Fresh off the heels of his latest single ‘Disguise’, the California-based, Gen-Z songwriter Indigo has already amassed over 10 million streams across the major services, all without a proper LP to his name. The aforementioned latest single is an atmospheric ride, clocking in at six-and-a-half minutes! With a recent signing to Easy Does It Records, Indigo’s career is clearly just getting started. He was kind enough to answer some questions about his music, and what led him on such a path.
Firstly, congratulations on the record deal! How did signing with Easy Does It come about?
Thank you! I met Matt and Robert a few years ago, and they’ve been strong figures/managers/friends since. So when they started Easy Does It, it felt like a no-brainer.
You’ve just dropped your latest single, “Disguise” – what inspired this particular track?
‘Disguise’ was inspired emotionally by the concept of watching someone you care about being negatively affected by the people around them. Sonically, I wanted it to feel like it was recorded in a large empty chamber with those droning, cathedral-esque organs. Around the time I was writing it, I was listening to a lot of Richard Hawley, which definitely had some influence on some aspects of the song.
Do you have any memorable stories from writing/recording it?
One of my favourite memories from writing it was when I brought the chords to the bridge into the studio. I had written them the night before in my living room at home on my computer-piano, and it was so fulfilling to build them up to what it became. The transition from just hearing the organ at the beginning to pulling in the strings and the vocals was so much fun.
I’ve read you’re a trained ballet student, which is quite impressive. What prompted the pivot from dancer to musician?
Yeah, I spent most of my life before college with ballet, and loved it. It took up all of my time outside of school, and I commuted by train to and from the studio, which was when I listened to music. I listened to so much indie throughout high school, so when COVID came along I suddenly had all this time and picked up a guitar!
Are there any disciplines from ballet you found carried over into making music?
I think the biggest one is how much time ballet dancers spend around music. If ballet is a visual representation of music, then a good ballet dancer (in my opinion) is one who embodies that in every way. In the same sense, I think a good musician has to feel the same connection with their songs, because it’s easy to feel a disconnect between artist and music when there is one.
I’m borrowing this next question from a friend, because I really liked the way he phrased it. What artists would your songs hang out with?
I’d like to think they would hang out with Her’s, Jesse Woods, Richard Hawley, Angel Olsen, JW Francis, Rostam, and Superfan, haha. I think that would be a pretty cool friend group.
Now that ‘Disguise’ is out, what’s next on your radar for 2024?
More and more music, and hopefully some shows! Hoping to get back into the swing of things after some down time.
Listen to Indigo’s new single ‘Disguise’ right here, and keep an eye out for more this year.
