Genre case study for First Aid Kit's 'Blue'.

1. First Aid Kit is a Swedish country folk duo consisting of sisters Klara (vocals and guitar) and Johanna (backing
vocals keyboard) Söderberg. With their “honey-drenched close harmonies” (The Telegraph) as well as their
“confidence of maturity and smooth, assured indie-country sound” (The Guardian), First Aid’s Kit boast a
distinctive sound that “sees them nudge the likes of Laura Marling and Mumford and Sons out of the way in order
to claim a place at the top table “ (musicOMH).
The video was directed by Daniel Wirtberg, who “...wanted to make an homage to old classic movies and create a
vintage feeling that felt right for the song. The video is shot in a really old mansion in the midwest of Sweden,
where we got full access and could dress it the way we wanted.”
‘Blue’ is the third single taken from First Aid Kit's second studio album, ‘The Lion's Roar’ (which reached number
one in the Swedish charts), and was released 18 June 2012 under Wichita Recordings. Since it’s release, the video
has scored 105,330 hits on YouTube.
The video stars Ewa Fröling as a faded, Garbo-esque beauty, working up
the courage to leave the seclusion of her rambling mansion. Wirtberg
believed that “...she was a pure bliss for the production. As an actress
she possesses just the qualities I was looking for in this character.”
Set design was very important, with production designer Anna Natalia
Siemonsen building the Universe of this woman through her props to
tell the story, while stylists Helena Carlsson and Jasminda Blanco helped
to create the faded, vintage look of the woman who is stuck in her past.
“From the reflections of Blue, the influence of the Swedish sisters'
dream producer Mike Mogis (best known for his work with Bright
Eyes) becomes apparent. Still pared down but clearer, the sweet
mimicking between bass and xylophone feel more ominous than
decorative.” – The Guardian

2. “Genre is an intertextual concept” (Katie Wales) and so exists in the relationship between texts rather than in the
text itself. This point is greatly highlighted through music videos; directors often use intertextual references in
their productions by referring to other texts, thus creating meaning and audience appeal as references are
recognised. For example, Quentin Tarintino, who highlights Hollywood’s airbrushing of America’s slave history in
‘Django Unchained’, the titular character being an escaped slave; thus, he references ‘Gone With the Wind’
through his choice of location, suggesting the representation of slavery was inaccurate due to the insulting use of
stereotypes.
First Aid Kit use intertextual references in ‘Blue’ through the lead actress. She is characterised as a "faded, ghostly
beauty” who is too scared to leave the confines of her house. This description is nod to Miss Havisham from
Charles Dickens ‘Great Expectations’, where the narrator, Pip, knows her to be “an immensely rich and grim lady
who lived in a large and dismal house barricaded against robbers, and who led a life of seclusion.“
This intertextuality is achieved through the choice of costume. Stylists Carlsson and Blanco use dated styles,
slightly dusted and faded, to create an atmosphere of someone being trapped in their past, much like Pip’s
description of Havisham when he says “everything within my view... had lost its lustre, and was faded and yellow.”
Production designer Anna Siemonsen created a large, baron home, full of old relics from the woman’s past to
remind the audience that she is trapped in her memories and denial, much like Havisham, who is surrounded by
the items from her wedding. The audience will immediately recognise the iconic character, thus quickly
establishing familiarity to help them understand the message behind the video; Havisham is known as a metaphor
for loss and regret, so the reference suggests that the lead has been betrayed, or that her lover died long ago.
(L-R) Miss Havisham in the BBC production of Great Expectations and
the lead character in the ‘Blue’ music video. They both are looking
into mirrors (and their tables are covered in dusty artefacts) and there
is a sense of horror at them realising what they’ve become.
(L-R) The home of Miss Havisham in the BBC production of Great
Expectations and the house from the ‘Blue’ music video. They both
oversized, not suitable for just one person living there. They have
grown dusty and dirty from being abandoned.

3. Another reference made is to the Swedish actress Greta Garbo, the visual reference to Garbo's reclusiveness thus
becoming a cultural signifier. Director Daniel Wirtberg described the lead character as “a faded, Garbo-esque
beauty”, so had her styled around the actress. This may have been a deliberate choice. After further research, I
discovered that Garbo shunned publicity after she retired from the screen, aged 35, acting in only twenty-eight
films. She told a close friend: “as early as I can remember, I have wanted to be alone. I detest crowds, don't like
many people.” This references the woman in the music video, who prefers the confines of her rambling mansion,
and tries to escape from the large crowds that seem to surround her, thus creating a tragic image for the
audience.
In later life, Garbo became an art collector. It was said that she spent most of her time in rooms of art that were
rich and colourful, and gave her spirit some solace from all that seemed to chase after her. Garbo’s great niece
described her home as a “…sanctuary. She was very private, very protective. Not really showing in any way.”
Production designer Anna Siemonsen conveyed this sense of being a recluse and finding comfort in the past
through her use of props; she used dusty, antique furniture, and dark paintings of birds and the such to create a
home very much stuck in the past, comforting the woman, who is very much alone.
Finally, the characterisation of Garbo is explicitly referenced. As an actress, she would often worry about her age,
stating that “time leaves traces on our small faces and bodies. It's not the same anymore, being able to pull it off.”
The woman in ‘Blue’ is also very aware of her age, staring at her reflection in horror and hiding away in the dark,
as though she is shocked at what she sees there. Moreover, Garbo struggled depression; approaching her sixtieth
birthday, she told a companion that “in a few days, it will be the anniversary of the sorrow that never leaves me,
that will never leave me for the rest of my life.” This is portrayed in the video, where the woman hides away in the
shadows, barely talking to anyone, spending very little time outside, seemingly ashamed of her own existence.
(L-R) the isolated mansion in ‘Blue’; the woman’s collected items from over the years; Greta Garbo’s final home

4. “Each text is influenced by the generic rules in the way it is put together; the generic rules are reinforced by each text.”
(Tony Thwaites). Therefore, genres are created and reinforced by other media texts in the genre, allowing for audience
appeal and recognition; for example, in music videos for the country/folk genre, conventions of natural locations are
frequently used (such as forests, rivers and the ocean), so an audience can automatically recognise the genre, creating
a sense of pride and familiarity.
First Aid Kit achieve this sense of audience familiarity through their use of conventions of the country/folk genre. They
chose to film scenes in natural locations, such as the forest and other heavily wooded areas; this is quite a gothic,
shadowy location which suits the dark tone of the piece while also highlighting the natural theme often featured in
the folk genre - see Birdy’s ‘Shelter’ (left). Another aspect of mise-en-scene which strengthens this familiarity is their
use of colouring. Deep reds and oranges are used in the video, which connotes warmth and passion, as well as
reinforcing themes of Autumn, a season often featured in music videos of the genre - see Ben Howard’s ‘Old Pine’
(right) - as it connotes new beginnings (in this case, the woman is trying to move on with her life) and the last bursts
of glory before nature's temporary death in winter, which are often explored in the lyrics of the songs . Autumn in
poetry and art also connotes a mellow, yet melancholy season, such as in Keats ‘Ode to Autumn’; the use of autumnal
colours, therefore, heightens the sense of approaching the winter of old age, much like the older woman in the video.
However, the music video also challenges the conventions of the folk genre, thus making the video more exciting for
the audience to observe. As theorist Steve Neale stresses, “...genres tend to be regarded as fixed forms, but
contemporary theory emphasises that both their forms and functions are dynamic.” Audience pleasures are therefore
derived from both repetition and difference, as there would be no pleasure without difference to keep the audience
hooked and interested. We expect in a country/folk video certain conventions (such as the locations and lighting
mentioned above), but in the video, the band challenges certain aspects of the genre to appeal to the audience; they
also chose some alternative locations, costumes and lighting.

5. An example how the video challenges the genre is through the use of their locations. While natural locations, such as
forests and woodland, are used, the video also incorporates the location of a large, empty building; it is very dark and
isolated, and also quite gothic. This challenges the traditional upbeat, ‘freedom and nature’ feel which often
dominates folk videos - see Mumford and Sons ‘Ditmas’ (left). Also, the use of lighting, while at times traditional (such
as the Autumnal red colouring), it also at times very harsh and unforgiving, reflecting the darker tone of the piece.
This is uncommon for folk music videos, which are often coloured by warm, earthy tones – see The Pierces ‘You’ll Be
Mine’ (right), to connote the warmth often featured in their lyrics.
Genre conventions change “according to the ideological climate of the time” (Susan Hayward), such as the contrast of
the optimistic western hero of John Wayne in the 1950s to the reluctant antihero of the spaghetti westerns in the
1970s. First Aid Kit are progressive in their choice of an older actress to play the lead character, a woman in her fifties,
which is a bold choice, especially for a young band with a young target audience who may not connect with the
character. This may be a choice made purposefully due to the scrutiny the media has faced recently when it comes to
the roles of women in Hollywood. Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal recently revealed she was turned down for a role
opposite a 55-year-old man because, at 37, she was considered “too old” by casting directors; not only that, but a
recent survey discovered that, in Hollywood, men over 40 accounted for 53% of characters whereas women that age
represented only 30%. Daniel Wirtberg, the director of ‘Blue’, may have chosen to challenge this ideology of women in
the media, much like Tarintino in ‘Jackie Brown’, who cast a middle aged, black female drugs mule as the lead
protagonist, who is rewarded a heroic status at the end of the film. A more recent example could be Monica Bellucci
playing a Bond girl in the James Bond film, “Spectre”; she is, in fact, 50, and therefore 3 years older than Daniel Craig.