Indie Folk Genre

1. Videos of this genre can often entail a
low production budget, while they take
advantage of the use of natural
settings, which illustrates a key theme
of the appreciation of nature and the
environment – respect for the earth.
In relation to this, the artists often
dress to match their surroundings
(nature), which includes rural attire for
example. Finally, the music videos
typically feature a number of long
shots and establishing shots allowing
the audience to take in the beauty of
the surroundings.
This genre often represents a
celebration and love of music,
which is demonstrated by the fact
that a number of instruments seem
to feature in their music videos,
many of which are obscure, less
well-known instruments such as
banjos and the double bass. The
music could therefore be an
appreciation of the value and worth
of a simple piece of music.
A conventional music video of this genre tends to include a
strong narrative or moral message concerning society, whether
that be a political or social message. By extension, the music
videos will reflect the meaningful lyrics of the song via the use
of an intriguing narrative that can become rather obscure in the
manner it is told – this correlates to the idea of ‘folklore’ that
surrounds folk music and the concept of storytelling within a
piece of music.
In terms of the colour codes of the Indie
Folk genre, conventionally neutral and
natural colours such as orange, brown
and yellow will star as key iconography of
the genre for the demographic. In
combination with soft and ambient
lighting, crafted to form a calm and rustic
atmosphere to the video. This also links
to the expected setting of an Indie Folk
video, in which these colours would be
very relevant.
As well as the mentioned sections of
narrative, there usually also tends to
be elements of performance from
the artist or band, in which the
‘brand identity’ of the individuals is
reinforced. Specifically to this genre
this may be carried out by portraying
an unperfected image of the artists,
again supporting the fact that their
priority is solely about the music.