Choosing an Artist/ Song

In class we discussed the difference between Negus' organic and synthetic band and the reasoning behind why record labels would use either when signing artists. Starting with organic artists and bands, they would be scouted through social media, streaming platforms and live events (gigs). There is an emphasis on the music they make and their sound, the label would then sign them and aid them gently in shaping an image but allow them to form and evolve themselves over time. It is more of an investment and takes longer for them to gain large amounts of attention. Some examples of this include: Frank Ocean, The Arctic Monkeys, Taylor Swift etc. Opposingly, there is synthetic bands, those which are manufactured by labels to have a 'one hit wonder' or a few singles that do really well until there is someone new to replace them. They are often auditioned to fit a certain look, and often don't even need the talent, or found through social media or talent shows like X-Factor. These artists are usually around for a short amount of time and are iconic to the moment and pass the fame to the next 'young and cool' artist. An example of that is Jedward, however, on occasions they have become extremely successful with bands such as The Spice Girls, Little Mix and One Direction, yet they always come to an end.

Thomas Headon is another example of an organic artist, here you can see the natural pose and background, making him seem real and authentic, not overly produced and his personality shining through. Organic artists often attract more mature audiences, in this case I still feel as though teenage girls are targeted as an audience.

In comparison to the Spice Girls, a synthetic band, there is a large difference as here you can see the bright colour palette and designated outfits to fit each girl's 'personality'. This clearly targets a younger audience as the colours and gimmicks typically appeal more to a younger audience.

It is important to look at my options, I could either use a friend's song and create a campaign for them, or manufacture an artist behind one of the songs I have found. In order to do the latter, I must ensure that I can cast a 16/17 year old at my school to fit the aesthetic and suit the voice in order to create a realistic and believable campaign.

Heave Ho! - Lips

Origins/ Accent: New Zealand but no specific accent comes through in the song

Genders: 1 female 3 males

Roles: lead singer, drummer, guitarist and bassist

Could I Cast Someone: yes, however I feel as though I could cast an all girl band to fit the 'vibe' of the song but being able to cast anyone opens up the amount of people I can audition.

Peach - RALFY

Origins/ Accent: British

Gender: male

Role: Singer

Could I Cast Someone: I feel like this would be one of the easiest artists to cast as I can picture many boys in Hurtwood that would match the sound of the artist.

Questions - Monté

Origins/ Accent: British

Gender: 1 female 2 male

Roles: singer, keys and drummer

Could I Cast Someone: I don't feel as though this would be that difficult to cast, the biggest issue is finding people who suit the style of the band and can play the instruments.

Witch - The People Versus

Origins: British

Gender: 1 female 5 male

Roles: singer, drummer, guitarist, pianist, cellist, bassist

Could I Cast Someone: I am unsure as I feel the band have an older sound to them, additionally I am unsure of anyone who plays cello in the school.

My favorite song that I would like to pitch is Peach by RALFY as I have the most ideas for a video and I think it would be easiest to cast someone who matches the aesthetic. He is also a young artist so the voices would also suit. For this project, I would prefer to create a synthetic artist/ band rather than working with someone on their own song as I feel this gives me more freedom to explore a genre I enjoy.