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Andrew Miller

Composition

Vicki Sairs

10/27/10

If They Are Now Me, Then Who Am I: and what should I listen to?

Subcultures are always changing. The flappers, the beats, the hippies, and the punks have

all come and gone, indelibly leaving their respective marks both in society and in the arts. What

happens, though, to a genre of music closely associated with a subculture, when that subculture

becomes commercialized to the point that its very heart has become almost irrelevant? How will

the artists and fans respond to the loss of feeling of authenticity in their culture? In a group of

people who chastise and disregard “sell outs,” what happens to its music when the whole culture

is sold out? It’s an old story; a subculture springs up in opposition to mainstream society until

mainstream society catches on to how cool it is to be anti-mainstream, promptly rendering the

subculture mainstream. How will this cultural shift affect the genre of music known as “indie

folk?”

Like all indie subgenres, the term “indie folk” is a little bit ambiguous. It becomes an

especially difficult genre to define considering that both the terms “indie” and “folk” themselves

are very opaque. “Indie Folk” is actually the crossroads of indie rock and folk music, so, to

obtain its definition, the terms “indie” and “folk” must be understood. The term “indie”

originally stemmed from the word “independent,” in reference to the way in which the music

was produced and circulated. However, many people feel that indie music can be defined

stylistically, not just by its method of production. Indie music is generally known for “simplicity

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and austerity, a hypervaluation of childhood and childlike imagery, a nostalgic sensibility,

technophobia, and a fetishization of the guitar” (Fonorow 39). Indie music should not be

confused with alternative music. Indie music tends to use “harmonic pop” sounds, whereas

alternative includes “heavy, abrasive” sounds borrowed from nu-metal, grunge and punk

(Fonorow 40). In recent years indie bands have taken small steps away from technophobia,

simplicity and the emphasis on guitar by adding more members and using some electronic

elements. Indie rock was born out of the hardcore, straightedge, grunge and punk scenes after

members of those scenes became disenchanted with them. Several “lo-fi” (low fidelity, or raw

and unpolished) albums were created in response to the prevalence of alternative rock, kicking

off the genre known as “indie rock” (Walton 7). Indie rock in turn spawned many offshoots, such

as twee, indie pop, shoegaze, noise rock, riot grrrl, post-hardcore and, beginning in 2000, indie

folk (Walton 7).

It is virtually impossible to have a discussion about the indie music scene without also

talking about the indie subculture as a whole. Indie as a subculture is even more difficult to

define than indie as a genre. Judging by aesthetics alone, indie culture would bring to mind the

image of a young adult wearing a flannel shirt and skinny jeans, carrying a messenger bag and

sporting any style of glasses, as long as they are not in the style of the mainstream culture. This

college-age individual listens to an ever changing playlist of the latest underground indie bands,

as well as indie staples such as Sufjan Stevens, Modest Mouse, or Belle and Sebastian. However,

problems arise as this image is subverted by the mainstream culture, and the outward signs of

being indie are stripped of their meaning. One author says that, “Indie has historically been a

subculture that operates outside the mainstream, but technology and changing times have made

the line of demarcation between the mainstream and indie almost unrecognizable” (Oakes xiii).

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The boundaries between a subculture and culture as a whole become undistinguishable when that

subculture becomes commercialized. Currently, indie culture is being commercialized and sold

to the masses. Since the outward manifestations of being indie are become less and less peculiar

to indie culture, it must be defined by its overarching themes or philosophies. Indie culture has

taken many of its cues from previous subcultures, specifically hippie bohemianism and punk.

From punk, indie inherits its do-it-yourself ethic as well as a rejection of the commercial system

(Walton 7). Like the subcultures before it, the indie view on politics is almost uniformly liberal

with a focus on gender rights, homosexual rights, and social justice, especially for those being

taken advantage of by materialistic society (i.e. child laborers).

Folk music (American and western European) is often understood to have come into

being during the industrial revolution, as the chasm between the urban industrial worker and the

agrarian worker began to widen. Folk music was the music of the common folk of the country,

and related to everyday life, often viewing such serious topics as economic hardship, politics,

infidelity in relationships, and murder with a dark, fatalistic sense of humor, but also focusing on

the simple pleasures of life such as nature. Folk musician Daniel Dye says that “Folk music is

human.  It's a story- going off to war, ululating out a dirge, getting freed from prison, dumping

your ex's body into a river, drinking on a Saturday night and begging forgiveness on a Sunday

morning” (Dye). He also states that folk covers such themes as “grace, justice, redemption, hope,

revenge, love, death, joy, and sorrow” and such topics as “[s]urvival, travel, rebellion, politics,

and patriotism” (Dye). Instruments traditionally used in folk are mostly acoustic and include the

guitar, mandolin, banjo, and fiddle, but other instruments are often used, especially in the making

of modern folk music.

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Indie folk music is made when artists bring indie philosophies and ideals to the traditions

of folk music, creating independent music that is simple in nature, places a greater emphasis on

being real than being polished, and often tells stories. A few of the indie folk bands that have

recently ascended to popularity include The Avett Brothers, The Decembrists, Mumford and

Sons, and Iron and Wine.

The indie culture is under attack. This may seem like a bold statement, but history has

proven that subcultures follow a very predictable life cycle. This cycle is as follows; a subculture

forms in opposition to an aspect, or aspects, of mainstream culture. This subculture develops

certain signs to identify itself as separate from the mainstream culture. Some of these signs can

have to do with brand associations, or, in other words, certain brands are associated with certain

subcultures (Cummings 2). Objects that once carried a neutral meaning now take on new

meaning to the members of the subculture. According to Kaya Oakes, author of the book

Slanted and Enchanted: the evolution of indie culture, “These trappings had previously been a

signal from one member of the indie subculture to another that we were alike, that we’d have

something to talk about, and, most important, that we might be able to help one another out with

a place to play a gig, crash, or make art. Once these kinds of signifiers cross over into the

mainstream, that context is lost” (xii). Devoid of the meanings originally attached to them, these

signifiers become little more than the latest fad created by the commercial industry to take

advantage of people’s desire to keep up with styles. The philosophy behind the indie culture is

not being transferred, only the external evidences once spawned by it (Oakes xii). As mainstream

culture adopts the trappings of indie culture, the members of indie culture themselves become

disillusioned, because externally, they no longer have a way of distinguishing themselves from

the mainstream culture they were reacting to.

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These disillusioned members of the subculture under fire can respond in several ways.

One response is to simply assert originality by claiming to have listened to a band or have worn a

style before it was discovered on the popular level (Walton 12). Another response is to tweak

their culture slightly, so that a style is outdated or a band is irrelevant by the time it reaches the

popular market. A third solution is to abandon the subculture completely, and move on to

another subculture. Many successors of the punk and hardcore scenes moved into the new folk

scene after becoming disenchanted with the newly commercialized grunge scene (Encarnacao 6).

So how will indie music, specifically indie folk respond to this crisis within indie culture?

How will indie music be affected for better or for worse by this phenomenon of

commercialization? If any musical genre is prepared to deal with such a change, it is this one.

The DIY ethic will allow indie folk artists to retain control of the music they are creating. Since

they have the ability to produce music autonomously, they do not answer to mainstream labels in

areas of creativity or distribution. The anti-establishment sentiments inherited from punk and

folk will allow artists to retain their message that crusades for a better world. At the same time,

increased commercialization is a result of, and will be the cause of, increased exposure. While

this may be viewed by some as “selling out,” the truth of the matter is that artists want their

music to be heard. At what point does a band cross over the line from popular within the

appropriate circles, to too popular, or “sold out?” The increased revenue generated by increased

exposure will certainly make touring life a little easier on some bands.

Indie culture will eventually become an irrelevant subculture of the past while retaining

some adherents. Indie folk, however, will continue to thrive as a genre of music, partly due to its

resilient nature. It will lose some of its alternative appeal when people from all facets of culture

begin to follow it. It will probably borrow musical elements from other genres creating synthesis

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genres. This, however, is the beauty of music. It is not static, nor is it concrete. As an expression

of the creator’s feelings, it will naturally change with those feelings. Whatever direction indie

folk music takes it will continue to thrive as an artistic extension of the people making it.

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Works Cited

Cummings, Joanne. Selling the Indie Scene. Music Festivals, Neo-Tribes and Brand

Communities. Rep. University of Western Sydney. Tasa.org.au. 2007. Web. 3 Nov. 2010.

Dye, Daniel C. Message to Andrew D. Miller. 1 November 2010. E-mail.

Encarnacao, John. "Punk aesthetics in independent "new folk", 1990-2008.." Welcome to

UTSeScholarship - a UTS:Library initiative | UTSeScholarship. University of

Technology Sydney, 5 Jan. 2010. Web. 28 Oct. 2010.

Fonarow, Wendy. Empire of Dirt: The Aesthetics and Rituals of British Indie Music (Music

Culture). Middleton, Connecticut: Wesleyan, 2006. Print.

Oakes, Kaya. Slanted and Enchanted: The Evolution of Indie Culture. 1 ed. New York: Holt

Paperbacks, 2009. Print.

Walton, Kate. 2009. 'I Like Your Old Stuff Better Than Your New Stuff: Neo-Bohemians,

Hipsters, and the Issue of Authenticity in Subcultural Identity'. Unpublished paper.