Indy Yelich, younger sister of Lorde, unveils first single, ‘Threads’
'Threads' marks the poet-turned-songwriter's debut
By Joe Goggins
Indy Yelich, the younger sister of pop maverick Lorde, has unveiled her own debut single – you can hear it below.
‘Threads’ is the first taste of music that Yelich has apparently been working on for some time; now 23, she left her native New Zealand for Los Angeles five years ago, before eventually moving on to New York City, where she now resides.
Produced by Josh Grant, the track touches upon similar themes to her older sister’s coming-of-age masterpiece, 2017’s Melodrama. Described in a press release as capturing “the euphoria and dizzying mess of love and life in your early 20s,” Yelich herself has said that ‘Threads’ “is about the fear of letting a relationship consume me.”
“I wrote this song when I was going through a very on-off relationship for years,” she explains. “When I think of this song, I think of a passionate argument, miscommunication, the excitement of New York City night life. A toxic, messy love affair. Flashbacks of the moments shared together vs being out surrounded by friends, always caught in between. This song is so special to me as it depicts what being in love at 23 feels like; chaotic, hopeful, passionate.”
Having originally moved away from the quiet Auckland suburb of Devenport in order to pursue poetry, Yelich credits the likes of Frank O’Hara, Ocean Vuong and Alex Dimitrov as kry influences, along with more obvious musical cues like Bon Iver, Tears for Fears and Kacey Musgraves. She claims to have drifted away from an interest in drama at school because she was “always more interested in creating the storyline than being in someone else’s.”
“I’ve always had a very distinct voice but now, at 23, I finally feel I know exactly what I’m trying to say,” she says of ‘Threads’.
Meanwhile, Lorde reflected on her divisive third album, Solar Power, in a message to fans back in June. Calling the polarised response to the record “really confounding and at times painful”, she went on to assert that the mixed reviews had ultimately bolstered her.
“I learnt a ton about myself and how I’m perceived by making and releasing this album, and I feel significantly more connected and alive in my art practice and life than pretty much ever before. Sounds dry but true!!!”