Instituitional Context

1. What is the history of the band?

They are a new band of 2 years therefore they are fairly new but have been around long enough to break away from stereotypical conventions. They met in Nashville but once forming the band moved to Austin, Texas where they performed in the South by South west music festival. This is home to descovering other popular Indie bands like MGMT. They have broken away from the stereotypical country genre and in doing so have become more individual. Their songs have a darker feel due to their lyrics not being about the common love interests, but relating to death.

2. What genre(s) of music do the band/ artist fit into

The band are heavily influenced by the likes of George Strait, Blake Shelton, Jerod Niemann. The sound of country is constsntly changing to a modern version, so with this, their modern look will help their star image. Some of their tracks are well known and would attract a niche audience.

3. What record label are the band/ artist signed to?

- Touch and Go records

- Touch and Go Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, USA. After its genesis as a hand-made fanzine in 1979, it grew into one of the key record labels in the American 1980s alternative and underground rock scenes, Touch & Go carved out a reputation for releasing adventurous noise rock by the likes of the Big Black and The Jesus Lizard.

4. Who are the band's audiences?

Middle aged (50+)
Mainly white males
Those who listen to folk, indie music

5. What kind of visual images has the act/band created for themselves?

The band are usually portrayed in their clothing consisting of cowboy hats and chaps. Album covers usually show them standing near a horse or somewhere with a dramatic background, most likely being deserted country areas due to the fact that they are southeners and listen to their own music.

Their Videos are widely recognised as they contain strong use of special effects and avoid the norms that most country singers abide by, such as male singers strolling through the desert singing about their horses and guitars whilst chewing on tabacco. They are not the stereotyipcal country singers and this is shown through their clothing and lyrics.