Indie-pop Artist Splendi Talks “Nancy Drew,” Queer Inspirations and Upcoming Debut EP

Twenty two year-old indie pop artist splendi released her latest single, “nancy drew,” on 2nd September after her debut single, “unoriginal,” landed on Spotify’s top editorial playlists, including New Music Friday, Lorem, Fresh Finds and fuzzy. The track touches on splendi’s personal experiences, past relationships and growing in her artistry. We sat down with splendi to take a deep dive through her personal journey of overcoming trust issues, her love for sustainable fashion and a sneak peak into her upcoming debut EP.

Like Honey Nut Cheerios, your lying is cereal. Indie-pop star on the rise, splendi, recently released “nancy drew,” a vulnerable ballad that touches on the songstress’ past relationship struggles and her personal journey to breaking out of toxic patterns. "nancy drew" is a high-energy, hazy alt pop track with honest and clever lyricism depicting her experience with gaslighting and betrayal – no tears are held back. Pulling influence from the lyrics of Del Water Gap, the sonic edge of Samia and the haunting stylings of Indigo De Souza, splendi excels in experimenting with genre-bending soundscapes and soulful melodies that capture the universal feeling of betrayal. 

As a bisexual woman in the music industry, splendi is especially inspired by female queer musicians such as Clairo, St. Vincent, Beabadoobee, Courtney Barnett, Phoebe Bridgers, Remi Wolf and more. 

Throughout “nancy drew,” a silky production flows through the track that’s interlaced with addicting dark synth soundscapes, allowing splendi to explore a more soulful, yet angsty, side to her confessional music. 

With a stripped-down production, Splendi channels the growing pains of outgrowing repetitive patterns and the emotional roller coasters that come with her experiences. She depicts a challenging moment in her relationship that turned into self-empowerment and an outlet for her emotions. Her relatable songwriting comes across as a diary entry with candid notes on accepting, healing and exploring vulnerability.

[MAG]: Thank you for sitting down and talking to us. For any of our readers who aren't familiar with your music, can you give us a quick introduction to yourself and what type of music that you make?

[SPLENDI]: My name is Isabella, also known as Splendi, and I make any pop music that has a bit of a darker or mood feel.

[MAG]: How did you initially find your love for music and songwriting?

[SPLENDI]: I think I've always loved music. I think mostly because I grew up in a home where music was always playing, so I was exposed to a lot of different genres at a pretty early age. But my love for songwriting developed over time. Using songwriting to express myself when I was writing stupid songs in my room was super cathartic, and I think was just a really good release. Those feelings only got stronger over time.

[MAG]: Do you remember the first ever song that you wrote?

[SPLENDI]: Unfortunately, I don't think I do, probably because I wrote it when I was 12 about whatever problems 12 year olds have or deal with. Actually, I don't have any recordings of stuff that I wrote when I was younger because I think I was extremely embarrassed by it. I deleted all of my voice memos at one point, worried that someone would accidentally hear them.

[MAG]: If you could describe your music in three words, which would you choose?

[SPLENDI]: Honest, catchy and moody.

[MAG]: What artists inspire you either lyrically or instrumentally, whether that's just music you love to listen to or you just pull inspiration from into yours?

[SPLENDI]: I think instrumentally, I'd say my biggest influences are beabadoobee, Jackie Hayes, Spilltab and they’re also the people I listened to the most. Lyrically my biggest influence is Del Water Gap and Marinelli.

[MAG]: Your newest single “nancy drew” just released, congratulations. What was the inspiration behind the song and how did you come up with the title?

[SPLENDI]: I wrote “nancy drew” about my trust issues, and I guess more specifically, my trust issues in certain relationships. I felt like a detective, always looking for clues and trying to solve mysteries hence the name “nancy drew.”

[MAG]: Why do you love this song? Is there like a specific lyric or message that stands out to you? What excites you the most about the song?

[SPLENDI]: I really like it because I think there's something unique about it. The sound is darker without losing the indie-pop feel. I think my favorite lyric is, “like honey nut cheerios, you're lying is cereal.” I came up with it during a stream of consciousness. I think the part of the song that excites me the most is the synths throughout the entire song – specifically at the ending – they really build and they get crazy. There's just a lot going on, so it gets super hectic at the end and comes together right at the end with a subtle little message that leaves you wanting more, at least that’s the goal. 

[MAG]: When you're writing, are you pulling from personal experiences or is it just general storytelling?

[SPLENDI]: So far, everything I've written has been from personal experience. I'm not opposed to making up an interesting story and writing about that, but it just hasn't happened. yet. I think writing about my personal experiences just happens more naturally.

[MAG]: I read that you're into sustainability and incorporate that in your merch. How would you describe your fashion style or your aesthetic?

[SPLENDI]: Growing up, I think people would have said in terms of my style, I dress like a tomboy. I just gravitate towards casual wear and prioritize comfort, so I mostly wear sweaters, jeans, Dickies and the occasional dress pants that I pair with an old t-shirt. I have a couple of cool statement pieces that I love, like a vintage NASCAR jacket and some pants with crazy patterns. Pretty much everything's thrifted because it's cheap, it looks cool and it's sustainable.

[MAG]: What are your top go to places for either thrifting or vintage that you're not gatekeeping?

[SPLENDI]: One is Retrospect Philly. This place called Jinx has cool clothes. 

[MAG]: Do you design your own merch?

[SPLENDI]: Me and my team created a bunch of different pieces, which are all upcycled. The upcycled tote bags that are made of old pants are definitely my favorite. They're super unique, and they're really functional because they come with pockets on the inside and outside.

[MAG]: You just released “nancy drew.” How are you feeling in this current era of your career? What are you planning for the rest of the year that you're excited to share with us?

[SPLENDI]: It's been a few weeks since “nancy drew” came out and I'm feeling more excited than anything else. I have more merch coming soon which I'm stoked to drop, as well as some more singles and maybe an EP by the end of the year. I'm also looking forward to playing some more live shows this year to

[MAG]: How far are you into the EP process?

[SPLENDI]: The two songs that are out “nancy drew” and “unoriginal,” and then there's two more that are pretty much ready to be released that just need a couple finishing production touches. I have some stuff that I'm currently writing. So if it's a four song EP, it's pretty much done, and if it's like a seven song EP, there's a couple more to go. Definitely making progress.

[MAG]: Are you planning on touring anytime soon? Are you just playing local shows for now?

[SPLENDI]: I've just been playing local shows, because putting together a whole tour seems so overwhelming at this point. I'm not opposed to it, that would be awesome.

[MAG]: Is there any advice you wish you had been given when you're first starting your music career?

[SPLENDI]: I wish someone told me how much work there is outside of actually writing and releasing music and how to plan ahead for all of that. Things like creating a social media calendar and sticking to that as closely as possible to lead up to news about new singles, music videos, live shows and more is definitely something I find super helpful and I wish I picked up on a little bit sooner.

[MAG]: What is your wildest dream as an artist, if you can have one thing happen to you – like a milestone or a dream collaboration – you want to achieve, what does that look like for you?

[SPLENDI]: I think my wildest dream would probably be to collaborate with some of my favorite artists within my genre, but maybe also some outside like Spilltab, beabadoobee, Marinelli, Clairo, Jean Dawson, Wet Leg and Steve Lacy. Earl Sweatshirt would be a really cool one to collab with. Then, Keven Parker from Tame Impala and Julian Casablancas from The Strokes, just because they were the first two modern artists who really inspired me when I was younger. 

For more updates and music releases from splendi, follow the artist on Instagram and stream “nancy drew” on Spotify. Watch the official music video for “nancy drew” here.

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Kimberly Kapela is a Chicago-based magazine journalist that has covered freelance topics in music, beauty, fashion, spirituality, activism and personal essays. She is currently living in her home city, working towards a bachelors of arts degree in magazine concentrated journalism and social media strategies at Columbia College Chicago. She is a libra sun and pisces moon and loves learning about crystals for self-love and mindful meditations. She over romanticizes everything in her life to see the beauty in everything. Find her on Instagram @uhm.kimberly or writing on her blog: https://kimberlykapela.wordpress.com/