The question of “How Many Nights” is completed in the piece with “...have you been calling?”. The song largely revolves around this, the idea of being called, of being missed. The narrator of the piece doesn’t miss the person she sings to, she feels she is the one who has left, the one who is wanted back. But this doesn’t give her the power it may seem to. See, while she doesn’t desire the subject of the song she craves the idea of being craved, of being needed and missed. The question itself, “how many nights?” isn’t as tantalizing as it seems. Instead, she’s begging to know. She’s not saying “you need me”, she’s imploring, “How much do you need me? Did you ever?”. It’s a creative approach, almost a twist on empowerment. Is it empowering to need to feel empowered? She knows she is better than what she has left, she is the one who fixed them. But when there is nothing left to fix, she is left feeling equally dispensable.
The song begins with instrumentals that evoke The Indien’s iconic alternative pop sound. The music is vaguely retro, reminiscent of 80s pop with an airiness to its electric guitar. Rianne Walther (The Indien)’s voice, though, is much more aligned with sounds of the 70s, beautifully similar to that of Stevie Nicks. Her voice blends with the music, following its ups and downs, each seeming to flow through each other. Overall, the tone of the song is very calm but not devoid of experimentation and powerful moments. It’s a difficult thing to balance- making such a relaxed, audibly soothing sound, still feel as monumental as the screaming choruses of dramas- but she does so flawlessly.
The Indien is an artistic experiment based around Rianne Walther, its vocalist. She sings, and tracks and instrumentals are formed based on what she offers. It's an approach to music that has brought a new perspective, and an entirely new genre. Blending sounds of stricter genres as well as entire decades, The Indien stands out. It’s been recognized for this, amassing nearly 200k listeners since its debut as well as a large social media following that’s only growing. The group has also gained the public eye in their live performances for radio programs as well as national television. They’ll be appearing on the stage again this April to commemorate the release of their debut album, details for this and any additional information on The Indien can be found below on their socials.
Written By Hailey Schap
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