Elvis Costello has always been willing to view the music industry through a critical lens. He was famously

banned by NBC for over thirty years after a defiant appearance on SNL in 1978, in which he changed songs

mid-intro to play “Radio Radio” (the one song that had been forbidden by the show’s producers). The song

itself is a scathing critique of a corrupt industry.

 

I’ve imagined that Costello has written a new book expanding on that song’s criticism, and that it will be

accompanied by the simultaneous release of an album of the same name: “Radio Radio.” The album is

a collaboration with contemporary musicians who have vocalized similar frustrations with their industry.

 

The overall identity employs a limited color palette, which allows the use of different media for the imagery

while four bold colors tie the brand firmly together. The imagery emphasizes Costello’s famous sense of

humor, and are variations on the concept of aluminum foil as a repeller of radio waves. The album’s inside

cover contains illustrated instructions for making a tin foil hat similar to that on the book’s cover; the foil for

which is included in the album sleeve. The album’s front cover references the same concept, with the lenses

of Costello’s famous horned-rim glasses printed in foil. Additionally, I adapted a photo from his first album

to make an illustration that depicts him as a marionette. The title of the album is set in custom type which

forms the marionette handle (the “Radio”). This image alludes to Costello’s claims that his record label 

strictly controlled his persona and image early in his career.