3 cover stories in our archive
Behind the Covers' archive includes 3 album covers documented under the "diy aesthetic" design theme, spanning the 1970s, 2000s, 2020s. These covers sit within the alternative, indie, folk, punk, rock tradition and feature work by Fiona Apple, Bright Eyes, Sex Pistols. Each entry below includes the cover artwork, the designers and photographers behind it, and a short story about the visual choices that defined the release.
Fiona Apple shot this intimate cover herself in her Venice Beach home during lockdown, creating a raw self-portrait that mirrors the album's themes of breaking free from constraints.
Conor Oberst created this handmade collage using childhood photos, pressed flowers, and fragments of handwritten lyrics. The intimate assemblage was photographed and became one of indie rock's most personal album covers.
Jamie Reid's ransom note typography and fluorescent yellow background created punk's most iconic visual manifesto. The DIY cut-and-paste lettering launched a thousand photocopied flyers and sparked multiple obscenity prosecutions across Britain.