3 cover stories in our archive
Behind the Covers' archive includes 3 album covers documented under the "handmade" design theme, all from the 2000s. These covers sit within the indie, folk, alternative, rock tradition and feature work by Feist, Bright Eyes, Radiohead. 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.
The gorgeous handmade collage adorning Feist's breakthrough album was created entirely from vintage paper cutouts and magazine clippings by designer Kosta Karakashyan, who spent weeks crafting the delicate bird and floral motifs without any digital manipulation.
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.
Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke created this haunting red weeping minotaur by literally setting their artwork on fire and scanning the charred remains. The cover emerged from the same apocalyptic art sessions that birthed Kid A, using destruction as a creative tool.