DID WE JUST CREATE SOMETHING?
What started as a fun side project / creative outlet for myself and good friend Nic Beardsley, has quickly turned into something bigger than we could have imagined. Because of our love of music, we have successfully worked together to find, engage with, and showcase new and upcoming acts in the various alt-rock sub-genres (Metalcore, Hardcore, Punk, Death Metal, etc.)
What started as a place to share album reviews soon became a collection of blog posts.
Then we started landing interviews with artists.
Which turned into a podcast.
Which turned into a media service for bands.
Which turned into an online radio show.
The Blog
When I first began working with Nic, the focus was on creating some “cover art” for the digital blog issues. Each issue would focus on a variety of artists and their newest releases.
This allowed me a blank canvas to experiment with various aesthetics. By doing this, I quickly learned more and more techniques without the restraints of a “normal” creative brief.
After about a year of digitally published issues, we began to shift our focus towards other avenues for user engagement and artist promotion.
THE BRANDING
In this music space, there’s a penchant for the vintage and the nostalgic. From cassette mixtapes to burned CDs, one form of media has become a staple: Vinyl.
There’s a massive community of vinyl collectors, and especially in the metal sub-genres. This was a driving force in the visual direction of the brand:
MERCH
There are three sounds that metalcore vocalist are notorious for making; “BLEGH!”, “BREE!”, and “OH!”
The success of this snapback revolves around the “if you know, then you know” concept. It’s not supposed to be about mass appeal, but to express the niche group that the wearer is a part of.
BLEGH! Snapback
Understated
Statement
Sometimes you want to show support for something without looking like you’re trying to support a fragile ego. If that’s your vibe, then this Dear Untitled Tee is perfect for your understated statement. Rock on you stoic punk, you.
August Burns Red is a metalcore band that is famous for their exclusive merchandise line touting the phrase “Angry Music for Happy People.” Alluding to this idea that metal-heads aren’t just a bunch of angry dudes.
While that may be true, there are also a lot of people that are angry, whether that be from past trauma or another cause, who find their sense of calm and belonging amongst the discord of heavy music.
Happy Music
for Angry People
THE RADIO SHOW
We noticed a shift in desires of our audience. The podcast format began to grow stale and our listeners started declining. So we reimagined the format and launched Dear Untitled Radio. Rather than just talk music with artists, we began showcasing music through the eyes of the experts we interviewed. By inviting guests on to discuss their backgrounds and their inspirations, we encouraged professionals to bring and share the music that they want.
This became a massive uniting factor for our audience and guests. Everyone was exposed to more variety of music and we were able to learn the origins of the music that brings us together in the first place.
