As the lines between the main genres continue to blur and genre-melding almost comes as standard, plenty of popular music today falls into the alternative category. It is no longer the case that alternative music isn’t fit for the mainstream; alternative artists can, and do, reign supreme in the charts and the underground.
The alternative genre is no longer just for the likes of Nirvana with their over-fuzzed guitars, college-radio acts like REM or punk pioneers. The term encompasses all artists who dare to divert away from the mainstream and let their creativity flow without stylistic constraint.
The rise of alternative music peaked in the early 00s as indie, rock, and pop grew more eclectic. Simultaneously, more music fans started to look for more than perfect natural vocal vibrato, the same predictable music structure that has been used for the last 50 years and songs dared to last longer than three minutes.
At A&R, we celebrate the non-radio-ready and music that subverts from the mainstream with unapologetic expressive honesty. Whether you’re a chiptune producer, a composer with a compelling new style or following in the footsteps of Mike Patton, we’re here to embrace your obscurity.
With independent artists outselling mainstream chart-topping artists, there has never been a better time for alternative, fusion and experimental artists to share their expression.
About A&R
Since 2012, A&R has become a reputable service depended on by artists across the globe to boost the signal on their sound. Whether you’re looking to get in the ears of fans or industry professionals, our award-winning blog will increase your visibility.
Love it or loathe it, but the online streaming era of music has enabled plenty of artists who may not be considered radio-friendly to have successful careers. Take, for example, Amanda Palmer, who crowdfunded over $1 million for her album Theatre is Evil after her punk cabaret band was dropped from a mainstream label.
We have worked alongside exceptional ground-breaking artists, most recently, Italian noise psych-punk outfit Kill Your Boyfriend who are making waves across Europe, the sensational Oxford, UK-based chanteuse Emma Hunter and American solo artist Max Diaz, whose debut single racked up over 1 million streams thanks to his viscerally refreshing take on alt-rock.
What We Are Looking For
Our open-minded A&R team are constantly scouting for the Sonic Youth, Porcupine Tree or Pixies of this generation. With no soundscape too avant-garde or obscure, we’re always happy to hear from artists whose music holds potential without being commercial or archetypal.