It doesn’t really matter how accomplished a songwriter you become—it’s still inevitable that you’ll come across a song that will make you go “Damn, I should’ve written that.” Whether the lyrics feel particularly relatable or the instrumental takes the seed of an idea explored on your new EP in a fascinating new direction, the frustration of not capturing that sound first is at least eased by the fact that the tune not only exists in the world elsewhere, but that more often than not it was recorded by an artist more than competent in bringing that vision to life.
While his new EP covers a ton of ground between guitar-laced hip-hop and bass-heavy emo rap, Indii G. still feels this. The Louisiana-reared multi-hyphenate rapper/producer/instrumentalist brings a dizzyingly wide net of influences to the six tracks on his Epitaph-released record Riverhouse, perhaps in doing so widening the scope of artists whose music he heavily relates to. With a list of influences sitting at the forefront of the post-genre movement, it feels apt to see him shouting out the individuality of an artist like glaive.
While he also gives a nod to Frank Ocean on the track “Soul,” the playlist he threw together for us confirms that Blonde was a formative record for Indii as both an artist and a teenager contemplating his quickly waning youth. You can stream the full tracklist and read his commentary on his favorite lyrics and more below, and check out the Riverhouse EP if you haven’t already right here.
Atlas in Motion feat. brakence & 50landing, “Well Known”
When I started creating music several years ago, I didn’t have fame in mind. I did it—and have always done it—for the love of creating and as a means to be more understood through my art. So the lyric “I don’t wanna be well known, just wanna be known well” feels like it was ripped right out of my head. Awesome song.
brakence, “Dropout”
I didn’t drop out of high school, but I did drop out of college to further pursue music. My mom wasn’t particularly thrilled about it, but now she's my number one fan. I wish I wrote this song so I could have it to look back at that time and reflect on the decision that set my whole life on this path.
Dominic Fike, “Açaí Bowl”
This song is just beautiful. I wish I had the creativity to construct melodies like Dominic Fike. I like the lyric “I remember waking up with shorty on the couch / I had no money / And now we both wake up, she takes my car like ‘Is it sweet?’ / I say ‘Go honey.’” It reminds me that my partner still loves me even though I’m broke [laughs].
Frank Ocean, “Ivy”
Another extremely beautiful song. I remember in 2016 when Frank Ocean released Blonde, I was going through a rough time with the loss of several friends. I would just listen to the album on repeat and cry. The lyric “I ain’t a kid no more / We'll never be those kids again” absolutely cracks open my nostalgia box and I’m instantly flooded with memories of people from my childhood who are no longer in my life today.
glaive, “Dnd”
glaive has done a madness out of the underground. His rise is inspirational. I wish I wrote his song “Dnd” because everything about it is super catchy. The production and melodies are all on point. I love the lyric “Put my phone on Do Not Disturb ’cause I don’t want nobody to call.” Totally felt that.
Jean Dawson, “Ssick Girl Online”
I’m not sure I understand the title of this song in relation to the lyrics, but the whole track is pretty ssick. I wish I had the skill set to produce this genre of music. It’s familiar but unique in all the right ways. The lyric “You’re tryna make me your corpse but I’m dead either way” already sounds like something I’d write in a song.
Lani Rose, “Warm Blanket”
Another extremely well-written song from top to bottom. Excellent production. The lyric “All I need are four walls and some headphones / Quiet please, leave me alone” is something I can really relate to. I hate that I didn’t create this song.
maxime., “The Apathy Song”
This song makes me want to give in and take off running down the street. I like the lyric “Keyed a car just for the fuck of it / This party’s kinda lit.” It reminds me of the dumb shit my friends and I would get into in high school. I should’ve written this song.
Olivver the Kid, “Banana Peel”
Personally, I believe the meaning of life is to experience and feel something. It doesn’t matter what, just anything. This song sounds like something I’d want to write to portray that desire. The lyric “Give me something real, show me what you feel, god dammit” I feel does a pretty good job of getting that across.
Verzache, “January”
I added this song to the list because it's one of my go-to songs to sing on guitar. The first time I performed it for my partner, she thought it was one of my songs—I wish. However, this song perfectly encapsulates how I feel about her. “Wasting time’s what I like to do / But I don’t waste time when I'm with you.” “I was lost in space but now I’ve found my place.” Absolutely beautiful song.
