Individuality in the Music Industry

As each of us travel the treacherous roads through schooling, adolescence and early adulthood we are naturally drawn towards particular interests and hobbies. Music fans have all felt that rush of adrenaline, clarity and uncanny familiarity when hearing a beloved record for the very first time. Many of these experiences lead to individuals creating their own pieces of music, hoping to inspire others in the same way they were inspired. But having idols and such significant inspirational figures in the music industry, how hard is it for a new musician or band to create and maintain an individual sound without mimicking said idols?

The music business is renowned for its relentlessness and ruthlessness and the pop industry is the culprit for keeping the competition as strong as ever. The pop industry is mainly filled with commercial acts, so the types you hear on Radio 1 and see on MTV and perched on the end of a sofa on chat shows and breakfast television. Although this industry occasionally picks up on true talent, it is also to blame for potentially diminishing individuality in the music industry by turning each individual into a manufactured puppet.

The ‘Alternative’ arena is where life can still be found. Many extremely active music blogs - the405, Pitchfork, HypeMachine -dedicate their time to trawling through thousands of Ramones, The Smiths and Joy Division rip-offs to find those musical gems; gems in the form of bands and solo artists who have really listened to music, and have a wonderfully natural gift of creating ambitious and forward-thinking music themselves.

A positive aspect to the evolving of a new band is citing other up-and-coming bands as their main influences. It’s very important that the music industry grows and is filled with exciting new prospects, or else it shall always be full of music fans who wish to sound just like Morrissey or David Bowie. In the vast majority of band interviews by music magazines or online blogs a main question is ‘who are your main musical influences?’ and though it is important to recognise true talent and individuality in successful musicians of the past generations, it should also be just as important to recognise those new and exciting bands who have arguably had it harder. These new bands have had to find that niche in the market and revolutionise the music industry; becoming the sound of the 21^st century.

Outstanding musicians of the past decade - Radiohead, Foals, The xx and Arctic Monkeys – have proven that it is still possible to tap into new sounds in the musical sphere. However sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between the fake and the truly passionate. It’s a possibility that many new musicians have convinced themselves of a true passion for creating their own deeply engaging lyrics or effortlessly complex guitar solos, but the real question is are these individuals aiming to benefit the music industry in producing and evolving it with new sounds and essentially new art, or are they just compassionate music fans clinging onto the visions of their heroes for dear life?