distortion as compared to indie rock.^[18]^[20] It features the homemade intimacy commonly found in independent music.^[18] Notable subgenres include chamber pop, which adds lush chamber orchestration, and twee pop, which features "primitive simplicity".^[20]

Indie rock

Indie rock (also referred to as simply "indie")^[21]^[5] is a style of rock music and is one of the most popular independent music genres. It originally grew out of the alternative rock, punk rock, and independent movements of the 1980s,^[2]^[21] with local scenes emerging in many American cities and college towns.^[22] The New Zealand Dunedin sound of the 1970s and 80s was also influential in indie rock's development.^[23] By the 1990s, indie rock had separated from alternative rock and gained popularity in the mainstream,^[2] pushed along by the popularity of Seattle's grunge scene, especially Nirvana.^[2]^[21] Notable artists of the 2000s included The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and the Arctic Monkeys,^[5] while some of the 2010s included The 1975 and Vampire Weekend.^[21] Indie rock went onto inspire a multitude of subgenres and derivative styles, such as dream pop, noise pop, lo-fi, math rock, emo, and more.^[2]

Indie folk

Indie folk is a style of folk music which originated in the 1990s with artists like Elliott Smith and Will Oldham.^[24] The genre grew from traditional and contemporary folk, but took a distinctly independent approach inspired by indie rock.^[25] The genre gained further popularity and support in the 2000s from labels such as Saddle Creek, Barsuk, and Sub Pop.^[24] Notable 21st century indie folk artists include Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Great Lake Swimmers, Sufjan Stevens, and Phoebe Bridgers.^[25]^[26]^[27] Indie folk is distinguished by its acoustic instrumentation – and often consists of just vocals and acoustic guitar – although some artists experiment with more diverse instrumentation.^[25] As well, indie folk artists are often singer-songwriters.^[25]

Indie electronic

indie electronic, or indietronica, is a broad categorization of music that combines independent and electronic music styles.^[28]^[29] It is not considered a scene or movement, and often combines influences from a variety of genres.^[29] It has origins in the 1990s, with artists like Stereolab, Arab Strap, and Disco Inferno contributing to the style.^[28]^[29] Indietronica largely grew in popularity in the 2000s, with the rising accessibility to home recording and software synthesizers.^[28] Influential artists of this era include Hot Chip, Metronomy, and The Postal Service.^[30] Some 2010s artists achieved wider success with their music, for example, James Blake and The xx.^[30] Indietronica artists usually release their music on independent labels, with examples including Sub Pop, Warp, and Ghostly International.^[28]

Related Research Articles

Rock is a broad genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles from the mid-1960s, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, a style that drew directly from the blues and rhythm and blues genres of African-American music and from country music. Rock also drew strongly from genres such as electric blues and folk, and incorporated influences from jazz and other musical styles. For instrumentation, rock has centered on the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass guitar, drums, and one or more singers. Usually, rock is song-based music with a ⁴
₄ time signature using a verse–chorus form, but the genre has become extremely diverse. Like pop music, lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political. Rock was the most popular genre of music in the U.S. and much of the Western world from the 1950s to the 2010s.

Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent record labels, by the 1990s it became more widely associated with the music such bands produced.

Alternative rock is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s with the likes of the grunge, shoegaze, and Britpop subgenres in the United States and United Kingdom, respectively. During this period, many record labels were looking for "alternatives", as many corporate rock, hard rock, and glam metal acts from the 1980s were beginning to grow stale throughout the music industry. The emergence of Generation X as a cultural force in the 1990s also contributed greatly to the rise of alternative rock.

Alternative country is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream country music, mainstream country rock, and country pop. Alternative country artists are often influenced by alternative rock. Most frequently, the term has been used to describe certain country music and country rock bands and artists that are also defined as or have incorporated influences from alternative rock, indie rock, punk rock, heartland rock, Southern rock, progressive country, outlaw country, neotraditional country, Texas country, Red Dirt, roots rock, indie folk, folk rock, rockabilly, bluegrass, and honky tonk.

Twee pop is a subgenre of indie pop that originates from the 1986 NME compilation C86. It is an offshoot of the twee movement, characterized by its simplicity and perceived innocence, some of its defining features are boy–girl harmonies, catchy melodies, and lyrics about love. For many years, prominent independent record labels associated with twee pop were Sarah Records and K Records.

Slowcore, also known as sadcore, is a subgenre of indie rock characterised by subdued tempos with typically minimalist instrumentation alongside solemn and melancholic lyrical performances.

British popular music and popular music in general, can be defined in a number of ways, but is used here to describe music which is not part of the art/classical music or Church music traditions, including folk music, jazz, pop and rock music. These forms of music have particularly flourished in Britain, which, it has been argued, has influenced popular music disproportionately to its size, partly due to its linguistic and cultural links with many countries, particularly the former areas of British control such as United States, Canada, and Australia, but also a capacity for invention, innovation and fusion, which has led to the development of, or participation in, many of the major trends in popular music. This is particularly true since the early 1960s when the British Invasion led by The Beatles, helped to secure British performers a major place in development of pop and rock music, which has been revisited at various times, with genres originating in or being radically developed by British musicians, including: blues rock, heavy metal music, progressive rock, punk rock, British folk rock, folk punk, acid jazz, drum and bass, grime, afroswing, dubstep and Britpop.

Popular music of the United Kingdom in the 1980s built on the post-punk and new wave movements, incorporating different sources of inspiration from subgenres and what is now classed as world music in the shape of Jamaican and Indian music. It also explored the consequences of new technology and social change in the electronic music of synthpop. In the early years of the decade, while subgenres like heavy metal music continued to develop separately, there was a considerable crossover between rock and more commercial popular music, with a large number of more "serious" bands, like The Police and UB40, enjoying considerable single chart success.

American rock has its roots from 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and country music, and also draws from folk music, jazz, blues, and classical music. American rock music was further influenced by the British Invasion of the American pop charts from 1964 and resulted in the development of psychedelic rock.

British rock describes a wide variety of forms of music made in the United Kingdom. Since around 1964, with the "British Invasion" of the United States spearheaded by the Beatles, British rock music has had a considerable impact on the development of American music and rock music across the world.

Indie pop is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and subsequently generated a thriving fanzine, label, and club and gig circuit. Compared to its counterpart, indie rock, the genre is more melodic, less abrasive, and relatively angst-free. In later years, the definition of indie pop has bifurcated to also mean bands from unrelated DIY scenes/movements with pop leanings. Subgenres include chamber pop and twee pop.

Rock music and its subgenres are very popular in Portugal. The history of the Portuguese rock music scene spans several decades.

Pop rock is a fusion genre characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, early pop rock was influenced by the beat, arrangements, and original style of rock and roll. It may be viewed as a distinct genre field rather than music that overlaps with pop and rock. The detractors of pop rock often deride it as a slick, commercial product and less authentic than rock music.

Folk punk is a fusion of folk music and punk rock. It was popularized in the early 1980s by The Pogues in England, and by Violent Femmes in the United States. Folk punk achieved some mainstream success in that decade. In more recent years, its subgenres Celtic punk and Gypsy punk have experienced some commercial success.

Malaysian underground music and idealism is popular locally and overseas. Malaysian youth are typically into the punk culture. This reflect in the music that they write (band/musician). Most of the Malaysian rock music scene started in Terengganu which has a thriving punk/hardcore scene.

Nu-disco is a 21st-century dance music genre associated with a renewed interest in the late 1970s disco, synthesizer-heavy 1980s European dance music styles, and early 1990s electronic dance music. The genre was popular in the early 2000s, and experienced a mild resurgence in the 2010s.

A number of overlapping punk rock subgenres have developed since the emergence of punk rock in the mid-1970s. Even though punk genres at times are difficult to segregate, they usually show differing characteristics in overall structures, instrumental and vocal styles, and tempo. However, sometimes a particular trait is common in several genres, and thus punk genres are normally grouped by a combination of traits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronics in rock music</span> Use of electronic instruments in rock music

The use of electronic music technology in rock music coincided with the practical availability of electronic musical instruments and the genre's emergence as a distinct style. Rock music has been highly dependent on technological developments, particularly the invention and refinement of the synthesizer, the development of the MIDI digital format and computer technology.

Electronic rock is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s when rock bands began incorporating electronic instrumentation into their music. Electronic rock acts usually fuse elements from other music styles, including punk rock, industrial rock, hip hop, techno and synth-pop, which has helped spur subgenres such as indietronica, dance-punk and electroclash.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Bennett, Samantha (2014-07-16). "Explainer: indie music". The Conversation . Retrieved 2024-04-19.
1 2 3 4 5 6 "Indie Rock Music Style Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
1 2 3 Rogan, Johnny (1992) "Introduction" in The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music, Guinness Publishing, ISBN 0-85112-579-4
↑ "Record labels that rocked our world". The Independent. 2008-01-17. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Peacock, Tim (2024-02-07). "Music For Misfits: The Story Of Indie Rock". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
↑ Lazell, Barry (1997) "Indie Hits 1980–1989", Cherry Red Books, ISBN 0-9517206-9-4
↑ N. Hasted (27 October 2006), "How an NME cassette launched indie music", Independent.co.uk, archived from the original on 27 July 2012.
1 2 3 4 5 Fonarow, Wendy (2011-07-28). "Ask the indie professor: why do Americans think they invented indie?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-04-30.
↑ Hunt, El (2019-07-02). "How to run a small independent record label". NME. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Friends, Stacey. "Independent Labels: What's the Deal?". Performer . Performer Mag. Retrieved April 13, 2008.
↑ Morris, C. (Aug 25, 2001). "Beating the indie odds?: Label entrepreneurs make a go in tough market". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 1. p. 80.
↑ Barclay, Michael. "King Cobb Steelie Simply Rational". Exclaim.ca. Archived from the original on 2007-02-09. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
↑ Agnew, Harriet (17 February 2018). "France's indie music labels find their voice". Financial Times. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
↑ "Music Festival Blog | United States | Vibe with Ade". Music Festival Blog | United States | Vibe with Ade. 16 February 2018. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
↑ Aguiar, Luis; Waldfogel, Joel (September 2021). "Platforms, Power, and Promotion: Evidence from Spotify Playlists*". The Journal of Industrial Economics. 69 (3): 653–691. doi:10.1111/joie.12263. ISSN 0022-1821. S2CID 215728062.
1 2 3 4 Kellogg n.d., Advances and Recording Budgets.
↑ Kellogg n.d., Royalties.
1 2 3 "The Best Indie-Pop of 2013, PopMatters". www.popmatters.com. 2013-12-05. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
1 2 Abebe, Nitsuh (2005-10-24). "Articles: Twee as Fuck". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on 2011-02-03. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
1 2 "Indie Pop Music Style Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
1 2 3 4 Periyannan, Arati. "A deep dive into the makings of indie rock - The Eagle". The Eagle. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
↑ Cohen, Deborah (2015-05-20). "How Indie Rock Changed the World". The Atlantic. ISSN 2151-9463 . Retrieved 2024-05-31.
↑ McConnell, Glenn (2023-02-15). "These Dunedin students want to revitalise the city's live music scene". Stuff. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
1 2 "Indie Folk Music Style Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
1 2 3 4 Michael Keefe. "What Is New Folk? A Genre Profile". About.com .
↑ Fertel, Isabella (2 March 2018). "Interview: Indie–Folk Sensation Phoebe Bridgers on her First Solo Tour". 34th Street Magazine. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
↑ Schonfeld, Zach (2019-07-15). "Sufjan Stevens and the Curious Case of the Missing 48 States". The Ringer. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
1 2 3 4 "Indie Electronic Music Style Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
1 2 3 Muggs, Joe (2014-05-20). "From Khonnor to Caribou, 36 indietronica classics". Fact Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
1 2 "The Best Indietronica on Bandcamp". Bandcamp Daily. 2018-03-15. Retrieved 2024-05-31.

Sources

Kellogg, John (n.d.). BerkleeX MB110x: Introduction to the Music Business (Massive open online course). edX.