From unsigned band to household name: making a break for the mainstream

A recent article in the Observer, a leading Britishbecome ingratiated into the mainstream music scene,
Sunday newspaper, detailed how music known asrecent years have seen the resurgence of an
'indie' has evolved in both essence and meaning.underground musical scene in the UK, where unsigned
Essentially, in the 1980s, to be 'indie' signified a particularbands and independent record labels reign supreme.
attitude - a subculture that was associated withThe phenomenal success of MySpace has meant
obscurity and anti-commercialism. But today, indie'sthat up and coming bands have found it increasingly
biggest bands are wholly commercial: multi-platinumeasy to get heard and build-up a dedicated following
selling bands like The Kooks, Snow Patrol and Coldplayvia the web, thus creating a solid subculture that plays
are still known as 'indie', although there's very little that'sitself out both virtually and in musical gatherings found
independent about them.off the beaten track.
But despite the independent in music now having