“Bring what you expect to find.” — Ubi Dwyer
These words from anarchist activist, Ubi Dwyer, beckoned in the age of DIY music. Inscribed upon leaflets scattered throughout London, promoting the Windsor Free Festival in 1972, Dwyer encouraged bands to bring their own equipment, create their own environment and speak their own truths. Their only limitations, of course, were themselves. From a park out west of London emitted a heady mix of human expression; skull-shattering heavy metal and the embryonic lashings of punk satiated those with a will for chaos, whilst acid rock and psychedelia swooned listeners with their gentle yet revolutionary demeanour.
Those who attended had full autonomy over how they wanted to express themselves; it was pure, unfiltered, grassroots magic. In fact the festival became so popular, that by the time the 4th instalment of it came about in 1974, even the police were showing up! However, Dwyer’s work was already done, a seed had been planted in the ears of thousands. People realised they could do it themselves…
So where has this potent mindset gone in today’s age?
For sure, people are still making DIY music, however, in an ever burgeoning, ruthlessly competitive industry, freedom of expression is sometimes shelved for chart-toppers. That distinctive hunger and unapologetic individuality is hard to find these days, however, it is not impossible. What needs to be considered though is, does DIY music still serve people as a lifestyle? Or is it a means to an end? A period in an artist’s life where they learn the ropes, potentially obtain a charming, relatable allure, only to shed their grungy feathers for something shinier?
If we look towards some of the most successful, energetic artists of the late 10s or early 20s, we will undoubtedly find that they have been birthed by the self-nurturing, autonomous womb of DIY. The likes of Clairo and Girl in Red both have a history steeped in doing it themselves, with nothing but a decrepit laptop, as they skyrocketed themselves into the poll position of DIY's new age cousin Bedroom Pop. Even modern icons like Billie Eilish and Tyler the Creator can have their roots traced back to a bygone era of shaky handheld music videos and tinny instrumentals.
After all, you have to start somewhere, ey? DIY drastically reduces the disparity between the celebrity and the average Joe, it deconstructs the celebrity figure into the everyday individual, in turn opening up a ubiquitous space imbued with relatable intimacy. Take Clairo’s music video for ‘Pretty Girl’, a track which has since become a staple of Gen Z culture, it was made at 18 years old, in her family home. Glamorous.
Uploaded independently to YouTube, the track epitomises the genre's brutally honest topics, as she openly explores a past relationship in which she felt the need to “be the perfect girl for another person”. Recorded in the humble setting of her own bedroom, using nothing more than the camera on her laptop, the music video is beautifully simple, directly mirroring those innocent iMovie’s we all at some point forced our parents to watch.
Of course, as the viewer we can only ever see so much authenticity through the screen, as we all have a tendency to perform when the cameras are on. However, I get the feeling Clairo shows us as much of herself as she can through this medium. By showing us who she is, and telling us how she is feeling, nothing is held back across the track's three-minute runtime. In being so raw both lyrically and stylistically, Clairo had already fashioned an authentic anthem to be enjoyed by those who needed it, however in choosing to initially upload to YouTube, she further deconstructed any potential distance between listener and artist. Anyone can post to YouTube and anyone can watch something on YouTube, so Clairo consciously portrays herself as nothing more than that; she both is the everyday and experiences the everyday.
I was lucky enough to see Clairo in concert last year. Performing at a sold out venue in Brixton, London, she filled the air with her quintessential indie riffs and delicate vocals to mesmerising effect. Yet I couldn't help but feel it lacked something. Like a tiny stone rolling around in my shoe, something was slightly off. It was that ineffable quality that’s only achieved by doing it all yourself, from the bottom up. Dressed to the nines in a pin-stripe suit, sipping nonchalantly on a light bodied vino, and encased in an equally well-dressed band, Clairo had most definitely ‘made it’, and with that left behind a shrivelled cocoon of iMovies and the distinctive smell of her childhood room. Seemingly overnight, that precious relatability had dissolved, seeping into the cracks of the stage before trickling to the floor to stagnate beneath sold-out shows and international success. There’s no way back from stardom, there’s certainly no way back to your childhood home. She had embraced her artistic metamorphosis into something so much more than she could have ever imagined, yet at what cost?
It’s hard to put your finger on just what it is that makes DIY music so unique, yet, somehow our ears are fine-tuned to seek out this specific sound; perhaps it’s the ever present child in us all that yearns for connection and commonality (I like to think so). Beyond the idea of merely existing as a financially feasible option for artists nowadays, the notion of going completely DIY or signing to an independent label has given form to a musical landscape that shows no qualms in playing with the notion of recklessly bending genres or exploring newfound sonic territory.
Freedom of expression is important to the DIY community because of its love for realness. There is a desire for the unfiltered, raw emotion that comes straight from the heart. Without having ties to record labels, it is easier for DIY artists to maintain this personal and potent musical experience. If we look to recent times we can identify a select few names who have embraced doing it themselves as an identity, and a lifestyle to stand stoically by.
Set up in 2020, Valencia House is Yeek’s independent record-label-cum-creative-house for all mediums of art. Beginning as an internet radio show, the collective gives Yeek the autonomy to move into whichever space he so desires, and in a sonic sense, it allows him to release whatever sound he so desires. More than just a label, the group allows him to straddle between the worlds of music, film, fashion & art. From publishing a supplementary book documenting the artistic process behind his new album Future Reference, to hosting his own hardcore/garage DJ sets and even acting in a Tribeca Film Festival winning movie, Good Girl Jane, Yeek is a true do it yourself creative who refuses to be held back by industry red tape and tied down to a specific medium.
Blossoming in life’s liminal spaces, by releasing music through his own label, Yeek is free to say what he wants when he wants, imbuing his unique sound with an assured gusto. Sebastian Carandang is building something here, this is his path, his lifestyle, clinging to it like a smoker clutches at their last Marlboro Red, it completes him. Of course we can’t say definitively, yet you get a very strong feeling that Yeek won’t curl up into a cocoon coddled metamorphosis anytime soon. He was born with his wings.
Now, there’s no right or wrong here, every artist has their own natural journey and they’re entitled to that. By no means are those who do it themselves deemed superior than those who don’t. It’s merely a preference. We need the likes of Clairo to grow out of their shell and reach for the stars; just as much as we need the likes of Yeek to reinvent what it means to be in amongst stardom. Success takes many forms, the value of which comes from the individual. For those yearning for world tours and grammy awards, DIY will always be a necessary step in realising that goal. Whilst for those who simply wish to speak their mind, and be unshackled by the industry, DIY will be their lifeforce, their conduit to authenticity.
What will you choose?
