Magazine Draft- 'Deck'.

Front Cover.

Contents Page. 

Double Page Spread. 

The name of my artist.

When thinking of a suitable name for my artist I decided it seemed appropriate to look at the names of other artists within both the Indie and Folk genres.

A lot of those in the Indie Genre are comprised  by two unconnected words and phrases being combined together, such as Friendly Fires, Two Door Cinema Club and Bombay Bicycle Club. Their somewhat random nature creates a simple feel, without one that is trying to hard to be something it's not.

 

(Friendly Fires, Two Door Cinema Club and Bombay Bicycle Club.)

Also a lot of Indie bands names are also created with two words, the first being 'The' and then the second having an element of punch and power to it. Such as The Strokes, The Libertines and The Wombats. The punchy names create a sense of dominance and a bad attitude these bands try to create.

 

(The Strokes, The Libertines, The Wombats.)

In addition Folk bands often create their names by using animals, such as Noah and the Whale, Fleet Foxes and Dog is dead. The use of the animals names matches the organic feel often created by Folk music because it is not synthesised or auto-tuned and is created from scratch.

 

(Noah and the Whale, Fleet Foxes and Dog is Dead.)

As well Folk artists often just use their name such as Ellie Goulding, Benjamin Francis Leftwich and Damien Rice. The use of their actual name gives the artist a fresh identity, as well as an honest one with the name showing that they are not trying to be something they are not.

 

(Ellie Goulding, Benjamin Francis Leftwich and Damien Rice.)

Therefore when creating my artists name I looked at all the possible options and decided to go with the idea of putting 2 unconnected words together. Such as Friendly Fires, which like my artists name is 'Drone Pixies'. They are both oxymoron's with the two words having no relevance and being quite different. So this was my inspiration for the name of my artist for my Music Magazine.

Band Profile- Drone Pixies

Band Profile 

Name: Drone Pixies

Music Style: Guitar, acoustic, Vocal, Indie/Folk.

Influences:  Florence and the Machine, The Lumineers, Two Door Cinema Club, Friendly Fires, The Wombats, Of Monsters and Men, Laura Marling.

 
 

(Florence and the Machine, Laura Marling, The Lumineers, Of Monsters and Men.)

Members: Female- Vocals similar to Florence and the Machine, Laura Marling, Friendly Fires.

Cover:  Only Emily in order to avoid overcrowding.

Style: Female: Red hair, Loose hair, Minimal make up, Buttoned up shirt, Denim Jacket, Green and black striped jumper.

Audience Research.

The target audience for my final piece magazine will be aimed at consumers who are interested in both Indie and Folk Music. I have established that these people are aged from around 16 to 30. This tends to be because at the age of 16 people are given more freedom to express themselves, whilst at the age of 30 people are likely to settle down and have other more urging priorities than reading a magazine. I have therefore realised that everything from my photos to the fonts I choose in the magazine must suit this audience. Therefore they will need to be current and associated with current trends.

Although this magazine is a music magazine, this age group will also have many other interests, which could prompt them to but other magazines instead. They will be interested in film/TV, Showbiz (especially females), fashion and sports (more the males). So to keep audience interest items such as these will have to be interwoven into the magazine, enhancing the magazines appeal. Such as fashions of artists in the magazine, films that involve music artists, for example Plan B being in 'The Sweeney'. Or having a chat with Kasabian about Leicester City. Anything that has the possibility to further grow the target market, as well as keeping the existing body is essential to making the magazine a success. 

Meanwhile I will have to keep the magazine current and link items to the latest styles, trends and events. Such as focusing on festivals during the Festival Season.  This will also keep the readers who will go elsewhere if the magazine isn't topical and relevant, due to the short attention spans and fickle nature of young people. 

The magazine will also need to be affordable, especially as it will be aimed at a lot of students, who are on tight budgets, so there is no point targeting a magazine at young people if they are unable to afford it. 

I would like to aim my magazine at people who read the Indie Music Magazine 'Clash' and the popular music Magazine 'NME. Clash is priced at £3.99, whilst I would like my magazine to be  one to two pounds cheaper. Meanwhile the NME is priced at £2.20 and comes out every-week, more of the price I would aim for.  Whereas CLASH is a monthly publication therefore it's price is acceptable. But young people can be impatient and will often prefer a magazine every-week, as opposed to once a month. 

Furthermore the Issues of the CLASH and NME pictured below are in styles that I both admire and would take inspiration from. I especially like the use of Yellow on CLASH and the John Lennon NME. Whilst the use of a calm blue with the greys on the Laura Marling NME I think looks really good.  All the magazines use just a few colours to create a calm effect, which doesn't over complicate or ruin the magazines appearance. 

They also all have bold clear mastheads and throughout use clear fonts, similar to  the style I would like to adopt for my magazine. As well the structures they use with the Loose text on the cover is something I will use. 

I feel these magazines appeal to young people for all of these reasons and is the reason why I like them so much. They are simple but effective, yet still achieve a stylish outcome. But also choose colours and styles that seem like they wouldn't work, but when put together hit it off. This is much similar to the styles of my Target Market., therefore it is clear why these are popular and also reassures me I have chosen the right genre and inspirations for my Target Market. 

The following print screens are from a website called. UK Tribes . The website collates and groups people by their lifestyle choices, such as shopping and TV habbits and was essential during my audience research. The print screens below are of the groups I best feel suit my Indie Genre and helped me most to produce accurate and detailed audience research. 

Audience Profile.

My magazine will be aimed at both genders in order to widen my target market. Although I understand that a magazine featuring an attractive male/female will appeal to the opposite genders. As well as the fact that they have different interests, likes and dislikes. These will all have to be considered when producing my magazine, such as when looking at colours.

Name- Sarah Marriott.

Age- 19

Neck of the woods- Sheffield.

Occupation- Studying Textiles at Sheffield Hallam, in her second year. The partying has calmed down but the enthusiasm hasn't.

Time Killers- Never leaves the house without her camera (or her purse), she was born to shop, but tries to stick of the high street. She loves to see her friends, but "studying is taking over her whole life". Getting home to see her family is everything, but the shops in  Sheffield lure her to stay from Brighton.

Burns a hole in her pocket- CLOTHES CLOTHES CLOTHES, & accessories, loves her quirky bits and bobs. However her cash is going on a new phone, as her current one is 'damaged' (so her mum thinks, a messy night being the real reason).

Future Plans- Would love to work for a fashion company, whether that be in designing or working on the photoshoot. Plus living abroad would be a dream, she'd be on that flight to New York.

Marital Status- Single and chilled.

Favourite Colours- Something that doesn't shout to loud,such as this, this & this. 

Music to her ears- Laura Marling, Mumford and Sons, Two Door cinema Club, Indie and Folk YES PLEASE. But an Oasis playlist can't be sniffed out.

Stop press:- Someone who likes to be herself and doesn't want to upset others, but if she wants something she's going to get it.. watch this space!

Name- Joe Cardkali

Age- 19

Neck of the woods- Newcastle Upon-Tyne.

Occupation- Studying Geography at Leeds Metropolitan. Not a big party animal, prefers a beer back at the flat with the boys.

Time Killers- Travels the length and breath of the UK following the Toon Army. Loves hitting gigs and went to T In The Park last summer. Can't get his hand out the biscuit tin! Not a big fan of the clubs, prefers to shop than get out of his trolley. Used to board, but that is so year 11..

Burns a hole in his pocket- Football tickets, Gig tickets, Cinema tickets. More a saver, than a big spender, but won't hold his cash if the price is right. Shops in River Island and Well Gosh. Whilst nothing beats some fresh Nikes.

Future Plans- Travel round Europe on the Interail, wants to get into town planning, but enjoys writing so journalism is an option. Just wants to have fun in the sun.

Marital Status- Single boy.

Favourite Colours- Something simple, like this, this and this.

Music to his ears- The Wombats, Friendly Fires, The Killers, The Lumineers and The XX. It's all Indie, but it's a tag he wants to brush off.

Stop press:- Likes to just get in and put his feet up, put the kettle on and let the evening roll. Get the mates round and have a laugh. Often seen popping into the high street for a window shop. Just wants to have some fun and will make the effort to find it. But for him homes where the heart is, a Geordie Lad. Howay the lads.

Music Style Research.

I have chosen to use the genre of Indie for my Music Magazine. I very much enjoy listening to this type of music, as well as liking the styles associated with it, from clothes to album covers and magazines.

I hope for my magazine to appear current and modern, but I don't want it to appear to cheap or manufactured  I want it to be authentic and have a genuine feel. Which is why I may use an element of Folk combined with the Indie genre to create authenticity, as I believe that Indie Rock and Alternative can appear fake. 

The Genre- Indie

Indie is the shortened version of Independent Music.The music is produced independently from the major commercial record labels, as well as any of their subsidiaries. This is often achieved by a 'do it yourself approach' to both recording and publishing of music.

However nowadays when Indie is referred to as a genre term, it may in fact be including music which is not produced independently.

Furthermore because Indie artists create a whole variety of music, these can all themselves fit into different genres.

Also people and items are often called 'indie' referring to the individuality of an action or item possessed.

Indie Artists

The Wombats, Two Door Cinema Club, The Vaccines, The Libertines, The Strokes, and Friendly Fires.

The Wombats.

The Genre- Folk

Folk music includes both traditional folk music  as well as the genre that evolved from it during the 20th Century folk revival.

The actual term first came about in the 19th century, though is often applied to some music which is older than that.

Folk Artists

Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Simon and Garfunkel, Neil Young and Eva Cassidy.

 Joni Mitchell.

The Genre- Folk

Indie folk is a music genre that arose within the 1990s from many singer/songwriters in the indie rock community who were influenced by the folk music scenes of the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s, as well as country music and indie rock.

Indie Folk Artists.

Ellie Goulding, Wye Oak, The Lumineers, Fleet Foxes, Noah and the Whale, Mumford and Sons, Of Monsters and Men, Laura Marling, Damien Rice, Johnny Flynn, Ben Howard, Frank Turner, Florence and the Machine, Dog is Dead, Bombay Bicycle Club and Benjamin Francis Leftwich.

The Lumineers.

In Summary

Folk artists are often categorised as Indie Folk and will produced music defined as 'Indie. However Indie artists are unlikely to produce anything of a Folk style. Therefore the Genre's do form a joint genre, however this is Folk Merging into Indie, not Indie Merging with Folk.

Meanwhile the styles of artists from both Genre's may be similar, as of such they are not mainstream.

Font Analysis.

For my magazine I want to use a clear and possibly bold font, whilst keeping it stylish. I don't want it to be to arty or unusual because I feel this will deter from the impression I want to create. I will use similar fonts throughout my magazine as the one on my masthead, to create continuity and keeping my magazine down to earth.

1.  I liked the 'TRANSFORMERS' font because it conveys power and I also like how the 'T' and 'F' drop below the other letters highlighting the beginning of the two words compounded together to create the one. 

2. I like 'COALITION' because it is bold and strong, whilst I also like the fade along the bottom, giving it an authentic rugged style upon the text.

3. The 'PEPSI' font is good especially the 'e' and 's' which come to life with the font. I could use this in my magazine if I entitle it 'deck' because it would enhance the 'e'. 

4. I liked the techno look on the 'GOOD TIMES' font which I thought was pretty interesting. I also think it could suit my Indie genre.

5. I thought the 'CALL ME MAYBE' font was really good, looking as if it had been created by a whiteboard pen. This do it yourself style could certainly suit the Indie genre. 

6/7. I also admire the bubble fonts of 'Alba' and 'Disko' because they to look as if they were drawn, which once again fits the 'do it yourself' Indie element. I also like the bubble style. 

8. neon is a great font I like the way that the 'e' twists to the side, which again would work if I called my magazine 'Deck'. It also has a techno feel fitting the Indie genre. 

9. I love the 'Simple Kind Of Girl' font because it looks like it has been handwritten. This fits the do it yourself Indie style, but also the simplicity suits a Folk genre. So I especially like this font.  

10. The 'Cocktail Bubbly' font is interesting because of the bubbles emerging from the letters which is something different. Also if I called my magazine 'Burst' this font would be especially appropriate. 

11. Finally 'Easter Fun By Tom' has a small Aztec pattern upon the top and bottom of the letters, which fits the Indie genre as these are quite popular among people of this style.  

Colour Analysis.

For my magazine I will need to choose and then use a colour scheme of 3 to 4 colours. Using 3 colours would accomadate the rule of 3, however it is becoming more and more common that magazines use 4 in order to give the magazine a different dimension.

Color by COLOURlovers 1. This colour pallet contains 5 colours which I feel go well together, with the two darker colours, then the strong black, as well as the two paler colours. I feel this would certainly fit the indie genre, and more specifically boys/tomboys.


Color by COLOURlovers 2. This pallet consists of red, black and yellow. Although these are all bold colours, they can really make a magazine stand out and this is used on many magazines. I feel this would more appeal to boys.


Color by COLOURlovers 3. These colours look more dingy, but the mustard yellow would certainly fit a folk element. The colours still create a relaxed feeling.

 
Color by COLOURlovers
 4.This pallet is quite a simple one, however the colours contrast well and the combination of red and black can give something a strong presence on the page.

 
Color by COLOURlovers
 5.In theory this is a boring pallet, however the colours when matched with a vibrant image can create a aesthetic page. They are also simple but authentic, unlike when too much colour is used.


Color by COLOURlovers
6. This pallet consists of green, red, blue and yellow, but in a pastel style. This gives vibrant colours a more relaxed feel, Something I feel could suit my magazine, especially for folk.


Color by COLOURlovers
7. The first three colours in this pallet are quite similar, but with the pink they are given a different edge. The use of the pink makes it more girly, so would narrow my target market.


Color by COLOURlovers 8. Again these colours are quite girly, but for an indie genre this can appeal to both boys and girls. I also believe the colours match up well.