So how do we define indie music? I feel like that question when asked gives a variation of the same answer, which is music from an unsigned/independent artist. But as the years gone by and music of all genres continues to evolve it's safe to say that the definition of indie music as a whole has transcended far beyond just "music from an unsigned/independent artist". So let's get to it, indie (short for independent) music usually consists of artists that seem to stay in the realm of uber creativity and self expression, without the label help or that "button push" that most artists describe that major label help as. Indie artists have the ability to record, produce, distribute and release music on their own and whenever they want, to a certain extent one may look at it more like a DIY approach to music, which isn't a bad analogy really.
One may say that the indie scene was created by "failed" artists, and some may agree with that sentiment, because there are indie artists that have made many attempts at being signed to a major label with negative outcomes. As true as they may be for some, there are artists that see the atmosphere of what it is to be on a major label and what it takes to maintain commercial success or to get lucky to reach that pinnacle and feel the indie route is a flourishing one. A positive side to indie music is putting in the money with a bigger return, see indie artists usually distribute their own music and book their own shows so they get to see the money come back, but even that is a hit or miss, remember, indie artists are also considered underground artists and that makes it harder to be seen or heard. Thanks to the internet and social media these artists have found their way to reach a wider audience which has granted indie artists the ability to book venues for underground artists and fans of underground music to connect and vibe. There are fans of music such as myself that do consider a lot of the popular music and artists to be somewhat disingenuous, like do these artists really enjoy the music that they are making? Or does the money put them in a box out of fear of being creative? Major labels usually make artists create music only for monetary value, which isn't bad cause hey we all would love to make money off what we create, but what tends to happen is the creativity becomes cloudy or watered down and everyone starts to sound the same, individuality is lost.
Now as the years pass by indie music to a certain extent has evolved into a sound, a sound where in all genres more artistic expression are highlighted for the most part, and same for the fans of indie music. Indie artists have gained this sort of power of having an image of being about artistic integrity over commercial success, and with power comes responsibility lol. Indie artists have gained a cult following of fans that look to them for the soul purpose of relatability which kind of turned indie music into this sort of sub-genre of emo or introspective style of music with a certain priority in story telling and lyrics. Fans of indie music for the most part seem to be ones of the outcasted, stoners, rebels, depressed, artsy, gothic, just the all around taboo personalities in comparison to the "normal people''. Indie artists gave voices to these personalities, especially with performing in smaller intimate type venues that continues to give off that genuine persona which in return the support is definitely one of the strongest kind. This fan support has been built so strong that now you can see the influence in the lights of the more popular artists. From the sound, interviews, fashion, and even releasing songs or mini projects on the side (that's if their label allows them to do so) indie artists have shown major executives and artists the niche in being more relatable to the people you want to invest into the music.
Despite the financial struggles that indie artists go through cause like i said this indie is a hit or miss, the influence its having on the industry is undeniable, to the point there are even signed artists that present themselves as indie just for that cult following that indie artists have, also to have the ability to try something sonically without the heavy scrutiny if it doesn't work. There's no denying that indie music has shed light on different sounds thus changing the sounds and setting the new trends for major artists to implement. Indie music continues to challenge the conventional style of marketing and promoting artists and with the continuing evolution of the internet the days of labels are almost obsolete, especially with artists using streaming sites such as soundcloud or bandcamp, or digital distribution platforms like tunecore or distrokid, artists are more direct to consumer making it easier for indie artists to move around and control their own image and narratives. Indie artists and indie music as a whole shows the power of connecting with fans in a more intimate and direct way, thus pushing the boundaries and inspiring artists to be creative and be true to self, for the lovers of music that feel like the mainstream has killed the artistic value of music, indie artists leaves hope for the unheard to shine.
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