Indiana Rich shows off the different sides of her musical personality on her stylish and multi-faceted third album Gemini — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
On her latest studio release, the Boston singer-songwriter gracefully and flawlessly balances an impressive arsenal of sounds, styles, approaches and influences, taking you an evocative and emotional journey through her vocal and emotional range. Heavy on vintage synths and soulful vibes — delivered with a good dose of indie irony — Gemini is a perfect initiation for new fans but also a continuation of her previous work.
“Musically, my style blends a cappella with elements of classic rock and vocally oriented pop,” says Indiana Rich, whose sound invites compaison to the likes of Billie Eilish, Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Abba. “As a female vocalist, my voice and vocal arrangements are the driving force behind my music. When people ask, I describe it pop/rock-cappella.”
With such a strong sense of her sound, the massively lauded vocalist went into Gemini intending to make an album that was both highly personal and relatable — while making an interesting commentary on the society in which young millennials and zoomers find themselves.
“Gemini is an extremely personal album,” she cofirms. “It is my response to the challenges of being a young adult in today’s world. My lyrics address topics that are important to me: Appreciation, healing and vibrant growth. When people listen to this project my hope is first and foremost that they’re entertained and are also inspired to stand strong and be optimistic.”
Tracks like the tongue-in-cheek Just Google It! hit that balance between entertaining and thought-provoking whilst the synth-driven When You Say You Love Me is both a commentary on society and a call to embrace the human experience. Half celebration of humanity and half criticism, Gemini is a perfect title to describe the dichotomies which exist in this album. Pair that with Rich’s extraordinary voice and Gemini is a true indie-pop gem.
Indiana Rich is one of those artists for whom a musical path seems to have been destined. A talented vocalist with an incredible range, her rich and soulful mezzo saw her not only in choirs and singing groups from an early age, but shot her through the ranks quickly, landing the Boston native in almost every honors choir the eastern seaboard had to offer.
After traveling Europe in the American Music Abroad Tour, singing in the Boston All Eastern Honors Choir, competing in the International Championship of High School A Cappella and starring in several musicals, Indiana released her first album Daydreamer just after high school. This release showed she was not only a talented vocalist but a songwriter who had her own style and story to tell. The album also contained a few covers of her favorite artists, showing where she gets her inspiration.
While attending university in Pennsylvania, Rich continued her impressive work with choirs as she became musical director of the well-known Lehigh Echoes a capella group, recording and producing three EPs with the ensemble. She was selected to compete in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, where she was a two-time soloist and simultaneously nominated for best solo and best arrangement. All this while working on and subsequently releasing her second album Headphones On.
Working with her father Chris to produce this new sound on Gemini, Rich’s work has taken on a new dimension, exploring the deeper and richer tones of ambient sound as well as all the possibilities programmers and synths provide. The result is a musical experience that is all-encompassing and highlights Rich’s extraordinary vocals and social commentary in her lyrics in a deeper, fuller way. With the goal or reaching more and more audiences with her personal and emotive message, Gemini is only the beginning for Indiana Rich. She will continue to explore, challenge and expand her sound. As clearly as she was born to be a musician, her growth and connection with other people is what drives her.
Listen to Gemini below, watch some of Indiana Rich’s videos above, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
