Spot The Blog: The fashion blogging anthem

Trace any trend in fashion and there is a musical genre to match, so you can imagine how excited we were to learn that the perpetual-trending fashion blog had inspired a musical anthem. The first ever song dedicated to fashion blogging,

‘Spot The Blog’, produced by 2b3 and featuring up and coming artist Lil’ London, pays homage to some of the industry’s most influential fashion bloggers including Disneyrollergirl, Miggy, Susie Bubble, Queen Michelle and Mademoiselle Robot. Blogging alone is highly profitable and competitive business. As fashion blogs edge closer to mainstream fashion press, it is little wonder that bloggers have now earned accolade in music.

FashionUnited caught up with Neville Thomas of 2b3 Records and Leon Bailey-Green of The Online Fashion Agency - the creative force behind ‘Spot The Blog’ - on their latest music project.

FashionUnited: We feel part of a revolution here. How did the idea and collaboration come about?

Leon Bailey-Green: Neville produced an album for a project called The Prodigals, which is where I came across his music.

Neville Thomas: The Prodigals was a short film about tackling the realities for some young people today.

LBG: I liked the fact the album was themed. So I got in touch, we had lunch and then this.

FU: Tell us more about the single and the voice behind the song (Lil' London)? [See also our 60-seconds interview with Lil’ London]

NT: Lil' London is someone I've recorded with before. We wanted it to have that quirky British cheeky street feel, she's perfect.

FU: There has always been an affinity between fashion and music. How important is fashion to music and the artist (and vice versa)?

LBG: Retail is a good opportunity for music artists to generate revenue outside of selling songs and tickets. Fashion is an obvious ‘brand extension' and with online they can take products direct to the market.

NT: Music and fashion are lifestyles for most of us. They both define a lot about us and how we may be perceived, so the synergy is obvious. With that in mind, artists, particularly in such a visually communicative world, can become fashion icons quickly, which as Leon says usually becomes a revenue generator.

FU: Bloggers nowadays generate a lot of traffic, reader loyalty, leads and advertising revenue. The single is great PR for them. What has been their response to the single?

LBG: Fashion bloggers are their own PR really; their content gets people talking which grows their following. The song is in part recognition of the respect their readers have for them. Miggy and Disneyrollergirl were tweeting about creating a dance routine for it; I need to find out how that's progressed.

NT: The response has been great particularly after they got over the initial shock of having a song about them.

FU: Any other feedback?

LBG: We collated a lot of the comments from Twitter and blogs here - http://www.theonlinefashionagency.com/business/views-news/07/23/blogs-and-tweets-about-spot-the-blog-the-fashion-blog-song/.

FU: Is the single on its way to proving its commercial viability?

LBG: Retailers and media owners are going to start controlling music. It's recently been reported that Nadine Coyle has signed to Tesco's record label, and they will exclusively sell her CDs. That's a huge change. This project is a part of many other things happening in the retail, media and music industries where everyone is looking for the next business model.

NT: The buzz has been excellent so far. The way people buy music and the way it is sold is changing for the better, I believe.

FU: Do you anticipate a new wave of fashion blog songs to surface now?

LBG: Ours was first!

NT: Maybe. We'll have to wait and see.

FU: Leon, you have many strings to your bow (consultant, business analyst, journalist and marketer, to name but a few), what’s next on the agenda?

LBG: If I told you, you wouldn't believe me.

FU: What are you both listening to now?

LBG: Still Standing by Monica, 'Here I Am' is my favourite track on the album. I also like 'Let The Sun Shine' by Labrinth.

NT: I'm also listening to Labrinth, Fantasia's new album 'Back To Me' and Bruno Mars 'The Other Side' and 'Just The Way You Are'.

FU: Final plug?

LBG: Download 'Spot The Blog'! It's available now on 7digital, iTunes, Amazon and other stores.