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Introduction: indie pop and truth1
I wish I had an orchestra behind me
To show you how I feel
Well, the orchestra remains imaginary
But this little ukulele's real
I wish I had an orchestra behind me
When you lose faith, an orchestra gives proof
Well, an orchestra can tell you pretty stories
But this little ukulele tells the truth
Stephin Merritt, 'This little ukulele', from the soundtrack for Eban and Charley
Songwriter Stephin Merritt's tiny tribute to his ukulele is a fitting anthem for indie fans. His song declares in its lyrics - and embodies in its musical substance - indie's love of lo-fi sound: his fragile ukulele modestly eschews high production values in favour of nothing other than the 'truth'. At the same time, the combination of Merritt's low, vaguely misanthropic, Ian Curtis-like voice and his high-pitched, wonky ukulele casts the song as tongue-in-cheek. Indeed, the act of self-consciously claiming that the music is 'authentic' immediately undermines that claim, inviting us to view the song as parodic. Infused with an insipient intellectualism, it reiterates the importance of 'authenticity' while also hinting at authenticity's constructed nature. The song highlights the paradoxical nature of much indie pop: it depends upon, and simultaneously deconstructs the concepts of authenticity and truth, while its sound world borrows in equal measure the perceived 'rawness' of punk and the compelling sweetness and catchiness of mainstream pop.
In what follows, I explore the forms of authenticity at work in indie pop with particular reference to the music of Stephin Merritt. A prolific songwriter, Merritt is the mastermind behind several groups (The Magnetic Fields, The 6ths, Future Bible Heroes, and The Gothic Archies), has also done film soundtracks, and in 2009, he and playwright David Greenspan produced a musical version of the children's book Coraline. The bulk of his creative output has been with The Magnetic Fields, where he has worked with Claudia Gonson, Sam Davol and John Woo, along with other guest musicians. The band has released nine albums and a handful of singles. The first four albums - Distant Plastic Trees (1991), The Wayward Bus (1992), The House of Tomorrow (1992) and Holiday (1994) - were put out on smaller indie...