Boston-based singer-songwriter Indiana Rich recently released her third studio album, GEMINI, full of dense, vintage synths and lyrics dripping with indie irony.
Rich explains, “Musically, my style blends a cappella with elements of classic rock and vocally oriented pop. As a female vocalist, my voice and vocal arrangements are the driving force behind my music. When people ask, I describe it as Pop/Rock-Cappella.”
GEMINI is a personal album, an intimate reflection on the world in which millennials and zoomers find themselves immersed: the world’s effect on them, and their effect on the world.
Tattoo.com caught up with Indiana Rich to discuss GEMINI, the prominence of music in her life, and her definition of tone.
What three things can’t you live without?
Family, music, and Amazon Prime.
What inspired your latest album, GEMINI?
I’ll answer this question by going in order track by track and summarizing each song’s inspiration in one word: Rumination, Commitment, Childhood, Mindfulness, Hysteria, Stabilization, Capitalism, Love, Affirmation.
Walk us through your mindset as you recorded the album.
In a nutshell, my mindset was ‘wow, I’m a baby trapped in an adult suit.’ In the span of two months, I had graduated college and moved my whole life to Boston to attend graduate school. There were a lot of growing pains and ‘GEMINI’ became my outlet. The first songs I wrote for the album came from a darker place of doubt and insecurity. As I extended new roots into the Boston, graduate school soil my writing reflected growing stability of the self. The very last song I wrote for the album was the title track, ‘Gemini,’ which is perhaps one of the most optimistic songs I have ever written.
Is there a track on GEMINI that is more personal to you than the others?
Every track on the album is personal in one way or another. With that said, ‘Wake Up (It’s Alright)’ tapped into previously uncharted territory of vulnerability. The song started off as a 10-minute freestyle. I was in a low place, and I played four chords over and over and sang whatever came to my mind. It was cathartic. A few months later, halfway through making the album, I was perusing through the voice memos on my phone and stumbled across ‘Wake Up’ and I knew it had to be on the album.
How did you get started in music?
My dad. My earliest memories are of him playing the guitar, singing and writing songs. He would record music in his home studio, and I would sit on the mildewy carpet and listen. I couldn’t get enough of it. My parents noticed my interest and signed me up for choirs and theater camps of all kinds. It took off organically from there.
Where are you from?
New Jersey, baby! I currently live in Boston, but don’t be mistaken, I hate pumping my own gas.
Did your hometown impact your sound?
Hmmm… not my hometown as much as the people with whom I grew up. A lot of my core memories with my closest childhood friends are tied to music. My best friend and I would make our Bratz dolls have a dance part to ‘Stayin’ Alive’ by the Bee Gees (which I played on my record player). Another time we were left home alone at age 12 and decided to ‘rage,’ meaning we ate Ben and Jerry’s ice cream straight out of the tub and danced on the dining room table to ‘Livin’ On A Prayer.’ Nearly every single moment of my childhood is attached to a song. Essentially, over time I’ve created a soundtrack to my own life (and there are still songs being added to the playlist!)
Which singers/musicians influenced your sound?
The list is long. The most prominent influence would be my dad, Chris Rich (go check out his rock opera called ‘Theatre Of The Mind’ on Spotify!). Other artists who have influenced my sound are, ABBA, Queen, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus, and Lady Gaga.
Did your sound evolve naturally, or did you deliberately push it in a certain direction?
It evolved naturally. In college, I spent most of my musical energy arranging and producing songs for my a cappella group, the Lehigh Echoes. Musically, this was a time of expedited growth. Arranging music tremendously furthered my knowledge of theory and the power of melodic movement. Before The Echoes, I had never produced music before, and I put in hours upon hours to learn how to use production software and the basics of compression, EQing, and reverb. A cappella opened a door for me musically that has become a defining characteristic of my music.
What kind of guitar do you play?
I primarily play my Taylor acoustic-electric parlor guitar, although my dad has too many electric guitars to count, and he’ll always let me borrow one (or two, or three).
What is your definition of tone? And has your tone changed over time?
For me, there are two types of tone: lyrical tone and musical tone. Lyrically my music has become much more sophisticated. When I was a teenager, I’d write songs about becoming famous one day and high school crushes. Musically, my earlier stuff was closely tied to my producer/co-writer (aka my dad’s) classic rock-oriented writing style. ‘GEMINI’ was a true departure for me – after moving to Boston I didn’t have my dad’s training wheels. I wrote and produced my songs with what felt the most comfortable and familiar to me – the voice. When in doubt, more vocals! I’ve also expanded my lyric arsenal, finding myself writing with a satirical voice as evidenced by ‘Just Google It!’ and ‘Play The Game.’ With that said, there are themes that remain, namely childhood nostalgia and self-love.
What inspires your writing? Do you draw inspiration from poems, music, or other media?
All of the above. Recently, as I pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology, a lot of my inspiration comes from what I’ve learned in my classes and from people I’ve met in the psychology field. In practicing therapy, I’ve learned a lot about myself which is reflected in my music.
What can you share about your writing process?
Most of my songs start off with a lyric or two attached to a melody (sometimes these ideas hit me at the most inopportune times, and I’ll have to excuse myself to mumble something into my phone). Once I’m back at my apartment, I’ll sit at my piano and figure out the rest of the song. The ‘figuring out’ part changes every time – sometimes I’ll write the rest of the melody over non-descript chords with no lyrics and fill in the blanks later. Other times the melody, lyrics, and music all come together within a 30-minute writing span. Those are the truly magical moments.
Knowing what you know now, if you could go back and start your music career over again, what would you do differently?
Honestly, I wouldn’t do anything differently. Sure, I’d like to have more gigs or more Spotify listeners, but I’m honestly so grateful for my Yamaha electric piano, my Taylor guitar, and my Blue microphone. For me the phrase ‘just keep swimming’ translates to ‘just keep writing.’
What’s next for Indiana Rich?
More music, of course! Keep an eye out, there will be some new tunes out soon…
