Around 57% of the industry still uses CDs and vinyls (which have recently increased in popularity), which creates a need for album and vinyl artwork which can express things about the artist/band and album. The album covers need the ability to stand out to attract the target audience, represent the genre, and convey the ideologies, construct the image of the artist/band.
marlowe : "it's turning me on e.p."
Marlowe's album cover "it's turning me on e.p." represents a band, even though the use of one person on the front cover could connote it being a single artist. Because the person depicted on the cover is not a member of the band, it makes it easier to figure out whether they are a single artist. The album cover is organic and represents the Indie genre because of its hand-drawn aspect, and the use of one colour in the background. It appears to be vintage, simple and candid. Next to this, the scratches incorporated in the album cover also represent aging, which makes it seem like the album would be rather old. The red colour, the woman putting on lipstick and the title also connote a sultry vibe, possibly standing out among other album covers.
marlowe : "darksparklecorner"
This album cover clearly represents a band, despite there being one character on the cover. The person doesn't seem to be part of the band, which connotes that it cannot be an artist; they would most likely not have another person on the front of their album if it was a single artist (usually, this is not the case; there are exceptions). The album cover is very organic and simplistic, and perfectly reflects the Indie genre through muted colours, being candid, looking washed, and being slightly nightmarish. Next to this, the symbolic conventions such as the old radiator and vintage-looking blanket connote an older age. The album cover itself is rather creepy, with a scared kid on the front of the cover, which could possibly deter someone from purchasing the product.
marlowe : "a day in july"
The use of three children on the album cover connotes that the artist is yet again, a band. They could possibly be embodiments of the bands' younger selves. The cover here is also organic, as the use of muted colours, a rather blurry and old-looking photograph, as well as the use of children hardly make it possible for this cover to be synthetic; it transfers the ideology that the band creates Indie music due to the lack of their faces on the cover, which adds a sense of mystery to the band. The image itself, which depicts mountains and a blue sky are quite calming, which connote to the audience that the music will most likely be more relaxed.
marlowe : "deep breath fake air"
"deep breath fake air" is clearly the album cover for a bands' album. Without a doubt the band is attempting to hide their faces; an artist would most likely not have the ability to hide their faces on the album covers as they may not be as recogniseable otherwise. The album cover is organic because of its sketched aspect, and also the use of colours which stand out to the audience. The slight contrast between the colours draw the audience to the album despite the little amount of information that it transfers about the band. Because it holds so little information, the band can easily be identified as working in the Indie genre and mute themselves from "more exciting" genres.
TESTCARD : "LINES"
TESTCARD's "LINES" album cover connotes that the musicians behind the music here are also a band due to their mysterious secrecy and their choice to hide their faces from the audience, which helps to sell the music rather than the artist and also tie in with the entire Indie vibe quite well; Indie artists prefer to be kept out of the spotlight which these album covers do very well; especially this one, as it gives no information or hints about the band at all. Due to it's simplicity, muted colour, and relaxing vibes the significance of this album cover isn't very large, and may stand out between all of the funky colours.
ROJA : "Promises I should have kept"
This album cover immediately represents the music genre as being either Country or Indie Folk because of it's use of a cowboy and old calligraphy-style writing on the cover. The cover is rather abstract in a sense that the audience doesn't quite understand the connection between the cover and the band. ROJA is most definitely a band because again, they prefer to hide their faces and identity from the audience, which is something that would be vital to a sole artist. The cover itself is rather unsettling due to it's medieval look and quirkyness of the character depicted on it.
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