The 1975 is a British indie rock band formed in 2002 in Cheshire, UK. Led by singer Matty Healy, the band gained popularity after releasing their first EP in 2012 and being named NME's Album of the Year in 2016. Known for their minimalist album artwork and music videos shot in black and white, the band explores themes of relationships, sex, drugs, and the experiences of teenagers and young adults in their music and style. Their sound incorporates elements of electropop, pop rock, indie rock, and synth pop.

1. THE 1975
G E O R G E W E T T O N

2. BACKGROUND
• The 1975 is an indie brit rock band from the UK. The band was first formed in Cheshire in
2002. Their leader singer Matty Healy whose the son of famous actors Denise welch and
Tim Healy, met two other members at their high school and have been performing
together since the age of 13. the name of the band went through several titles but they
eventually came to one deciding when looking at the back page of the book On the
Road by Jack Kerouac that were dated "1 June, The 1975“. The band performed many gigs
over the years but not reaching their public success until 2012 when they released their
first EP Facedown and being named as Album of the Year for 2016 by NME. Their marketing
for album often comes along anomalously from deleting their accounts, reactivating them
and posting new album covers to matt Healy tweeting "I like it when you sleep is coming
to an end“, a quote to a song from his next album. In 2019, the opening song of Notes on a
Conditional Form, titled "The 1975", was released, featuring climate activist Greta
Thunberg, the proceeds of the song going to Extinction Rebellion. Their 2021 album ‘being
funny in a foreign language’ had guest vocals from FKA Twigs and Phoebe Bridgers,
showing that their musical abilities were expanding across the years from the range of
singers that they performed with. The band along with everyone else suffered during the

3. MEMBERS
•Matty Healy – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
•Adam Hann – lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
•Ross MacDonald – bass, keyboards, backing vocals
•George Daniel – drums, keyboards, backing vocals

4. ALBUM COVERS
The 1975 I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful
yet So Unaware of It
A Brief Inquiry into Online
Relationships
Being Funny in a Foreign
Language
Music for cars Notes on a conditional form
Being a major fan of the 1975, I have been a major fan of
not just the music but the style/fashion that they have
represented over the course of the years as well. The
1975 have been well known for minimalistic intake in
their design but I have always viewed their album covers
as being uncreative and boring. Not filling in in the
design which is something fans like for ironic reasons.
However if it doesn’t give me something to draws my
eyes to it isn’t very great. The only two covers I do like
are first two for their parallels between the light and

5. CHOCOLATE
• Taking a look at this music video we can see that it is a
tradition black and white greyscale. Showcasing that this is
their trademark for a lot of products. As seen from the
evidence in their albums they use dark colours. The majority
of their videos are black white if not that then they are neutral
colours. The monochrome look they use to their advantage by
the lightning which is taking place in the camera. Using
shadows to create the imagery surrounding them. Another
thing they use is using the reflection at the front window of
the car. Street lights bouncing off to give the image glare lens
look. The video centres from intercuts of him and his band
driving in the car. Then shots of him dancing topless with a
girl. The video’s story is them fleeing away from the police
with stash of cannabis which they had stolen, with chocolate
being a euphemism for ‘cannabis’. Matt Healey called this
song "a love letter to the authority figures in our town — you
know about small town boredom, both by the kids and by the
police.“ This is shown further through how lifted it is with
people in the video. Almost as if they are the rulers of the

6. SINCERITY IS SCARY
• To counteract the point which I made for the last music video
I deconstructed. This video goes out of the realms of a
standard 1975 music video and makes the colours more
vibrant. Something which had thrown the fans off at the time
as they had become so used to the noir desaturated minimal
style that made the band so recognisable. When in analysis
the videos plays off almost as if it’s a daily routine but a
musical way to start the day. Having the lead singer waking
up and leave his front door which is number 1975 for irony
sake. The video then plays on as a happy go lucky dreamlike
sequence where everyone on the street is playing
instruments and are willing to dance in a euphoria mood.
The street which was used for the video was a fake American
street which was set they had taken at the Disney studios in
los angles. In terms of cinematography there isn’t anything
noteworthy to add but the choreography has worked really
well. With each dancer in synch with one another. The music
video is shot with a whip pan affect so that almost the whole
of the video is done in one entire take. The musical video was
inspired by films such as Singin' in the Rain (1952) and My
Sister Eileen (1955). This can be evidence from the elaborate
use of the swing on the lamppost in the video homaging to

7. ROBBERS
• The most interesting aspect I picked up from deconstructing this music
video is the depressive lifestyle of a criminal. Whilst the music video
pitches it as something they are happy with and something which
builds their relationship stronger. We being the viewer can see many
attributes that contradict. From the grey dull streets that cover every
part of the street that surround them to the gunshot Matty induces in
the end of tone of their robberies. We as a viewer know that their
criminal activity won’t last that long as their reckless behaviour is
inflicting danger towards them. As well as their messy lifestyle with
their dirty apartment being highlighted in many of the shots. The level
of intimacy is something which is important to look at in this music
video as well. As a majority of the shots feature just the two lovers and
his band only appearing from the heist scenes. This makes interesting
use of shadows and lighting, using the lighting in the room to use two
facing silhouettes, showcasing their movement of love. The habits
shown between the two however are extremely unhealthy and such as
the robbing it’s something brings them closer. Revelling in the love for
guns and violence. Something which the woman regrets as seen when
Matty is playing with the gun pre-robbery. The video doesn’t paint their
lifestyle as something which you wouldn’t expect from criminals,
showing their unpattern choices. Matty when talking about the video
stated "'Robbers' is about a heist that goes wrong, I suppose you can
read it as a metaphor, and a girl who's obsessed with her professional
killer boyfriend. It's a romantic ideal.“ so the main common theme to
take from it is the insight into toxic relationships. The concept of the
video was mainly inspired by the 1993 film True Romance,

8. INFLUENCES/STYLE
• The 1975 are very recognisable for their grunge ragged style.
Often dressed in black, and looking dishevelled and unkept.
• Their music covers many themes including many dark topics such
as relationships, sex, drugs, love, hope and fear. This topics are
often in association with late teenagers and young adults showing
that they are appealing to their target demographic.
• Their band deliberately represents two sides to parallels each
other. With the first album being dark, monochrome and
melancholy to light pop which is being represented more
currently in their later albums.
• The band in terms of style covers electropop, pop rock, indie rock
and most importantly synth pop which roots for it’s haunting and
smoother vocals. With this particular style their music roots
further back to 80’s synth causing controversy when being held in
comparison to the modern music of the today, being called with
Influences
Michael Jackson
Talking heads
My bloody valentine
Ride
Christina Aguilera
Sigur ros
Boards of Canada
Roberta flack
John Hughes (filmmaker).
The big pink

9. MOODBOARD