Analysis of images Phoebe Hindle

Band #2:

Promotional photos…

“The Kooks” give off a very typical boy image. They’re shown as being laid-back, casual and down-to-earth. They show this image through the mise-en-scene; clothes, body language and the setting.

Every photoshoot shows each member of the band, and there isn’t a main focus on just one of the members. Showing that they’re all seen as equal in this band. This is quite unusual for indie-pop bands as usually there is one member (the main vocalist) who’s the main focus.

They project a very laid-back image and you can tell this through their body language. They’re sat back, not really paying attention to the camera like they’re interested in something else.

The “ouch” stickers in this picture, shows how they’re quite boisterous and like typical boys, who mess around, which suggests this down-to-earth image.

Their clothing is very casual , they look like they don’t follow any specific fashion trends and like they don’t pay any attention to their appearance. This is very typical for indie-pop bands as they usually show this laid-back, casual attitude to fashion and wear anything they’re comfortable in- even if it’s something from the high street.

In most pictures, they’re shown in a city location. This shows that they’re not detached from society and will appear in busy locations. Again, showing that they’re down-to-earth which is a common trait for indie-pop bands.

Live photos…

From their live photos, you get a very different image from their promotional pictures. They look much more professional, they’re still dressed in casual clothing, however, they wear things like blazers, smart jumpers etc. to show a distinction from when they’re off stage and on stage. This is quite similar to most indie-pop bands because even though they might dress informally off stage, they’re more smart-casual on stage. Also, unlike their promotional pictures, on stage the main focus is on the lead vocalist. This is a typical feature in most indie-pop bands because the lead singer is who the audience pays the most attention too. Nonetheless, there is still a focus on some of the other band members showing that they’re not totally forgotten. The live pictures also show the band

playing their instruments which is a very typical image of indie-pop bands. It shows the audience that they are talented and able to play their own music. Unlike “Florence and the Machine”, “The Kooks” definitely have more of an indie element in their performance rather than pop. This is because they don’t perform as much with props, strobe lighting, dancing etc. Their performances are more grounded.

Album photos…

• Their debut album shows them playing instruments. This shows them showcasing their talents as musicians. As at this point they were relatively unknown it’s important to show their audience that they play their own instruments as well as sing as it shows them that they’re actually talented.

• Their follow up album shows a more fun image. Their audience now are familiar with them, therefore it’s not as important to show their fan base their talents, but project a fun, casual and laid back image, much like they portray in their photoshoots etc.

• Their last album doesn’t even feature the band at all. It again, like their second album cover, gives off a fun careless image, which would appeal to their audience as their target audience would be teenagers. The band don’t need to be on the cover because throughout all of their albums they’ve kept their logo constant and therefore their audience would be able to recognise who the album is by because of their constant logo.

Colours…

Like many indie-pop bands, The Kooks don’t wear colours or costumes that reflect the mood of the song. The colours they wear are pretty neutral, block colours like white, blacks, blues etc. The colours they wear are pretty ‘safe’ and they’re never too bold or over the top. This helps their audience relate to them more as they’ll feel comfortable going out and copying their style because they dress in things that are wearable in every day to day life. This is quite different to “Florence and the Machine” as they wear much more bold and brighter colours and go down more of a pop route, whereas it’s obvious that The Kooks go down a more indie route when it comes to their outfits.

Representations and ideologies…

The Kooks are like a typical indie-pop boy band as their pictures have suggested. The mise-en-scene is important to give off this image. The costume they wear are normal day to day clothing, things that you’d see on the high street. This reflects them as a band as it makes them look and seem down to earth and also their fans are able to copy their style as it isn’t outrageous or over the top. Likewise, the colours they use aren’t bold or in-your-face, again making it easier for fans to copy their style and it also helps to give them the image of casual and laid back. As an indie-pop band, The Kooks are very typical with their style and use of colours, they don’t put a lot of thought into the mise-en-scene and wear things that they’re comfortable in. Their overall style shows off a more indie feel than a pop feel and any props they use are also apart of the indie genre as they’re often seen using musical instruments like guitars.

What I have learnt…

After analysing different The Kooks images, I have discovered that the typical style for boy indie-pop bands is to wear plain clothing and not to look like they care too much about their appearance. It could be beneficial to keep the image like a typical indie-pop band image as the audience would easily be able to recognise what genre our band belongs to. Also, developing a certain style is important as it keeps the image looking constant and it helps the band achieve a trademark look. Also, cinematography is important, as I’ve discovered from researching The Kooks, I’ve found that not all bands have just one main person who gets most of the attention in photoshoots. This is quite different for indie-pop bands but it could make our product more unique if we made all the band members look equal. Lastly, when we film some performance shots, we have to make sure we showcase the bands talents, i.e. show them playing musical instruments. This helps the audience understand that the band are in fact talented and aren’t mass produced like many pop bands- this is the sort of thing that people who like indie-pop are interested to see.