Review: Indigo De Souza at The Orange Peel

At one point during Indigo De Souza’s performance at The Orange Peel on June 3, it all became too overwhelming. 

The singer/songwriter had been in the zone for the first half of her set, mesmerizing a youthful sold-out hometown crowd. A few words into the quiet introductory verse of her 9th tune, “Always,” chatter amongst the audience reached a disrespectful level, pushing the young artist to break down and abruptly leave the stage. During the moments that followed, genuine feelings of concern were palpable throughout the room. It was obvious from the start of the show that De Souza’s fans were far more than scenesters wanting to catch the next big thing. Instead, it felt as if their devotion was akin to the admiration reserved for icons of a generation.

It’s hard to imagine anyone not struggling to step foot in front of a crowd on a nightly basis to pour out their heart. To make things more challenging, De Souza’s career has taken a meteoric trajectory. Just a few years ago, she was playing small local shows, then her popularity took off during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic with the release of her Saddle Creek Records debut, Any Shape You Take. It was complicated enough to be touring at that time, but De Souza was also playing in front of bigger crowds than ever before, at a time where just attempting to get through a day might have been challenging for any of us. That pressure had to be unreal. 

When De Souza stepped back onto the stage of The Orange Peel for another attempt at “Always,” she was treated to heartwarming applause. Opening up about personal struggles over the past month, De Souza apologized, saying that she was embarrassed about having left, offering a similar level of emotional honesty that she packs into her songs. 

Rewarding that bold transparency, her second time through “Always” was taken in with reverence by the awestruck audience. From the tender opening verses to the explosive, feedback-heavy outbursts, De Souza gave her most dynamic and thrilling performance of the night, while her accompanying band provided perfect sonic complements, taking the song to its emotional extremes. 

Shortly thereafter, dance-pop jam “Smog” had everyone grooving and singing along with carefree enthusiasm — a testament to De Souza’s ability to shift gears and maintain a powerful hold over her fans. The crowd remained entranced to the very end, passionately mouthing her lyrics in a way that displayed intense personal connection.

The last time that I saw De Souza play live was a few years ago, before the record deal and national tours. She was young, talented, and brimming with potential, but I’m not sure anyone could have foreseen her taking such a huge leap. Playing her first headlining hometown show since 2021, in support of her new album All of This Will End, De Souza and her bandmates put on the kind of show that should make this city proud. With De Souza, Wednesday, and Secret Shame all really blossoming over the past few years, Asheville has an incredible trio of female-fronted bands making our music scene one of the most exciting in the country. 

(Photos by Jonny Leather)

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