For nearly half her life, Indy Yelich has played the “supporting act” to her older sister, Ella Yelich-O’Connor—the artist better known as Lorde. The 26-year-old singer-songwriter accepts this role gracefully, noting that a supporting character is still a vital part of the story.
On a recent Wednesday night, however, Yelich was the clear leading lady. At The Wayland bar in New York’s East Village, the Auckland native performed songs from her new EP, Fame Is a Bedroom, for the first time ahead of its release. The intimate venue was filled with fans and friends, a community she has built since moving to the city, more than 8,000 miles from home.
Yelich arrived in the United States at 18 to pursue acting but eventually pivoted to music. She released her debut single, “Threads,” in 2022, carving out a space for herself in the pop landscape her sister has long influenced. With her latest project, she confronts the complexities of her life, from the universal chaos of being in one’s twenties to the unique pressures of proximity to stardom.
Fame Is a Bedroom is a lucid dream-pop record blending classic influences like Fleetwood Mac with modern sounds from artists such as Holly Humberstone and Mk.gee. “A lot of it is saying goodbye to past versions of myself,” Yelich explained before her set. “Fame has influenced my desire to be understood. It drove me to want to express my own version of myself in music. I wouldn’t be here without it, but it’s kind of the little devil on my shoulder.”
At the heart of the EP are tender yet messy relationships. The simmering track “Up in Flames,” which shouts out The Wayland, was informed by a devastating split from an older man. Another song, “Sail Away,” was inspired by unreciprocated romantic feelings for a female friend.
The standout track, which Yelich found most healing to write, is “Idol.” The song finally articulates the emotions she has accumulated from sharing her sister with the world. Over synths and electric guitar, she sings of Lorde’s fans, “They don’t understand your love/ Never be bound by blood… I’m the one that you’re running to.”
Despite its unflinching lyrics, Yelich emphasizes that the song is not for the public. “It’s a love song to my sister,” she clarified. “It’s about coming to terms with a private relationship where there’s such trust and love, and also grappling with the emotional tug-of-war of sharing someone that I’m so close to.”
Yelich admitted she was nervous to play the track for her sister, but felt emboldened by Lorde’s own recent candid songwriting about their family. “I was really inspired by her honesty,” she said. “There’s a complexity in the intimacy of sisterhood.”
Back at The Wayland, as Yelich took the makeshift stage, her most important fan walked in. Dressed in a simple white button-down, Lorde blended into the crowd. When Yelich sang “Idol,” looking toward her sister, the pride on Lorde’s face was unmistakable. That night, she was the supporting act, and she didn’t seem to mind at all.
