Overview
Album artwork, gig posters, band t-shirts, on-stage theatrics — music is mainly about the sound, but it’s also about the look.
From endless highways snapped from the window of a tour bus to Capybaras that look like Rafael Nadal, Concrete Playground rounds up ten Instagram accounts that give you a look inside the intoxicating life of a modern muso.
1. ED DROSTE OF GRIZZY BEAR
Username: @eddroste
If you want to believe that rock stars survive solely on beer, passion and leftover pizza, look away now. According to his Instagram feed the frontman of indie rock band Grizzly Bear halts the tour bus to capture isolated beaches, sundrenched city skylines and pretty pink Peonies. Droste’s mastery of digital filters makes the Brooklyn Botanic Garden look like a scene from Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, and he’s one of the few people who can Instagram his lunch without you wanting to poke him in the eye.
2. BENJAMIN CURTIS OF SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS
Username: @benjamincurtis
Benjamin Curtis’ spacey, psychedelic guitar sound is echoed in his trippy Instagram shots. Capturing everything from dead birds to dilated pupils and blurry neon signs, this futuristic photo feed is the antithesis of Ed Droste’s comparatively tranquil digital scrapbook. Not recommended for pregnant women or sufferers of motion sickness.
3. CATCALL
Username: @catcallmusic
Catcall’s Instagram feed confirms everything you thought you knew about her — she’s cute, funny and hangs out at cool spots. She’s also a huge fan of tennis, which is a fact you might not ascertain just from listening to her music, and has posted photos of Capybaras that look like Rafael Nadal on more than one occasion.
4. AZEALIA BANKS
Username: @azealiabanks
A life it would be particularly enjoyable to steal is the life of Azealia Banks. In between rubbing shoulders with Karl Lagerfeld and Kanye West at Chanel parties Banks hangs out with bottles of Veuve Clicquot and Prada handbags, but shots of funny cats and novelty condoms show she’s really just like us. Sometimes.
5. GROUPLOVE
Username: @grouplove
Grouplove’s Hannah Hooper is a painter as well as a singer and has a BFA from New York’s Parsons School of Design, so she’s probably overqualified for the post of managing her band’s Instagram feed. Her sharp eye has given Grouplove’s Instagram account a pleasantly consistent, colourful aesthetic, kind of like an action-packed hippie convention with less dried kale and more Texas BBQ.
6. BIG SCARY
Username: @bigscarymusic
Big Scary’s unique blend of indie pop has provided the busy duo with travel opportunities aplenty, and with touring around California comes In-N-Out Burger and Jimmy Dean’s meal sized breakfast biscuits. Big Scary have Instagrammed only 23 times to date, which isn’t great in the fast-paced world of social media, but in this case it’s a matter of quality over quantity.
7. THEOPHILUS LONDON
Username: @theophiluslondon
Theophilus London’s Instagram bio warns that the feed contains “emotional photos”. The emotion he’s referring to is probably jealousy because the photos are primarily of amazing sneakers, but Instagram’s most stylish rapper also has a penchant for gig posters and his equally stylish friends.
8. TWERPS
Username: @twerps
“We’ll get drunk, we’ll get stoned, we’ll get high, we’ll get drunk…” A satisfying mix of gig shots, scenery, alcohol and delicious/hilarious food, Twerps have got the workings of a great Instagram feed down pat. The jangly Melbourne quartet might sing about getting sauced, but their digital album is surprisingly coherent (and munchies like Klondike’s frozen Choco Tacos do make for great photographs).
9. PEAKING LIGHTS
Username: @peakinglights
The Wisconsin duo with an eight-and-a-half minute song called “Marshmellow Yellow” has an equally psychedelic and sun-drenched Instagram feed filled with highway scenery, neon signs and old motorcycles. There’s even a picture of a miniature leather motorcycle jacket for baby Mikko’s birthday present. Cute!
10. SOULJA BOY
Username: @souljaboytellem
“thanks for liking my pictures if you have time sign up on sodmg.com”. Grammar might not be Soulja Boy’s forte, but he’s incredibly skilled at taking selfies while flexing his muscles, pulling gangsta signs and wearing copious amounts of bling.
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