Artist's Album Artwork Analysis 'The Boy Who Fell'

Images: The album work does feature a picture of the artist, however he does not appear to fill or be exactly centre of the frame. As an indie/folk artist it is possible to consider that although he is trying to promote his own star image as an upcoming artist, it is his music that is his main focal point.

His body language for this album is appropriate as it refers to the name of the album ‘The Boy Who Fell’. This pose could be considered as an intentional metaphor to show Oliver glancing down to ‘the boy’ who may have fallen down. It also could express his vulnerability of being an upcoming artist, as he appears to look less confident than already established artists promoting their albums.

Setting: The setting used links in with stereotypical image of indie/folk music. By including images of fields, greenery and plants gives the listener the impression that the album will be very laid back and organic compared to an album cover that is very busy with expensive décor and props. This will attract a certain type of audience who will relate these images with this genre. The setting is also very important to the artist. After Researching about his background and listening to his tracks, it is clear that Oliver is heavily inspired by his countryside home. If a fan were to see this album artwork, they would notice the connections between the music and the imagery used.

Shapes: Shapes are a main theme on this album cover. The use of triangles provides the album with a young and current look, which relates to the age of the artist. It also appears futuristic suggesting that Oliver is a big contender against other artists in this music genre.

Font: The font used is young and hand written which contributes towards promoting Oliver’s star image. In addition to this, by including small triangles in his name may become his signature logo. It will become familiar with his existing fans and will help promote his music to others if this theme was to be continued and transferred onto merchandise and future albums.  

Colours: The colours used are very neutral. It refers to the countryside that Oliver references in his songs which gives the album a mellow appearance. These colours are also commonly used in other indie/folk artwork, as they are effective in promoting this particular style.  

By analysing existing artwork of my artist, I can identify how he has already established his star image whilst promoting his music. His artwork visually looks like other existing album covers in the indie/folk genre as it includes elements of nature. I have seen similarities with Mumford and Son's 'Wilder Mind' album as their main focal is the image of a bench over looking the city. The small and off centre image of Oliver suggests that although he wants to be identified with his music, it is the music that will sell the album instead of his looks. This technique is very popular in this genre compared to other album covers I have studies EG Jason Derulo 'Talk Dirty' who appears central and demands attention from the consumers. The artwork looks simple, however it will appeal to anyone who is a fan of this music as the conventions will indicate what type of tracks they will expect to hear after purchasing the album.
I believe this research has given me a better understanding on how to represent and promote my artist. I will include elements such as the colour scheme and the use of shapes as this is what fans will associate with Oliver's music, but continue to add my own creativity to keep fans engaged and interested with his image. If I consider using a photographic image of Oliver on the digipak, I may have to refer back to the research I completed on Trevor Millum's men in advertisement study to ensure that I successfully promote him in the correct way. Other than that, I feel confident that I can use this information to produce a digipak which will be useful to the artist.