Alternative music allows artists to express themselves without being limited by one specific musical genre. Artists such as The White Stripes are well known for blending garage rock and blues influences into an unorthodox brand of alternative music that remains alive today.
Distortion, overdrive, saturation and noise give mixer/engineers freedom to break conventions and craft unique soundscapes. Nirvana’s Nevermind album or its hit single Smells Like Teen Spirit offer perfect examples. By welcoming distortion, overdrive, saturation and noise into their mixes/engineers’ sound palettes they create stunning sonic landscapes.
Getting Started
As the music industry evolves, more artists are taking an alternative approach and rejecting mainstream conventions. Artists such as Billie Eilish have created waves in her genre with haunting, emotive music which draws huge audiences worldwide.
Alternative indie music does not have a standard definition, yet typically allows for artistic freedom and community building. It may feature lo-fi recordings made at home or even produced by someone other than professional musicians. As opposed to major label acts, indie artists typically work directly with local record stores and venues to build their following and produce the music they feel passionately about; this encourages collaboration rather than competition between musicians.
No matter their background or genre, indie musicians all share one goal: making music that is honest and authentic. They aim to challenge established norms while forging their own path; crafting original sounds that stand out amongst crowd. Indie gives musicians plenty of creative freedom – from rock to r’n’b and beyond!
Beginning an indie music career may seem intimidating, but there are numerous resources to assist. Reputable independent labels also offer more nurturing guidance than major record companies while giving artists control of their creative vision.
Streaming services have also proven instrumental to the indie scene’s expansion. Artists can release more music more regularly to meet audiences with shorter attention spans; this presents both small bands looking to break into the industry as well as established artists looking to broaden their fanbase with additional streams of income.
Are you ready to experiment with indie production? Universal Production Music offers an assortment of indie-influenced music that is sure to add an edge to any project, from acoustic beats and airy synths, all the way through airy synths and intricate percussion. From romantic comedies and travel series production music productions – these tracks add a dash of the underground!
Recording
Indie music has evolved over time as an independent genre that embraces authenticity and an independent mindset. Today, this style continues to draw in young listeners who appreciate its inclusive nature.
Indie bands typically find the equipment needed to realize their sound without breaking the bank easier than ever thanks to digital recording systems, with quality nearly comparable to analog studios allowing independent musicians easier access to recording and editing their music.
Indie artists rely heavily on digital recording for creating music, but also utilize other techniques, including compression, distortion and harmonic generation to accentuate certain aspects of their songs while preventing muddiness or artifacts from developing.
Indie bands can use these tools to achieve unique sounds and make their songs more captivating for listeners. Combining distorted guitars, layered vocals and upbeat drums gives listeners an authentic experience when listening to songs by independent bands. Lyrically speaking, songs should evok emotions the band wants to convey in their lyrics.
Modest Mouse, Bon Iver, Arcade Fire and Tame Impala are among the most revered indie bands today and serve as stellar examples of what indie music means to listeners everywhere.
Indie music’s roots lie in local talent. Music was recorded and distributed through independent labels – hence its moniker. Bands could utilize these labels to avoid big name corporate labels which controlled the industry.
Indie musicians have gained prominence over time, becoming some of the most revered artists today due to their dedication and independence as artists. Therefore, students should explore these bands and gain an appreciation of indie music.
Mixing
At this stage of production, mixing involves fusing all your recorded parts together into a cohesive song. While this can be time-consuming and creatively demanding, alternative rock tracks offer ample scope for creative experimentation by breaking away from conventions associated with other genres while crafting your own distinct sound using sounds, EQs and plugins.
Indie music tends to have an earthy, grungy sound due to the lo-fi recording style popular within this genre. A prime example is The White Stripes who mix garage rock and blues for their grungy-sound. Other notable artists of this era included Beck, Sebadoh and Pavement which introduced an entirely new era of indie music that heavily drew from Sonic Youth and The Beatles influenced sounds with talk singing, sitars and nonsensical lyrics – an era that saw talk singing sitars being introduced within indie songs for even further influence from them both!
Indie rock is known for its nonconformist aesthetic, giving the mix engineer plenty of room for experimentation in terms of sounds and mix styles. But remember: your finished product must still be listenable! During mastering stage, be mindful to keep levels controlled to prevent clipping.
Be mindful of how guitars integrate with vocals on a track. In indie rock, guitarists typically perform catchy chord progressions or riffs that add energy and emotion without overdoing distortion effects. This style can add life and vitality to a track!
Vocals should sound clear and present. You’ll want to listen out for any harshness or adjust according to the style of your track.
Entering alternative indie music requires taking an approach different than EDM or orchestral tracks, so don’t be intimidated to break from tradition! Universal Production Music has production experts on hand who are ready to take your indie rock music production up a notch, so contact us now and we’ll find you the right artist.
Mastering
Mastering alternative indie music requires striking a delicate balance between competitive, commercially viable tracks and one that maintains the DIY aesthetic of its genre. This can be difficult if the artist is unfamiliar with this process.
There are various tools available to mastering engineers that can aid this process, but listening closely to the track should remain key in mastering its dynamics and making sure there is no clipping at any point during its duration.
Mastering engineers should also take great care not to overprocess their track. Doing so may result in harsh or muddy notes as well as unnatural noise. Finally, using just enough compression is key for keeping energy and intensity intact within each track.
Mastering indie rock requires special consideration due to its raw sound; while this can often be beneficial, it can also create a confusing mix that’s hard to grasp. To avoid this from happening, the mastering engineer should pay close attention to how each band or artist influences their track and determine which processing techniques will produce optimal results.
While distortion is commonly used in alternative indie music, its application must be done so with care. Overusing distortion can quickly lead to an unpleasant, murky sound and compromise the integrity of vocal performances. To avoid this scenario, mastering engineers should use compression at specific intervals in the mix for balance purposes while being mindful not to push up too high the gain levels.
Alternative indie music may not be as widespread, but it still holds great influence among younger generations. Under proper guidance, young musicians can produce songs which resonate with a broad array of people. If you want to learn more about this genre of music, take advantage of all the online resources that are available – they may offer everything that’s necessary for creating your own tunes today!