Appendix 2. Jeremy Cunningham Email Interview Answers

1. Has the shift from music being consumed primarily as a physical product to streaming affected the way you approach designing album artwork?

Well it’s gotten a lot smaller! So I have changed things up a bit but it’s more of a continuation of a theme than an outright change

Basically I try to keep levs stuff very simple + dramatic. Partly so it stands out but also so folks can copy it (+ spread the word!).

So with streaming thumbnails one has to reduce everything to its most basic + forthright - the cover to levs ‘peace’ album is a good example. The design is very simple (a Phoenix) with bright flat-ish colours, but then it’s a painting - so that on big formats like vinyl 12” (levs sell a lot of vinyl) it’s interesting ‘cos one can look at all the brush strokes + paint drips etc. Then on streaming one just gets the basic shape + it still works

So… it’s something I’m very aware of but luckily it kinda plays into what I do anyway!

Note: If levs art isn’t painted it’s usually wood or lino cut prints - also very simple + dramatic (for all the above reasons!)….

2. Do features such as augmented reality or animated reels for Spotify interest you as accessories to album artwork?

Absolutely! I’ve worked with a few animators on levs videos - and I’ve done some very short + simple stuff myself. I’m definitely wanting to do more of that kinda thing but I’m currently working out actually how to do it all!

3. What do you think is the future for album artwork and promotion?

It’s not really an answer cos I’m not sure there is one - or I don’t know it! But I think there’s always a place for great album artwork.

The size of streaming thumbnails currently works in favour of simple design - like mine - but that may change when more digital record packages offer complete artwork as part of one’s download. I still think there’s nothing like physical copy for investing people in the band + it’s look + lore, but complete digital packaging def helps

And there’s always gonna be creative visionaries to move the field along!

4. Has the awareness of band/ album promotion changed with the rise of social media campaigns? And does this affect your design process?

Yes it’s changed radically but good design is good design + one has to embrace the new world! It’s exiting!

Thankfully I have a very good graphic designer friend (francois hall) who has been doing levs stuff with me since the early 90’s.

I’m more of a thrasher, then francois sorts it out logically as we both go through each format

5. Out of the various outputs for music, CD, Vinyl and streaming which do you most prioritise and do you feel pressured to focus on a certain aspect in particular?

Levs concentrate on specialist vinyl for the hardcore, then downloads for the masses. We still do CDs as well, which are steady away, but I’d say the other two are our priority.

Levs are fortunate to have our own label (on the fiddle) so we have complete control over everything. We farm out publicity for big releases but apart from that it’s all us. We reap the rewards but we also take all the risk!

Another thing we’ve been working on is the levs app. That’s been a fun new (for us!) thing.

It’s been going a couple of years now + has been working really well. Combining current levs news / sessions etc with archive audio/video etc etc it keeps us in touch with folks + again helps spread the word!