Indigo De Souza on the blue-sky-thinking outlook that informed her pop-leaning fourth album, 'Precipice' • Interview • DIY Magazine

Existentialism has been a recurring theme in Indigo De Souza’s music. “I’ll always be grappling with that, probably,” she admits, speaking to DIY on the eve of her 28th birthday. “That’s always been a theme in my life. Deep in a vat of existentialism and a fear of dying, but also an excitement for dying and whatever comes next.”

‘Not Afraid’, the first track written for the North Carolinian’s fourth album, ‘Precipice’, lays down the biggest piece of this ongoing jigsaw puzzle: “I’m not afraid of dying anymore / I’m not afraid of living either”. Over some medium-rare beefy guitars and heavenly synths, this declaration gives an insight into the fearlessness that now forms an integral part of Indigo De Souza.

“I remember feeling very fearless - I was spending time in a big city, which was new for me,” Indigo recalls. Having grown up surrounded by creeks and valleys in Spruce Pine, Indigo jumped ship to LA - where she now resides permanently - for some blind studio sessions. Ultimately, she would “accidentally” write ‘Precipice’ in that city, striking up a sublime partnership with producer Elliott Kozel (whose CV boasts collaborators including SZA, MØ and Finneas). “Throwing myself into these new projects and trying to embrace a new space, I was learning how to accept all of it and move through it gracefully,” she tells DIY. “It made me feel like I could do anything.”

Gracefulness is a word that encapsulates Indigo over the course of the 30 minutes DIY spends with her. Softly-spoken and contagiously bubbly, her personality perfectly complements her otherworldly vocal range, which feels theatrically elevated throughout ‘Precipice’. Just take the bittersweet ‘Pass It By’, which has a hint of Rina Sawayama about it, or the larger-than-life War On Drugs vibe to lead single ‘Heartthrob’.

Grace and fearlessness, Indigo explains, are two emotions that are more closely linked than one might realise at face value. “In order to be graceful, you have to be fearless,” she ponders. “You have to be open to the world, to having hard conversations and meeting the obstacles that you face with love.”

“You have to be open to the world, to having hard conversations and meeting the obstacles that you face with love.”

While her previous record, 2023’s ‘All Of This Will End’, showed flickers of this brighter outlook on life, her earlier material, she admits, was generally “very heavy and sad.” If ‘All Of This Will End’ unlocked the door, ‘Precipice’ leaps through that window of bliss, in complete contrast to any uncertainty that its title may suggest.

Although Indigo knows life’s ginormous questions about death, existence and mortality all too well, that inherently present human feeling that we’re constantly living on the edge - the precipice - of something also rings true. Anyone would be justified in feeling terrified about the great unknown, unaware of what’s around the corner in 2025. On the record, Indigo turns the constancy of doubt into opportunity.

“‘Precipice’ just popped out of me… I think it came from being fearless, exploring life and what it has to offer,” she explains. “Putting myself out there in situations that are uncomfortable - or maybe just new to me - and being unafraid to try those things. There’s always been a parallel [between] music and my life. I’m always feeling like I’m growing into a new version of myself.”

Bravery runs rife through the album. The lyrical emptiness of ‘Crying Over Nothing’ is flipped into a flamboyant alt-pop bonanza, while Indigo’s repeated affirmations in ‘Be Like The Water’ make for the record’s most uplifting moment, complete with squeaky-clean synths in an urgent reminder of the power of acceptance. Courage and pop sensibilities, it would seem, go hand in hand.

“I was definitely feeling a lot of bravery when I made this album, and also a lot of joy and a deep connection with myself,” Indigo begins. “I listen to a lot of pop music, and I’ve always wanted to make songs that made people feel like putting the windows down and having their arms out in the wind. Or dancing with their friends, getting ready to take on the world in some way. I’ve always wanted to make music that really uplifts the spirit.”

Forget listening to ‘Precipice’ - which still makes Indigo “[dance] around in the streets”even a short conversation with Indigo will put a smile on your face. It almost seems like she can conjure happiness out of thin air, and it’s no wonder that such elation effortlessly finds its way into her music. Has this mindset come later in her life, or is it something she’s had since a young age?

“I guess it has been there a while,” she ponders, after a pause. “I think I just have to [think that way]. I struggle with mental illness and issues with depression and anxiety, and I’ve always had to practice looking for happiness in small places. Uplifting other people and allowing them to uplift me, and allowing myself to lean on people and to be there for others. It’s definitely become more and more important to me, the older I’ve gotten, and I’ve definitely gotten better at it too.”

“I’m always feeling like I’m growing into a new version of myself.”

Soon after ‘Precipice’ was finished, Indigo’s Asheville hometown was struck by Hurricane Helene in September 2024 - resulting in the loss of all her belongings while her house was flooded. Even in the wake of such an incomprehensible tragedy, Indigo’s first post on social media remained hopeful: “I have faith in my community,” she reaffirmed.

As she gears up for the responsibilities that come with the release of ‘Precipice’ and adjusts to her new life in LA (she moved three months after the flood), so much has changed since the last tracks were laid down on ‘Precipice’. In fact, reminiscing on this time capsule of this period has helped her navigate the challenges of the present. “It brings me back to this space that I was in before the flood, and it reminds me of that time,” she explains.

“[The flood] definitely taught me a lot, and I think the biggest lesson was letting go. I lost so many things that were important to me: the place that I live; the things that I had; that space that we had for community [Indigo’s home was a converted church that acted as a safe space for artists and friends]. But I’ve learned so much about coming together, pulling your community together through thick and thin, no matter what happens, and finding happiness in the smallest corners.”

Whether it’s her tight-knit community of fans - for whom she hosted listening parties with watercolour painting in NYC and LA - the solace of Asheville, or the new surrounding characters that she is discovering in LA, community is hugely important to Indigo. “A lot of the values that I grew to understand about myself in North Carolina have carried on throughout my time in LA,” she says, proudly. “I have an openness - emotionally, existentially - with people, and I hold a lot of space for people around me to be their true selves.”

Grace, fearlessness, optimism, bravery, community - the list goes on. As Indigo’s journey through this muddled world continues, her values continue to evolve and take shape, just like her artistry. And fundamentally, they are intertwined together.

“We ended up making a whole other album in LA that will be coming out after ‘Precipice’,” Indigo reveals, out of the blue. “I actually have two albums that are waiting in the wings to get attention to [be finished], so I can put them out.” Life moves fast, but the singer moves faster, it would seem.

We question her if this feels like a burden, how the pace of being an artist who writes songs instinctively is at odds with the pace the industry allows you to release music. “It can be, at times,” she admits. But by this point, we know the positive kicker is coming from Indigo De Souza - it’s just how she operates. “Most of the time, it’s fine,” she smiles. “I’ll still keep writing songs!”

‘Precipice’ is out now via Loma Vista.

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