Photo of Indigo De Souza by Laura Jerele
A packed weeknight at Delmar Hall is always a good sign! Walking in, everyone was handed a postcard with a QR code for a new track from Indigo De Souza and a chance to win a signed setlist, along with a personal note thanking us for being here. Then there was this board covered in Post-Its and pens where fans could leave their notes for her. This space turned into its own little gathering spot, with people just standing there reading strangers’ messages, soaking in all that accidental community, taking photos, making new friends. Honestly, kind of perfect for the vibe she creates and world she wants.
I’ve covered Indigo before, and it’s been really cool watching her evolve without losing any of the core of who she is. She’s still that same incredibly raw singer-songwriter, but everything feels slightly bigger now, more confident, more intentional, and yeah, more emotional. But I like that! She leans into vulnerability and emotionally honesty music, keeping those elements front and center. But live, it hits so much harder. Rawer. Her songs stretched across grief, self-acceptance, and just figuring out how to exist in our own skin. None of it felt extra heavy in a draining way, her music is more like freeing the shit we need to let go. And dancing, there’s always lots of dancing!
Her set worked in songs like “Love Transcendence,” “You Can Be Mean,” “Not My Body,” and “Darker Than Death,” and her voice was in top form. Visually, she came out in this crisp white, very ’90s-coded look, black and white everything, with face paint that made her feel a little otherworldly and ethereal. At one point she mentioned how a lot of her songs revolve around water, intentionally or not, and once she said it, you couldn’t unsee it. The lighting leaned deep blue most of the night, and it really did feel like she built this immersive space where you’re supposed to just kind of float around in the music (and a safe space for our emotions). It could’ve come off gimmicky or simple at any other show, but here it felt natural, like an extension of her brain and her music. And she’s just fun to watch! When she’s not absolutely belting or going in on guitar, she’s moving, arms and hands flowing through the air like she’s physically shaping the lyrics as they escape her. There’s no stiffness to it, no “stage moves,” she just feels it in real time. Her voice is amazing (seriously uhhmazzzinggg) and I feel like she is tragically underrated. Or underknown.
Opening things up was Mothé who had style for days and a set that kind of snuck up on me. He kicked things off with a heavier autotune sound, which had me curious where it was going, but once that peeled back and the actual vocals took over, it clicked fast for me. Vibey and danceable, and a really great entertainer, Mothé was such a bright spot! Super-danceable alt-pop tracks blending indie with glossy pop textures, and landing with mega high energy. I totally approve! I love covering artists who know exactly who they are and actually care about the people showing up for them. Indigo keeps growing, but she’s not drifting, and that’s kind of the magic she possesses as much as she gives. | Laura Jerele
