Photo: Angella Choe

Indigo De Souza channels isolation mania into “Smog”

Indigo De Souza is releasing her new album All Of This Will End at the end of April, and following on from the heartbreaking lead single “Younger & Dumber” we now have a second taster in the form of “Smog”. De Souza says:

“I remember writing this song during the peak of the pandemic. I was living alone on a dead end street surrounded by neighbors who were seemingly always mowing their lawns. I remember having a lot of anxiety during the day, navigating the newly awkward and uncertain experience of doing anything mid world freak-out. I was in an emotional state that felt like a cross between delirious joy and a real tired hopelessness. Everything felt unknown and distant. “Smog” is mostly about that strange time and how it felt in my house, alone. When the neighborhood was asleep, and all the lawn mowers stopped, I felt free to make anything and sing anything I wanted. It was my first time ever living alone. It brought me a lot closer to myself.”

Taking her shape-shifting sound into a streamlined synth-pop arena with a propulsive beat, De Souza channels the untapped energy of isolation into the song’s vibrant energy. A closer inspection of the lyrics reveals the mania unfolding inside her mind; “I don’t think I deserve it / I don’t think anything / I just sit down and shut up / And hope they don’t notice me.” This comes to a head during the chorus where a whirring synth underpins her descriptions of nocturnal activities, and leads, unexpectedly, to the conclusion: “I don’t know how to tell you your jokes aren’t funny”. By singing about avoiding everything, De Souza has hit on a theme that everybody can understand.

Watch the self-directed video for “Smog” below or find the track on streamers.


Indigo De Souza’s new album All Of This Will End arrives on April 28 through Saddle Creek (pre-order/save). You can find her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Tour Dates:

3/11 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
3/12 – New Orleans, LA @ Toulouse Theatre
3/15-17 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
3/18 – Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips (Southside Spillover)
3/19 – Houston, TX @ Secret Group SOLD OUT

5/13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court Block Party
5/17 – Madison, WI @ The Majestic
5/18 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
5/19 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
5/20 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House
5/22 – Boston, MA @ The Royale
5/23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
5/24 – New York City, NY @ Webster Hall SOLD OUT
5/26 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom SOLD OUT
5/27 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom
5/30 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
5/31 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
6/2 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
6/3 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
6/2-4 – Chattanooga, TN @ Riverbend Festival

6/27 – London, UK @ Roundhouse ^
6/29 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival
7/1 – Stockholm, SE @ Lollapalooza Stockholm

8/12-13 Seattle, WA @ Day In Day Out Festival
8/14 – Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amphitheater at West River State Park *
8/15 – Columbus, OH @ KEMBA Live! *
8/17 – St Louis, MO @ The Pageant *
8/18 – Kansas City, MO @ Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland *
8/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory *
8/24 – Troutdale, OR @ Edgefield *
8/25 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre *
8/27 – Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater *
8/30 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley *
8/31 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre *
9/1 – Del Mar, CA @ The Sound *
9/6 – Las Vegas, NV @ Brookly Bowl *
9/8 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren *
9/9 – Santa Fe, NM @ Santa Fe Opera *
9/10 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre *

^ supporting Japanese Breakfast
* supporting Sylvan Esso