The Indigo Girls Essay

Alternative music is an umbrella term that is used to describe music that is not played on mainstream radio, or consumed by mainstream audience. It does not fall into any other musical genre. There are dozens of different subgenres that branched off from alternative music. Alternative pop/rock is a catch-all term for post-punk bands from the mid-1980’s and mid-1990’s. Since there are a variety of musical styles within alternative rock, all of them tie together and exist outside of the mainstream. Most alternative pop/rock bands signed onto independent labels in the 80’s. However, they did not receive as much support as the mainstream acts that were on major labels. Soon enough, alternative pop/rock began to be marketed as mainstream. Indie rock, another subgenre of alternative music, took its name from “independent.” It describes both do-it-yourself attitudes of …show more content…
They teamed up with fellow Georgian Vic Chesnut to record 1995’s album, Nine High a Pallet. The Indigo Girls came into prominence as a part of the late 80’s folky singer/songwriter revival. The combination of two different personalities and techniques for songwriting provided both tension and an interesting balance. Emily Sailers was more complex musically and leaned toward a more abstract and spiritual style. Amy Ray drew from the aspects of punk rock. She had a more abrasive and direct approach. They first took the name Indigo Girls while they lived in Atlanta during 1985. They performed together in the early 80’s, though under the name of “The B-Band.” In 1986 and 1987, two albums were released, their self-titled EP and Strange Fire. Strange Fire only had 7,000 copies pressed and very little interest was created. The label Epic Records soon signed them. Alternative music was widely popular during the 1980’s and 1990’s in Georgia. Dozens of bands and subgenres were formed during the