13/09/2021
Short for "Independent", Indie was an 80's term coined by the media to describe a whole wave of unsigned bands, who recorded and released their own records independently, hence the term was shortened to Indie. Also used to describe releases from independent labels, famous UK labels like Rough Trade, Beggars Banquet and Creation Records.
The term has since be since been used to describe any band which isn't totally mainstream and doesn't have a commercial sound, even if the band is signed to a major label, which if you've heard of them is probably more the case.
While mainstream rock and pop will continue as a staple of the global music diet, indie bands (which one might lump into the garage bands of the '60s) found their audience quickly. When these smaller bands began emerging on local scenes, people took notice. A change from the international celebrities on radio and television, these were people you knew. You might've shared a drink with the drummer; maybe the bass player used to play basketball with you, and so on. Because the music is localized, it means more to you. For major cities, an indie band with talent can find mass appeal and "make it big." Like-minded bands might even form their own labels: many larger indie labels have their roots in a local scene.
The indie bands of the '80s and early '90s mainly gained listeners through a label, being before the time of the internet. At that time, some might consider the indie scene a more obscured version of the alternative rock scene. Through these labels, the bands find more listeners in a wider range: you've heard your own local band and how great they sound, now listen to these kids in the next city over! Because of indie bands finding more mainstream appeal, a certain sound emerges: less formulaic rock, weird genre influences, more experimentation. The sound of indie music is hard to pin down, but creative expression comes to mind. What started as cult followings of a few fans become hundreds and then thousands. Colleges across the country are rife with indie music, people listing indie bands among their favorites, and so forth.
So there is a "sound." Then there is a word: "Indie" becomes the moniker to denote that sounds less about the label and more about the music. Indie is hard to define, and it is because of this rough approximate definition that you can lump in so many bands that might not even have their roots in such a genre. Besides that reason, there is another...
I believe it's less a conspiracy among the music industry, using the term to reel in new fans, and more the fallible perception of our ears, and our tendency to link a good thing and a good thing as somehow related. The important lesson to take away from this is that most genres aren't rigidly defined. Some have their roots in a strict definition (indie from independent labels, rock as the traditional guitar/bass/drums setup, and so on), but we deviate from such definitions once we know what we like. And when it comes down to perception, everyone's perception is different.
Photo: Slowdive(band)
