Alternative music with the crusts cut off, Waitrose Indie is really having its moment in 2024. The reasons for this are many and complicated: firstly, the music industry is a tough one to crack, so if you attended a posh school or had musician parents, you already had access to insiders who could provide business acumen, and a nice recording studio in a castle somewhere. Also, a well heeled background is a sign of quality for the powers that be- who’s more likely to get a record deal- little Tarquin, whose dad was a hip hop producer in the eighties; or Tam, who’s starting from scratch, with his genre bending, not made for playlists, unique bunch of outsiders in cheap clothes?
Look at the current crop producing indie hits right now: Wet Leg, whose singer Rhian Teasdale has parents who were in the merchant navy, even mocked their poshness in debut hit, ‘Chaise Lounge’. The Last Dinner Party are flouncing, theatrical ladies who met at the prestigious King’s College, London and have been on heavy rotation across radio stations since before the debut album was even released. Laura Marling is still an indie folk darling, likewise her equally posh pal Johnny Flynn.
Polly Scattergood is not a Victorian children’s novel about a ragdoll, but a singer- songwriter who attended the Brit School. And Steve Lamacq can’t get enough of her. Likewise, the psuedo alternative stylings of English Teacher, who went to Leeds Conservatoire. They won the Mercury Prize this year, but their dream pop, however nice, isn’t exactly ground-breaking.
Waitrose Indie has to have these components: pretending to be edgy while sounding safe; a catchy chorus and shouty bit, tailoring that suggests an outsider’s perspective, but really marketed as ‘alternative ‘, without much individuality.
I’ve said it before – being posh isn’t a sin, per se. Radiohead, FKA twigs, Pom Poko and others are making some of my favourite music. But they’re fully aware of their privilege. Even erstwhile indie star Kate Nash has resorted to putting her peachy bum on Only Fans to raise touring funds. She’s been outspoken on the challenge of staying afloat amid rising costs and venue closures.
The issue is the approach to art- that is what matters. I’m not putting Sleaford Mods above The Last Dinner Party (I think they both suck equally, just in different ways). It’s just the attitude and work that matters. Right now, the rich are dominating culture. And in the time of austerity, it’s just not good enough.We need more Beth Dittos and Mark E Smiths.
Hit The North 