EH - Star Image (Ancillary Research)

Solo Task - Emma Hall 9162

The lifespan of an artist in this genre typically involves adapting to reflect not only your own success but also the meshing together of genres that becomes more and more frequent as time goes on. During the course of their career, ‘Mumford and Sons’ have stuck to a fairly clear brand image, but it has gone through subtle changes as the band has got more popular. The media relating to them initially was surrounded by the idea of a ‘new’ approach to folk, and so the band’s look was appropriately young, with jeans and signature waistcoats that become a recurring look for the band. The folk side of their music is very much enhanced to begin with, as they are photographed against forest backdrops, in country homes or fields, with the occasional tweed waistcoat, fedora hats and beige colours. Their first music video ‘Little Lion Man’ was very simple, staying performative and showing a bare stage and a still camera that kept to basic shots like close ups of instruments, and group shots of the whole band. Their media was limited as "there was no marketing push or TV advertising at the start, just people who came to gigs. It is people who came to see us live, bought the album, and then told their friends who have made this work.” (Marcus Mumford).


However, as they grew in popularity, their image became slightly more styled, more constructed, with less of an emphasis on the folk and more geared towards appealing to the masses – they became aware of their artistic power over how they were represented in the media. The waistcoats were still there, but covered with sharp suits. More extra-textual photographs could be found from media websites that the band do not control, of them picking up awards or going out somewhere, as the band members themselves became just as prominent as the music. Their website is more advanced now, with forum facilities and large gift shop – the music videos are more sophisticated and attract big names like Idris Elba to both star in and direct. This particular music video ‘Lover of the Light’ starring the Hollywood actor, did not feature the band at all, and was more concept-based, with sophisticated shots including extreme close-ups and shots using mirror reflections and shadows. This video showed the band’s rising ideological power, as they began to realise their influence over the audience and how they could use their image to send a message. However, the core look of the band has remained the same, with the focus on them as a group rather than individuals, and continued use of the less mainstream instruments such as banjo and double bass, that they are unashamed to be photographed with. I think Mumford and Sons are a good example of adapting to appease the wider audience your music is getting through popularity without losing sight of your genre altogether, and keeping a stable look whilst still recognising that change is necessary.



The indie genre in particular has always had a very postmodern approach to constructing star image - from music videos, to TV interviews and photo-shoots, indie artists tend to make their own path, steering away from the traditional, striving for something unique and pushing the boundaries of what is considered 'acceptable'. When married with the traditional aspects of acoustic genres, this creates a much safer approach than rock, for example, but still attempts to break conventions. In particular, the approach to women stays far away from voyeurism, and instead shows women as equals to men, and often as innocents, with Laura Mulvey's 'male gaze' far from the equation. Men and women generally receive equal coverage within music videos, especially in more recent years, and share prominence in posters.

In terms of Mumford and Sons, equality is shown through their resistance to foreground the lead singer on album covers – something many more popular bands do. Instead, in both Babel and Sigh No More, the band members are presented side by side, as a united front. Their album covers also tend to play with the mix of more old-fashioned, traditional elements, and a more modern, casual attitude. The Babel cover does this through the use of location, with contemporary figures blurred in the background, whilst the band, the old brick building and flag set dressing are in focus. This gives the sense that the band belong to a different era than the one they are in, yet the casual body language of the band stop them from looking pretentious, so they remain accessible to a 21^st century audience. The Sigh No More cover takes this idea further by placing the band as a shop window display, where their folk instruments and apparel directly contrast the ordinary looking street outside. In both these covers, the colours remain muted, with beiges, white and white prevalent, which further the old-fashioned image. This consistency helps make them more easily recognisable, and spreads through to other media, such as this article about them in Q magazine – the colours are again muted, the look casual yet with a slight folky edge. The same can be said for appearances in other media such as on Later with Jools Holland – where lights lit in the background give a warm glow similar to those seen in Mumford and Sons’ music videos, and the band is once again in a side by side formation. Performing on Later with Jools Holland, as opposed to something like the Graham Norton show or the Jonathon Ross show is also significant. The latter two are more popular, mainstream entertainment shows, whereas the former is a specific music show that is shown later on at night on the BBC and has a more prestigious, serious music vibe to it. It is therefore more appropriate for the band to reach a target audience of real music-lovers who would appreciate their sound, instead of appearing on entertainment shows with the purpose of advertising themselves.

In terms of my artist, constructing a ‘look’ will be important, and I think it will be important to straddle the line between appealing to a wide audience and retaining an individual style – something Mumford and Sons do so well. Making sure the image is consistent will also be important, and I will also need to pay attention to the colours used throughout and make sure to stick to a theme that represents my artist’s style and can easily be incorporated into any piece of media surrounding them.