Hugging and dancing their hearts out to Shapeshifter, there’s no denying the special sisterly bond between Indy Yelich and her “idol” Ella Yelich-O’Connor, aka Lorde. The fun video, posted by Indy to celebrate the release of Lorde’s new album Virgin, is a full-circle moment.
From viral home videos to New York dreams
It comes 17 years after the siblings filmed themselves belting out B.o.B and Bruno Mars’ Nothing On You, with no idea their musical talents would one day see them living as musical artists in New York.
“I remember filming, then Ella pushed her way in, then everyone else came and I was like, ‘Guys, get out of the frame!’” Indy, 26, reminisces about the old home video, which went viral after mum Sonja Yelich posted it online.
“It’s funny realising I’m still that version of myself – just a little older!”
Growing up in a creative household
Now as Indy prepares to release her most personal songs yet with new EP Fame Is A Bedroom, it’s her musical childhood in Auckland that she credits for shaping her. Her engineer dad Vic blasted James Taylor and Bon Iver, while poet Sonja got the kids into writing, painting and theatre.
By six, Indy had written her first song. At nine, she was starring in a production of The Little Mermaid. Learning guitar, winning band contests and planning to become an opera singer or author, neither
she nor Lorde considered international music careers.Until Lorde broke out with Royals and everything changed.
Lovingly describing her parents as “good eggs”, Indy says they never made her, her sister Jerry, 31, or her brother Angelo, 23, feel neglected amid Lorde’s rise.
More significantly, her big sister’s success opened Indy’s eyes to her own creative possibilities. At 18, she moved to Los Angeles to try acting, before relocating to New York to pursue music.
The struggle behind the music
“I slept on people’s couches while I learnt how to write good music, develop my voice and advocate for my songs,” Indy explains.
“It was hard for a few years because I wanted my songs to be good enough for myself and the world.”
Lorde’s greatest advice has been to trust her artistic vision. While comparisons to Lorde weren’t surprising, Indy has paid little attention but says having a built-in audience via her sister is a luxury. Indy released her debut EP Threads in 2023, but her latest is her most vulnerable yet.
Songs born from pain
The track Savior draws inspiration from a toxic relationship, where an older man dumped her over the phone on Valentine’s Day. Lorde and Jerry supported her through the break-up.
Now happily single, Indy is publicly “out and proud” – as acknowledged in her new EP’s final track.
“Sail Away is about coming to terms with being in love with someone who wasn’t a male,” tells Indy, who came out at 19 and says her parents were “chill as hell” as she discovered her identity.
“Realising it’s not just men that I like was harder for me than how anyone else took it.”
Embracing the wingwoman role
Another song called Idol shares her world as Lorde’s sister. With lyrics like, “I’ve idolised you for my whole life,” and, “Sometimes I play the supporting act,” Indy says she’s accepted and embraced her role as Lorde’s wingwoman.
“When you think of the Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars, they’re still esteemed, and have their voice, passion and creativity. Those are the cards I was dealt, so the song recognises both my journey and our private sisterhood. “There’s also a line, ‘They don’t understand your love. They’ll never be bound by blood,’ which is saying that while there are public perceptions, I know her and she knows me best, and what an incredible life we’ve had.”
Two sisters, two strengths
So what traits does Indy most look up to in her idol?
“We’re similar, but I’m loud and vivacious, whereas she can listen and be present, so there’s a lot I’ve learned from that,” she shares.
“She learns a lot from me and my loud brightness.”
Indy couldn’t be prouder of Lorde’s recent success, telling us it felt like “real-life magic” to see Virgin hit number one in the UK and number two on the US charts.
But the ultimate pinch-me moment came when Indy saw that a Spotify playlist had cleverly placed Lorde’s track Broken Glass next to her single Up In Flames (The Wayland). While both sisters enjoy living near each other in New York, Indy says she’s excited to return home at Christmas.
“I want to hang with my parents, go surfing and eat a pie! The older I get, the more Kiwi I feel and those traits come out in my work.”
Indy’s new EP Fame Is A Bedroom, is out Friday.
