Your new favourite popstar… Indiana
Meet Indiana, the Nottingham-born singer-songwriter responsible for one of the year’s best throbbing pop bangers (and suggestive videos), Solo Dancing. I gave the woman herself a call to find out more…
Indiana sums up her sound as “haunting, menacing synth-pop”.
“Creatively, I am quite dark. I tend to go towards things of that nature. I like to write interesting things and tell a story rather than speak from a personal point of view. Everything does turn out to be a little bit dark and a little bit twisted. I think that if I didn’t have singing or songwriting, I might be up to no good. This is a nice outlet for my weird and twisted personality.”
Growing up, it was actually Indiana’s sister who was more focused on music.
“She had singing and piano lessons, and ended up gigging and stuff. I dabbled with music a tiny bit, but didn’t take it seriously. But then my sister had to move into a smaller place and she couldn’t fit her upright Yamaha in her little flat. I had a big house and said she could leave it in my dining room. Because it was there I started teaching myself a few more chords and started writing my own stuff and covering some songs.”
It was only when Indiana’s boyfriend was going to dump her that she decided to put her music out there.
“I thought I’d put some music onto YouTube to show him that I’m not just a regular girl – that there is something more to me. And it worked, because now we live together and we’ve had a baby!”
If Indiana were asked to write a comeback single for Madonna, she’d go old-school.
“Something a bit like Like A Virgin, but with a 21st Century twist. I’d go back to the old Madonna.”
The name Indiana actually comes from the tomb-raiding man himself, Indiana Jones.
“It was from when I was really young, but I remember watching Indiana Jones with my dad, who passed away when I was 17. Indiana Jones makes me think of him and it’s a nice memory. Plus, Indiana is a pretty cool name.”
The video for Solo Dancing is rather suggestive and makes it seem like the song is about masturbation. However, it isn’t really.
“It’s a song of empowerment. ‘Solo dancing’ is a metaphor for pretty much anything that you want to do on your own. Whether it’s going out on your own, or it’s living life on your own and not needing anybody. It’s being comfortable in your own skin, and being confident as one person. Which isn’t like the video.”
The song’s title might make it sound like a relative of Robyn’s Dancing On My Own, but Solo Dancing is actually a bit more bolshy and irreverent.
“It’s not about wanting someone and then ending up dancing on your own. It’s about not wanting anyone and dancing on your own because you don’t care.”
Indiana is definitely down for going solo dancing in a gay club.
“My uncle, who’s passed away now, was gay. I loved going to gay bars with him. I was only 14 or 15, a little grungy goth going to gay bars.”
She’d also like Michael Jackson to officiate her wedding.
“I’d make him sing the vows to me.”
Solo Dancing by Indiana is out now.
> Shoulda been huge: Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Into the Nightlife’
> Shoulda been huge: Spice Girls’ third album ‘Forever’