INTRODUCING: INDIRA
We speak to emerging Manchester artist, Indira, about her debut EP, Away With The Fairies, out now.
Interview by PORTIA BRAJKOVIC
Hey indira, how are you?
I’m feeling good. I’m in high spirits this week. I’m just blessed and so thankful to be able to share my feelings and my journey with you.
Why music?
Music has allowed me to reconnect with my inner child and heal a lot of scars that she has been carrying for a very long time. I’m still healing them, and that’s why music is so special to me. It’s always been my escape from the world, from myself, people, situations, my circumstances. It has always been my light and my hope. I literally get goosebumps talking about it. I think the question is: why did music choose me? I don’t think I actively chose it. A lot of different things happened at the same time that aligned me with this path. I would’ve been a fool to deny the signs.
I’ve been making music since I was really young. I’ve been writing since I was maybe six. I grew up in Ireland, and I used to do a lot of writing and talent shows and singing; I used to go to a performing arts school. Then, I moved to England and I stopped for years. I don’t think I did any music, apart from singing in the shower or maybe to a friend or two. I believed it wasn’t for me. But like I said before, music chose me. I was called back to it. I’ve been recording behind the scenes for the better part of three years now.
WHO DO YOU MAKE MUSIC FOR?
I create music for the thinkers, the lovers, those who dare to be audacious and rebellious and who go against the status quo, you know? I hope that people gain a sense of belonging from listening to my music, I hope they feel safe and free from judgement, and free to be themselves. I hope they feel understood and heard. That’s what I gain from my music - it makes me feel like I have my place in the world, so I would love for people to feel like that too. I hope they feel moved and inspired.
"The way that inspiration or creativity works is so unpredictable. Some days, it literally finds you. Others, you have to constantly chase that inspiration and you’ll just have a moment where everything clicks. It’s such a beautiful and interesting process.
Life is the biggest and the best source of inspiration. Everything about being alive, from the moment I wake up to the second I go to sleep. I’m inspired by my family, my friends, exes, the sky, God, by everything around us. As humans, I think we’re constantly living in the act of creating. Everything we do is an act of creation, from making your bed to making dinner. There’s inspiration in all of these acts. There’s inspiration in boredom. I find it in everything and nothing at the same time.”
— INDIRA, ON NSPIRATION
Can you describe the indira universe and sound in three words?
Provocative. I can be quite cheeky with my lyrics sometimes. There’s a lot of confidence in my songs. There’s also a lot of vulnerability.
tell us about your debut ep, away with the fairies.
Away With The Fairies is my first baby. I’m really proud of it. I was in my final year of uni, studying Law (I actually have a Law degree), when I decided I wanted to take music seriously. I started going to the studio with my friend, Maze. He’s the one who forced me to get into recording after I showed him some bars. We started going every day, to the point where I started missing lectures, which isn’t good. Stay in school! I fell in love with creating, something I hadn’t done in years. It just sparked something in me that I hadn’t felt since I was a kid.
The project came about naturally. Even the way the name for the tape came about, from a conversation with a stranger. At the time, I was feeling really lost. That morning, I had written a journal entry, a letter to God, asking ‘What should I be doing? If I should be doing music, send me a sign. Make it clear, make it known.” That same day, I got into a conversation with a stranger, this older lady, and you could tell she carried a lot of wisdom. You could see it in her eyes. She said that when I spoke about music, that was the only time she saw passion in my eyes and body. She said that if I loved music, I just need to be away with the fairies. That stuck with me.
It was a chain of events after that. When she said that, I knew it was the name of the EP. I didn’t even have any songs written for the tape. I had things I was working on, but I was - and still am - very much in my development stage. I don’t think I’ve really tapped into the artistry I know I’ll tap into in a few years’ time when I’m a little more seasoned. Before the revelation of the EP name, I hadn’t written anything substantial or EP-worthy. That all came after; it was a snowball effect. Situations would occur and they would inspire a song. The first song I wrote was ‘Blue’. After ‘Blue’, it was ‘Mercury Retrograde’, then ‘Shitty Day’. All of these songs have stories behind them. I’m not the type of artist who writes for the sake of writing. There’s always a trigger. It might be something that someone says, or something that I felt that day.
AWTF was a very special project. I’m really excited for it, and really grateful for everyone who worked on it, like my best friend, Shantina. She’s seen everything, she knows it all. I remember nobody in the city was trying to give me studio time because I wasn’t known. Nobody would answer my DMs, nobody was trying to work with me. We would take these trips to London because I found a studio and producer there who would record with me. I was working three jobs at the time to make it all happen. It was a beautiful journey, and I’m very grateful I got to go through it with the people closest to me. This is just the beginning.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED THROUGH CREATING AND RELEASING A BODY OF WORK FOR THE FIRST TIME?
I’ve learned so much. I’ve made so many mistakes and taken so many Ls. But it’s all part of the journey: Ls are lessons. You need a lot of patience. Never take no for an answer; find a way to make what you want happen. When obstacles are thrown your way, it’s just a test from the universe to see how bad you want it. Don’t get sidetracked. Always have the bigger vision in the forefront of your mind. Hold it tightly, every single day. It’s so easy to give up. Releasing a body of work, you need to have a vision. You need to create a world. That’s what it’s about. And it’s important to build a team. Look to your friends and see what qualities you can bring out of them, see how you can align with them. The people who helped me on this project are my best friends. I would be so lost without them. You cannot do this by yourself!
Manchester is home to a thriving music scene, and we’ve seen some massive UK names come out of the city. What is it like, being a part of THAT?
I am very proud to be a Mancunian. I love Manchester. I’ve grown up in a few different places, and I’ve never really felt at home anywhere else. I was born in Portugal, and Manny feels more like home to me than Portugal does. I’ve had a lot of first-time experiences here. I’ve loved in this city, I’ve been heartbroken in this city, I’ve made friends, and I’ve lost friends. I’ve learned lessons. I’ve been through a lot here.
Everyone you meet is a kind, tender soul with a story to tell. They’re very willing to share their time and hold space for you as a human being. You really get seen here. I rave about Manchester to everyone. I’m blessed to be from here.
It’s a city with an incredible amount of talent. We get overlooked, but we have a thriving scene. All my friends are creatives doing amazing things. I’m so blessed to be surrounded by people who are so artistically inclined, whether it be in fashion, music, dance, or whatever. There’s so much creativity here. Hopefully I can be one of the people who moves the city even further, especially for women from areas like me.
What would we find on your Spotify playlist?
There’s so much music in the world. Different songs evoke different emotions and serve different purposes for different moments in time. It just depends on what mood I’m in. I could listen to jazz, then punk, rock, hip-hop, trap, then indie. Right now I’m listening to a lot of Max B, rap music. SahBabii just dropped. Doja Cat is another favourite. Young Nudy, if I’m with my friends, having a good time.
What do you do for peace?
Solitude. I spend a lot of time by myself. I feel most at peace when I’m by myself. There’s a big forest near my house, and I know those woods like I know the back of my hand. I feel connected to the universe and to God through nature. That’s where I get my spiritual downloads for my creative endeavours. I write music. I love to paint. Time spent around my mum and my best friends. Those are the things that feed my soul.
What’s next for you?
I want to be in the studio a lot more. I hope to work with new producers, make new connections. Just keep creating as much as I can. I think 2025 will be an exciting year, and I’m excited to see what opportunities I make happen, because I don’t wait for them to come to me, I make them happen. I make life my bitch. Whatever the universe has in store, I’m here to embrace it with my arms wide open, and I’m not scared to fall in wholeheartedly. Who knows? A lot is in store for me, for sure. I’ve been promised that.
