On This New “Indigo” Playlist on Spotify
Even greater than the buzz surrounding the inevitable cancelling of the massive CMA Fest set for early June in Nashville due to the Coronavirus, it seemed like most everyone on Tuesday (3-31) wanted to share an opinion on a newly-launched playlist from Spotify called “Indigo.”
With Tyler Childers as their poster boy, the “Indigo” playlist was described by Spotify as, “…anything from commercially successful superstars like Kacey Musgraves and Chris Stapleton, to risk-takers defining success in the streaming era like Tyler Childers and Margo Price, or rising stars like Yola or Orville Peck or Hailey Whitters. You’ll also see names like Miranda Lambert and Tanya Tucker, mainstream legends whose songwriting harkens back to the genre’s roots.”
Spotify reps had reached out to Saving Country Music and many other outlets with the information early, hoping to create some significant buzz around the unveiling, and they appeared to be successful in that effort, though reception for the idea itself has been pretty mixed.
Any effort to give more emphasis to artists who are deserving of a greater share of the spotlight in country music should be seen as a sum positive, and generally supported, including this Indigo playlist. And beyond the names Spotify is using to promote the playlist, you can see even more artists worthy of recognition in the inaugural lineup, including names like Jaime Wyatt, Jesse Daniel, Zach Bryan and Kelsey Waldon.
But there are some serious issues with Indigo, first and possibly foremost being that the name. Let’s face it, it’s pretty terrible, and immediately polarizing.
Spotify says, “The name Indigo takes inspiration from two county staples, the first being the color used to dye blue jeans, a classic American look you’ll often find country artists rocking. The second refers to the term indigo child, a way to describe someone with extraordinary talent who plays by their own rules, similar to the modern country songs on the playlist that push boundaries of the genre while still incorporating traditions of the past.”
But “Indigo” just sounds like a type of scented candle, and it’s kind of shocking that they thought a name like this would fly. There are people who will absolutely never interact with this playlist expressly due to the “Indigo” name, even though those same people may fit squarely within the demographic the playlist is looking to appeal to. And this is something that could have been rather easily vetted among the community that supports this music and these artists otherwise. And the thing is, the name doesn’t even really matter. You could have called it almost anything but “Indigo,” and people probably wouldn’t have cared. They just would have listened to the playlist see if it was something that appealed to them.
But asserting a name like “Indigo” for this playlist immediately stimulates discussions and arguments about what to call the alternative to country. It makes it appear like Spotify is attempting to start a new genre, even if that’s not the case. “It smells like a corporation is co-opting a sound and astroturfing a genre to try and control a narrative,” said long-time Americana blogger Baron Lane. “Didn’t we have enough confusion with the title of the Swift bio[pic]?”
People already find “Americana” polarizing and confusing, and that’s basically what the Indigo playlist feels like—Americana … whatever Americana is. Spotify already has Americana playlists as well. This appears to be an effort to integrate Americana into the country side of the Spotify ecosystem, which we shouldn’t be quick to put down. Putting Jesse Daniel right beside Eric Church and Chris Stapleton is probably a good thing.
But putting the mug of Tyler Childers at the top of this playlist to start emphasizes one of the fundamental problems with it. “As a man who identifies as a country music singer, I feel Americana ain’t no part of nothin’. It is a distraction from the issues that we are facing on a bigger level as country music singers,” Tyler Childers famously said from the stage of the 2018 Ameripolitan Awards while accepting the award as Best New Artist. He’s since doubled and tripled down on that sentiment. Now they think Tyler Childers is going to help sell “Indigo” by pairing him up with Little Big Town and Jason Isbell? It’s just not a good look.
And Tyler’s concerns are very real. Though it’s cool that Spotify wants to highlight important artists, relegating them to something other than a playlist that is decidedly country is an aberration of the country term. It’s the vast majority of the acts currently found on Spotify’s massive mainstream “country” playlists such as “Hot Country” that don’t fit under the “country” umbrella and should be forced to come up with a new name, not actual country artists like Tyler Childers, Jesse Daniel, and Cody Jinks.
As country music video commentator Grady Smith pointed out, you can almost make Indigo be similar to “Indie, go!” meaning telling independent artists to get out of the way of mainstream country.
Meanwhile, similar to another concern with the term “Americana,” putting big mainstream acts like Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, and Brothers Osborne under the “Indigo” heading could be seen as putting them out to pasture, no different than when you see mainstream country stars past their prime all of a sudden at AmericanaFest. It’s great that there is a community to support these artists past their commercial peak, but it’s a slippery slope of labeling an artist “Americana” or “Indigo” when it will mean to many “out to pasture.” Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton should be competing for space on the big country playlists, not pushing indie country artists off alt-country playlists.
And even beyond these concerns, there’s some selections on this first Indigo playlist that just aren’t country. Sturgill Simpson’s “Mercury in Retrograde” isn’t a country song at all. It’s a rock song. It’s not even fair to call it country influenced or Americana, and Sturgill Simpson would be the first to tell you that. Neither is the new Jason Isbell song “Be Afraid,” or the Caitlyn Smith song “Long Time Coming.” All three of these artists have a history with country and Americana, but these selections are not rootsy at all. And while we’re on the subject, calling Tyler Childers a “risk-taker defining success in the streaming era,” also is a mislabeling of music. There’s nothing “risky” about Tyler Childers. He’s deep fried Kentucky country.
Indigo has a very Nashville-centric perspective to it, as does everything in country music these days since everything has moved to the city, including both Spotify and Apple’s country music apparatus to be a part of the narrowing echo chamber of that city affecting artists, labels, and the media especially. Bloodshot Records out of Chicago posted on Tuesday, “We’re blood red, not indigo,” emphasizing both the weak feeling the term “indigo” emits, and the lack of Bloodshot artists on it like Sarah Shook, Jason Hawk Harris, or Vandoliers, all of whom would have fit much better than some of the other artists and songs selected. But admittedly, that’s a judgement call, and no playlist is going to be perfect except the one you make for yourself.
Indigo is trying to be super hip to the east Nashville crowd, which makes it not very hip at all. It’s a playlist for people whose musical perspective begins with Rolling Stone Country and ends with Rolling Stone Country. Don’t mistake this as saying it’s not a good selection of music. There is some great stuff to be found on Indigo, and with some 200,000 people following it, clearly some people are listening.
But as some observational Spotify users have pointed out, Indigo is actually just a saavy rebranding a previously-existing playlist called “Back Porch” which specialized in alt-country as well. If you clicked on the old links for the Spotify Back Porch playlist, it took you to Indigo (they’ve fixed that now). In other words, this isn’t as much a new thing Spotify is doing as a fresh coat of paint, and the vast majority of those Indigo followers got transferred over in the move. Why not just keep the name “Back Porch,” and start promoting it better?
But ultimately Indigo is what it is, which is just a playlist on a single platform. If listeners enjoy Indigo, and it gains some exposure for some cool artists, excellent. But as Tyler Childers might say “Indigo ain’t no part of nothin’.”
It’s just a bad name for a pretty good playlist.
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P.S. – You can find Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Playlist on Spotify or any other platform.
Lil' DL's Honk
April 1, 2020 @ 10:52 am
I reckon I can appreciate them tryin’, but unfortunately they didn’t care enough to make sure and not miss the mark
Wilson Pick It
April 2, 2020 @ 7:11 am
Remember folks, genre names are for marketing purposes. There is only one genre: music.
That said, if we’re going to name this beast, what the hell is wrong with Alt-Country as a name?
It’s a perfect description – it’s country, but an “alternative” to mainstream country. Hits the nail right on the head.
I first heard the term in the 90’s around the time the first Cash/Rubin American Recordings came out. That was like 25 years ago. There is no reason to ditch a term I’ve been using for 25 years for something that came out of a corporate boardroom somewhere.
And as far as I can tell, Americana is just a fancy word for what used to be called “folk music.”
So just say no to marketing BS. Use the tried and true descriptors, the ones that work.
Gabman1234567
April 1, 2020 @ 10:53 am
First! I’ll have to give it a listen.
thegentile
April 1, 2020 @ 11:04 am
the playlist is pretty meh, stupid name aside. perhaps good exposure for mainstream fans that wouldn’t normally branch out to tyler childers and his ilk, but not great for someone that doesn’t want to sift through mainstream acts they already know they don’t like. that said, spotify’s daily mixes are usually spot on and have turned me on to a lot. although i noticed they don’t let you block songs and artists anymore from popping up… looking at you casey donahew’s “a cowboy’s prayer, promise land”.
thejew
April 1, 2020 @ 12:02 pm
unfortunately the last live show we attended before we’ve kept ourselves indoors, was via free tickets to an overcrowded casey donahew show at a local venue. feel your pain.
Jake Cutter
April 1, 2020 @ 11:22 am
My gut reaction to this is fuck this. Not just the name Indiblow, everything about it. There’s nothing more nauseating to me than corporate tastemakers in the arts.
Uncle2Pillow
April 1, 2020 @ 11:35 am
Just wanted to point out, this Spotify curated playlist used to be called “alternative country” bout 3 years ago and it was great. Then they changed it to “Back Porch” which they described as “crisp alt-country” which truthfully was only partially correct with some of the track listings but then they added Zac Brown and just some new Americana over time, which then lost its credibility. Now its called “Indigo” and Im very confused what they’re trying to make as a statement.
Kevin Smith
April 1, 2020 @ 12:27 pm
Crisp Alt Country? What in tarnation is that? Wow that’s pretty lame. At least with “back porch” you get the idea its supposed to sound like perhaps some folks picking and singing with acoustic instruments on their back porch. Of course that’s already classed as “Americana”. Indigo ? Way weird. As to this idea of we need a brand that’s hip and trendy to make money, I guess that’s always a goal to the corporate folks. For me. If its hip and trendy, I’m running away. No thanks, I got an extensive vinyl collection of solid country gold. Hello George Jones and Johnny Paycheck. Who needs indigo.
Crum
April 1, 2020 @ 12:10 pm
Personally, when I saw “Indigo” on various artists’ Instagram pages, the first thing I thought of was those blue and white China plates everyone’s grandma has hanging in her kitchen.
As far as the playlist goes, outside of the more mainstream/pop sounding artists, it looks more or less like a playlist I would make. I like the Jinks and Childers-y stuff, the more “Americana/Heartland Rock” stuff like Isbell and American Aquarium is good. I like the more soulful stuff like Marcus King, and I like”Sound and Fury” and the Orville Peck record.
The name is bad, and I’ve never been a huge fan of curated playlists. I’d much rather listen to an artist or an album, then check out related artists page and make my own playlists. Heck, I made a playlist the other day I called “Brisket Music” that has a bunch of the same artists as “Indigo”. I really just wanted a place to put a selection of my favorite artists right now, and I happened to be smoking a brisket that day. Honestly, I like my name better.
That being said, when I first got on Spotify and started discovering these kinds of artists, those playlists were very influential, especially the “Southern Gothic” playlist.
Not really sure what the point of my rambling is, but I’m bored and haven’t commented in a while!
Di Harris
April 1, 2020 @ 5:47 pm
You’re making me hungry.
Got nominated to be the neighborhood hair cutter-er today.
I don’t know how to cut hair. At all.
Do not have a hair cutter-er license.
Have sass in spades. How does that = to know how to cut hair. ?
Ran to walmart, cruised up & down the aisles, found men’s professional barber shears. Says they will cut through men’s beards, mustaches, whatever.
Says Precision Hand Crafted Surgical Stainless Steel.
Also, bought some wine.
Going to have a glass of wine, and omg, cut hair.
Might have to throw back some whiskey, if anybody has some.
Anyway, your brisket smoking music sounds good.
Going to have to find some hair cutting music
Jake Cutter
April 1, 2020 @ 7:30 pm
Far out.
thegentile
April 2, 2020 @ 6:31 am
Di, this is an article about Spotify…
Di Harris
April 2, 2020 @ 8:25 am
Thank you Gentile.
Can you make a list from Spotify, and send me the link?
Need some cool hair-cutting music.
Really cool hair-cutting music
thegentile
April 2, 2020 @ 8:28 am
i suggest hair metal, the soundtrack from the musical hair, or “cut your hair” by pavement on repeat.
albert
April 2, 2020 @ 8:31 am
”Got nominated to be the neighborhood hair cutter-er today.
I don’t know how to cut hair. At all.
Do not have a hair cutter-er license.
Have sass in spades. How does that = to know how to cut hair. ?”
isn’t THIS about spotify and streaming services,gentile ??
I hate people telling me what I like . I don’t stream . I you-tube , SCM, radio, reverbnation , cd baby etc……..and then I buy and listen to what I like .
I cut my OWN hair
thegentile
April 2, 2020 @ 8:37 am
well, albert, i think a general “umm what?” could suffice as a general reaction to your comment, but i would also like to point out to you that youtube is a streaming service.
albert
April 2, 2020 @ 9:40 am
point taken on u tube , gentile.
what I meant by that is that I research artists there and if I like what they got, I purchase . I don’t ‘stream’ u tube all day long , as someone might with a paid streaming service .
Hillbilly J.E.D
April 1, 2020 @ 1:10 pm
As an artist it’s hard to determine what genre you actually are. Especially when so many different artist and genres are intertwined as influences on the final outcome. We’ve been called Americana, southern rock, country, alternative country, and now I’m assuming indego. As artists we are as confused as fans. I just call it real music. Y’all give us a listen and tell me. Thanks. Hillbilly J.E.D
BillyMac
April 1, 2020 @ 1:38 pm
I figured Indigo was like ‘indie-go!’ — a cheer for independent spirit. Also, a keen reference to the vanilla ice classic ‘go-ninja go-ninja go-ninja go-Ninja-GO!’
Any platform that elevates these artists is a-ok.
Corncaster
April 1, 2020 @ 1:42 pm
I’ll just buy straight from the artist, thanks.
eckiezZ!
April 1, 2020 @ 1:45 pm
Most of us are old enough to see this for what it is.
We spent the 2010’s telling people what ‘Americana’ was and before that ‘Countrypolitan’ and ‘New-Trad’ and ‘Alt-Country’ …and now this ‘Indigo” nonsense.
It’s the Kane’s and the Shay’s and the Hunt’s who should be moved to a more appropriate category not the Yola’s or the Peck’s or the Waldon’s.
As well-intentioned as these playlists are, they hurt as much as they help.
Same for the Americana charts and the Americana and Roots Grammy categories, etc. etc.
When Tanya’s team decided to nominate her ‘Livin” album in the Country categories at the Grammy’s (even though it was clearly an Americana album) they weren’t Asking to be called Country. Brandi, Shooter and Tanya Took the opportunity to grab that designation and claim it. That’s the killer instinct. They went for the throat and T went from being a ‘Grammy Nominated artist’ to a ‘Grammy Award Winning artist’ in one night, labels be damned.
We need more of that energy from these artists and managers and programmers and promoters and reviewers and Listeners because I for one am not ready to roll over and let the deciders up top spend the 2020’s calling us Indigo while they marginalize the music and artists that I love when they Could and Should be re-populating their Country playlists with more actual Country music and not Pop masquerading as Country.
And ball-less Pop at that. At least they take risks every now and then in Pop. Mainstream Pop-Country is so flavorless it rivals Contemporary Christian for the title of most dull, passionless, harmless music genre.
Trigger
April 1, 2020 @ 1:50 pm
Here here!
Corncaster
April 1, 2020 @ 5:52 pm
“It’s the Kane’s and the Shay’s and the Hunt’s who should be moved to a more appropriate category not the Yola’s or the Peck’s or the Waldon’s.”
Preach it.
I suggest “Suburban.”
Walker97
April 1, 2020 @ 1:51 pm
They should call this what it is…country. And call the other music what it is…pop country.
618creekrat
April 1, 2020 @ 2:08 pm
Is the pop-leaning alternative to this going to be Ginger?
Matt
April 1, 2020 @ 2:49 pm
“Indigo”…I think the NPR crowd will like this name because it’s feminine and non-threatening, and they can rock this playlist while sipping on organic craft beer in their NYC or San Francisco lofts.
Kevin Broughton
April 1, 2020 @ 4:23 pm
Score.
Lanes
April 2, 2020 @ 7:19 am
How is “indigo” a feminine name? It’s just a type of blue.
Cool Lester Smooth
April 2, 2020 @ 7:30 am
I mean…yeah.
For better or worse, that’s exactly the segment they’re targeting – suburban folks and yuppies who “Don’t like country, but like (insert your pick of Prine, Emmylou, Townes, Cash, Dixie Chicks, Isbell, Carlile, or even Stapleton).”
My 60 year old aunt and her wife love country-adjacent singer-songwriter stuff, and are much more likely to check out a playlist called “Indigo” than one named “Back Porch” or “Alt-Country.”
NorCal Hellbilly
April 1, 2020 @ 3:15 pm
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/68JLbEIsgzDMrOEXVUxI8O?si=M_McNJ78TMu7FucZ5D0oyQ
A better playlist ☝️
NorCal Hellbily
April 1, 2020 @ 9:43 pm
Trigger, I have been coming here since 09. You have turned me on to so much good music. I don’t mean to take away from this article and I appreciate everything that you do but have you heard of Benjamin Todd or the Lost Dog Street Band? Or Matt Heckler? I really think you and the readers of this website would appreciate their music
Trigger
April 2, 2020 @ 9:54 am
Thanks for the suggestions NorCal, and thanks for reading.
thegentile
April 2, 2020 @ 10:23 am
second lost dog street band and benjamin tod (who is in lost dog)
Toddxolsen
April 2, 2020 @ 7:27 pm
NorcCal you a fan of Arlo McKinley?
NorCal Hellbilly
April 3, 2020 @ 9:08 am
I’m checking out his self titled album now… sounds good! Thank you for the suggestion Toddxolsen!
Musiccityman
April 1, 2020 @ 6:17 pm
“Indigo is trying to be super hip to the East Nashville crowd, which makes it not very hip at all”
This line almost perfectly captures the current dominant strain of thinking on music row. People 100% out of touch with country music’s history are looking to jaded trust fund hipsters for insite on country music’s future. I know this article is about some goofy playlist, but wow, you perfectly captured so much of what’s wrong in Nashville. Well done Kyle.
Austin
April 2, 2020 @ 8:29 am
you’ll bitch about anything
Trigger
April 2, 2020 @ 9:51 am
I thought I was pretty fair here trying to underscore how this playlist was a sum positive. But yeah, I’ll bitch about anything. I’m a critic. It’s my job.
DJ
April 3, 2020 @ 2:29 pm
LOL- awesome response!
Emily
April 2, 2020 @ 12:46 pm
Here’s the thing – I loved their Back Porch playlist, I listened to it almost every day. And then out of the blue they changed the title and deleted all of the original songs! I would have saved the playlist as my own if I knew it was going to disappear!
Caleb Caudle
April 2, 2020 @ 4:05 pm
I listened to the whole playlist top to bottom. There’s plenty of tunes on there I wouldn’t reach for typically but everything is at least quality. There aren’t any red solo cup songs thank god. I feel like the folks who benefit the most from this are the smaller artists like myself. I do think Country radio could learn a thing or two from this playlist. I could care less about the name. If it sounds good, it is good. I’m loving Jesse’s record.
Euro South
April 4, 2020 @ 4:31 pm
You’re no smaller artist to me, Caleb. I look forward to listening to the new album till I faint!
Ian
April 2, 2020 @ 5:59 pm
With all the full albums from bands like Hot Rize, NRBQ, Guy Clark,Verlon Thompson and the rest, I am a bit bogged down with streaming without playlists. And it sounds like something you would name an earth friendly dryer sheet.
Spencer
April 2, 2020 @ 6:13 pm
I miss back porch. That was one of my favorite Spotify playlists. And the lack of Jamestown revival on the new Indigo playlist is a disappointment. Too much mainstream (which I do like) getting in the way of the back porch vibe.
DJ
April 3, 2020 @ 2:34 pm
Calling popular music country is stupid. If anything some of it is actually “alt-country”- that its considered “main stream” speaks to the sadly misinformed, or the intentionally obstinate, or the intellectually dishonest- or, all 3.
Euro South
April 4, 2020 @ 5:47 pm
Yeah, that name immediately put me off.