Ones2Watch Home

Photo by Elinor Kry

The experience of a modern 20 something comes with endless complexity. Your identity is changing constantly, one day you feel like you know who you are and the next you’re back at square one. For introspective singer-songwriter Indy, these experiences coincided with the unique layer of having a sister in the limelight. The mark of a great songwriter is the ability to transform singular experience into universal understanding and in her second EP titled Fame is a Bedroom, Indy rises to the occasion by speaking directly from the heart. From reflecting on toxic relationships in their many forms, to opening up about sharing her sister with the world from a young age, Indy sheds her skin in this pop-forward evaluation of her 20’s thus far. We sat down with the blooming artist to break down each track, diving into every detail of what makes fame as intimate as a bedroom: 

OnesToWatch: This is your first full-length project since 2023. What do you think the biggest changes have been for you, as an artist and also as a person? 

Indy: It’s one hundred percent my frontal lobe forming. This EP is an act of goodbyes, every track is a departure from a relationship or other aspects of my life so far. The biggest change is that I’m 26 and have grown up a bit. I also feel like my penmanship is better. I'm really proud of this batch of songs and I think that my songwriting speaks for itself now, which is a great feeling. 

In a lot of ways, one of the main themes of this EP is loss. What do you think you gained from making these songs? 

I think it helped acknowledge things. There’s clarity that comes from the loss of a really intense friendship or relationship. So I think, after making this music, I trust myself more emerging from these situations. 

What was the creative process of making Fame is A Bedroom?

Using “Up In Flames (The Wayland)” as an example, I came into the studio with a long poem to start off. But it truly was the sad electric guitar that did it for me. That song really came out of me when I heard this specific sound that represented loss to me. It sounds like this unresolved tension of when your ex moves on with someone who kind of looks like you and you're in a weird rebound situation. Normally I come in with the lyrics first, but sometimes the instruments lead me there. 

You sent over a list of themes for me to ponder while listening to the EP. The final one was “True blue sense of self.” That one really stuck out to me, what does it mean to you? 

I think it encapsulates the EP as a whole. If you've heard “Idol,” you'll understand. It’s the loss of a formative relationship, where you have no choice but to sit in it and find your own voice. It’s a true blue sense of self because it's not necessarily happy. There's also the realization that you made a mess too. “Up In Flames (The Wayland)” is about stringing someone along because your muscle memory remembers somebody else. It's everything that I feel like I've contributed to make this dramatic mess that, unfortunately, does bring me closer to myself. Sitting with yourself in the quiet is not easy, but it’s important. 

This is the most personal music you’ve put out. Are you feeling ready to give it to the world? 

This EP represents everything I carry with me after it ends. It does feel completely your own up until the cathartic act of goodbye, when the music comes out. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about letting people into my life. There are a lot of aspects of my life that are public and there's something to be said about me owning the narrative, but I am very nervous.

Tell us about the impact of starting this journey with “Savior."

“Savior” took me a long time to crack, there’s around 10-12 versions of it. I wrote it in the aftermath of a very formative age-gap relationship. It was the hardest to write because I was drawing from painful memories. This subject matter is the hardest for me to talk about, but “Savior” is me clawing my way back to myself.

Tell us about the making of “Up In Flames (The Wayland)” and how you decided to release it as a single. Even though it's such an obvious hit, in my opinion.

I had this moment where I was sitting at The Wayland with the new guy I was seeing and he was wearing a white linen shirt exactly like my ex used to wear…and I was drinking. I was literally thinking, “Fuck, I’m getting their faces mixed up.” This song is the acknowledgement that some people you love cannot be replaced. It was also me realizing how unfair it was to do that to someone who was genuinely caring. There's a line, “My heart's like a fist / Closing up when he tries.” It doesn't necessarily mean I'm not the one to blame, but when there's someone in your bed and your muscle memory literally remembers somebody else, it’s a really weird period of time. It also goes hand in hand with knowing that someone I dated for a long time is dating someone who looks like me. This song really is about four people and that cycle. It also has a sweeter tone. “Savior” is more of a punch and then “Up In Flames (The Wayland)” is a bit more childlike. It's the loss of someone who was almost like a guardian. 

The next song is “Idol," which is a beautiful dedication to your relationship with your sister. Tell us about writing the song and how you think people will relate.

It's about loving a sister who belongs to the public. And I don't necessarily think anyone can relate to that, but I do think that they can relate to the intimacy of sisterhood. “Idol” is about learning to trust and value this relationship separately from the world who is watching. The world will never be the ones who see the intimacy between me and my sister. It's quite an emotive topic for me. I think that people may be able to relate in the sense of turning a certain age when you're able to form your own opinions, or music taste, and your relationships become stronger because you're not hiding behind something. Family dynamics can be complicated. It really is about the intimacy of sisterhood and the distance of fame. 

I don't have a sister, but anytime I was around my friend's sisters, I would take on their interests and look up to them so much. 

There is an element of idolizing my sister, of course. Idolizing her when I was a kid when we were playing My Little Pony and now when she belongs to the world. This song is asking myself, “How can I find my own version of that? How can I nurture this relationship when we don't see each other for months?” It’s very complex. 

Let’s talk about “Grace.” What is this song about? 

This song plays on the phrase “Go with grace.” There's a line where I say, “I'll say your name in vain / You take her to our place, my love.” It’s about drinking at the bar, knowing they have a new girlfriend, but my feet know the way to our old spots with my eyes closed. “Savior” is the aftermath and “Up In Flames (The Wayland)” is coming to terms with it while still having some resistance and pain. But, “Grace” is me saying goodbye. It’s about how we made a mess, but still wanting them to have their own happiness.  If you know the Taxi Cab Theory, this bridge is a nod to that. Maybe in another life we would have been together, but that's just not the reality. I’m not villainizing anyone, but it’s just a mess. This song is the catharsis, a sonic farewell. 

“Sail Away” is such a perfect closer, how did you choose to end with that song? 

“Sail Away” was the most complex song to write. It’s about battling with my sexuality and being in love with my friend, who was a girl. It coupled with a codependent friendship where they were dating someone who I just thought was not good for them. It’s the continuous phone calls and the advice, repeating that pattern over and over. The song is revengeful and very sassy, but I think it's a good closer because it’s actually kind of my most painful song. There's something about homoerotic friendships that will gut you with a knife the way that men never could. In a sense, this EP is about women and not men. It’s about my sister, previous versions of myself, the girl I loved, etc. I don't think I'll ever understand that song. Those are the situations you never really understand, even afterwards. It’s such a shame that this is why it ended, but by acknowledging my resentment, I realized my feelings too.

I chose this specific order because certain situations don't end. Closure is crap. I don't really believe that it’s ever a thing, but there is closure in these songs. Closure sometimes means being hurt still. It's loud and messy. 

I love the title of the EP. I don’t know if you’re an Addison Rae fan but...

Big fan. When she released a song with a similar title I was like, “Oh fuck.”

I love when artists have unconscious connections. Tell me about what Fame is A Bedroom means to you. 

Fame is A Bedroom represents all of the private conversations spoken, all of the things people don't hear. The little whispered conversations, my journal entries, and even the moments I'm ashamed of. The themes of attachment, shame, memory, feeling a little bit like the supporting act. Grappling with someone you love being a public figure. It’s about how fame can be private, in a way. I’m flipping the switch and actually finding the guts to talk about it. I always call it “fame by association," and as I get older I feel less of a need to bring up someone I'm related to in order to have meaning. It’s me saying goodbye to that version of myself.

What's inspiring you the most right now? 

I’m loving Addison, obviously. I love Fred…again so much. I've been in this DJ mode recently where I’m listening to fun, joyful stuff like S.G. Lewis. And I really like Eli! I love her song “God Bless the BFA”, it’s so good. I like a lot of artists that I find online. Also, Virgin has been a big one except I've been hearing it for a year. But my song is "Shapeshifter” always. That's the one for me.

When I heard “Shapeshifter,” it immediately became one of my favorite Lorde songs. 

I just saw an edit of it with Brokeback Mountain. I just love fan edits. I've been seeing a few with my music too, it’s a lot of Sex and the City ones. 

This is such a Sex and the City coded EP. 

I know, literally. 

Listen to Indy’s new EP Fame is A Bedroom now: