Institutional Context!

Institutional Context

The band we are using are called 'Now Is Everyone'. They are a band local to Guildford. There are four members and they are:
• Elliot – singer
• Will – Drummer
• Joe – Bass player
• Chris – Guitarist

This the the link to a podcast of Now is Everyone on Eagle Radio. This is where i got most of the information about the band aswell as talking to them over the phone-

http://www.964eagle.co.uk/podcasts/eagle-radio-live-sessions/9-8-10.mp3

1)What is the history of the band / artist you have used?

• What was the history of the band / artist you have used?

'Now is Everyone' are an unsigned band from Guildford. They are a group of four made up by the singer and keyboard player Elliot, the drummer Will, the guitarist Chris and the bass player Joe. They meet and formed the band at school and are now all around 17 / 18 years old.

• How long have they been performing?

They have been formed and performing since 2006, so about four years. They have been playing in local venues such as 'The Boiler room', 'The Winchester' and 'The Railway' all in Guildford. They have also performed at concerts such as Guilfest and The Rock Sound Stage. They have most recently performed at The Boiler room on September 7th.

• How has their star image changed or developed over time?

At the moment and since they have been formed their star image has been a indie rock look, which at present is very popular and unoriginal.

So now my media group and myself want to give them a new star image in order for them to stand out amoungst the many other similar bands that they are competing against. We were thinking of going for a more military style because we want to make them different in order to stand out but also to tie in with their style of music, which is alternative rock / indie. Here are some images of the types of clothes we would want them to wear:

• What future developements are likely?

We are hoping that by creating an eye-catching image and performance heavy video that they will be noticed and recognised, giving them the edge against any competitors.

2) What genre(s) of music do the band / artist fit into?

• Who are their influences?

'Now is Everyone' are influenced by people like Muse and Biffy Clyro because of their genre and performance style and star image.

They have also benn influenced by a local band call 'Enjoy Destroy'. They are a mixture of alternative rock and indie also.

• Who are their comtemporaries or competitors?

Their current competitors are 'Enjoy Destroy' and another local band called 'Play Dead Sister'. However if my media group and myself change their image they'll have more of an edge because they won't be like every other band within the smae genre, making them interesting and fresh.

• How does the genre help to shape their star image?

Their genre; Alternative rock / indie is a popular genre adopted by many bands. Therefore it is quite difficult to come up with an original star image, but it does give us a starting point in which to create an image that is recognisable to fans of this genre and but slightly adapted to give the band a new look.

• What are the commercial implications of their choice of musical genre?

Like i have said previously, their choice of musical genre is very popular so it is hard to create of look original. However slightly changing their look will give them the edge. But it is also a good musical genre choice because so many people like that style of music. So it has its pro's and con's.

3) What record label are the band / artist sighned to?

• What kind of company is it? Does it have a parent company?

Unfortunately 'Now is Everyone' are currently unsigned. However, I asked them what record label they would like to signed to and the said a label called 14th Floor Records. 14th Floor Records are a reasonably big record company but not like someone like EMI. I don't think 14th Floor Records have a parent company.

• What other acts are signed to this label?
  

The acts signed by this label are artists like:

Joshua Radin

Biffy Clyro

Marmaduke Duke

Sneaky Sound System

The Wombats

And various other artists.

• What effect might the choice of label have had on the development of the band?

This record label seems to be a sensible choise for 'Now is Everyone' because they have signed Biffy Clyro, who is one of their influences and all of the other bands that have been signed are similar if not the same genres. The artistes also signed to 14th Floor Record are also all quite successful, so it is obvious to me that the label know what they are doing when it comes to promoting a band like 'Now is Everyone'.

• What are the commercial considerations of belonging to this type of record label?
  

I don't think they are a huge record company so it may be a little more difficult for the label to make the public aware of a new band however they seem to go for the same style artists who are quite successful and known by commercial audiences therefore by belonging to this label 'Now is Everyone' would have a good chance of making it in the music industry because the label seems to specialise in that particular genre.

4) Who are the band / artist's audience?

• What sort of demographic does the band appeal to? (Gender, age, ethnicity, education, class, sexuality etc.)

'Now is Everyone' appeals to an audience ages between 18-30 years old, probably a more male audience and anyone else that is a rock genre fan.

• What kind of lifestyles would the typical fan demonstrate?

The lifestyles of a typical fan because they are between 18-30 years of age are likely to students. Therefore they would be studying, partying and working.

• What other music might the fans listen to, typically?

They would probably listen to other genres such as, rock, heavy rock, metal, heavy metal, scream, alternative, and possible death metal.

• What other kind of media products might they consume, typically?

They would probably buy films, TV's, mobile phones etc. pretty much any kind of new technology.

5) What kind of visual image has the act / band created for themselves?

• What kind of imagery is used on CD sleeves, posters, magazines etc. and why is this effective?
• What kinds of music videos have they releases and how have these helped to sell the band to its audience?
• How do the band's videos compare to other artists in their genre?

This video will be their first video so i can't compare them to any other artists.

• Where are the videos likely to be exhibited?

Because they are unsigned, probably on Youtube and on the social networks sites like Twitter, Facebook and Myspace.

• How does your video compare to the real output of the artist / band?

This video will be their first video so i can't compare any videos other than my own.