Singer Indy Yelich-O'Connor, 24, is issuing a warning to everyone in her life: She might write a song about you, and "my friends, family and relationships" are not off-limits. shrug. On her debut EP Threads , Indy delivers on that promise, establishing herself in the music industry with energetic, hypnotic indie-pop riffs about her former friends, ex-lovers, and hometown.
Growing up in a small town in New Zealand, Indy was always surrounded by music—and not just because Grammy winner Lorde was her older sister. She sang in Battle of the Bands competitions and learned the clarinet as a teenager. But first, inspired by the career of her mother Sonia, a poet, Indy dabbled in poetry and published her first poetry collection , Post-it Notes, in 2018. The experience ended up being a useful tool in refining her songwriting.
“Poetry helps me express what I want to say more clearly,” she said. Now, after more than four years of tinkering, Indy's EP gives fans a look into what happened after she left the stability of her hometown in her 20s for an exciting life in New York.
Each of the five songs on the EP captures key moments in Indy's life, from the title track, in which she worries about losing herself in a relationship, to "Freeloader," which sounds like a A breakup anthem, but inspired by a friend who overstayed his welcome). "They smoked my weed and drank all my wine," she recalled. "You know what New York apartments are like, you can't have people staying there for more than four days. I put their clothes in a bag and threw them out the window, and we had a fight."
“Having [Lordé] in my back pocket was really helpful… Her advice was just to have a thick skin and write the music you want to write.”
They're the same evocative anecdotes about making mistakes, reflecting on the way you were raised, and learning to grow that fueled her sister's early albums. However, unlike her teenage sister whose career took off, Indy didn't start releasing her music until her 20s. "I don't want to launch something at 20 that I don't like," she said. "I felt like it had to be an accurate reflection of who I am and who I actually am. Now, I'm more sure of what I want to say."
That’s not to say she wasn’t inspired by Lorde’s music along the way. “When I was in New York, the soundtrack of my life was melodrama ,” she admitted, adding that her favorite songs were “Perfect Places,” “Ribs,” “Liability (Reprise)” and “Secrets from a Girl ( who has seen it all)”. “She always said it was important to carve your own path, but I often called her for advice,” she said. "She was very helpful to me when I had situations where I didn't know how to handle it but I felt like she could. I think her advice was just to have a thick skin and write the music you want to write."
Learn more about Indy in the Bustle Booth questionnaire below.
in a busy stall
What was your coffee order?
An iced oat milk latte.
What weather locations are saved on your phone?
Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney, London, Bergen, New York and Paris.
What is your logo?
Scorpio.
Favorite overused movie line?
“Life moves fast. If you don’t stop and look around you every now and then, you might miss it.” — Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
What was your favorite cartoon as a child?
Wild Thornberries and Phineas and Ferb.
What’s a movie or TV show that you’re currently obsessed with?
The OC is my favorite teen drama show. I just saw Aftersun and cried and cried.
Who is your celebrity idol?
Julia Roberts! Perfect hair and style forever icon.
If you had to be on a reality show, what would you choose?
Marry at first sight
