Help Answer the Question of Indie

I’m studying social anthropology and my dissertation is basically investigating whether there’s any sort of notional global ‘indie community.’
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So yeah, what does the term ‘indie’ or the notion of independent music mean to you?

I discovered this call for help on Drowned in Sound, an indie music site out of the UK. I enjoyed an hour or so of scrolling through the answers and think you guys would have some interesting thoughts to add to the conversation there if you have time. Personally I think it’s a mainstream mistake to not include all kinds of other indie branches into consideration of the term; the indie that exists beyond music groups with skinny pants I mean. I think indie fashion, publishing, filmmaking, etc, have a lot to add to what an “indie community” feels like, if there is such a thing. Anyway. What do you think?