Photo courtesy of Indigo Lane.
Indigo Lane performing at USF’s annual Battle of the Bands showcase.
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By Yusra Khairi
TAMPA, Fla. — Less than two years after forming through a University of South Florida class, Indigo Lane is set to perform at the final Indie Night at Crowbar, a long-running staple of the city’s local music scene.
For the Tampa-based band, the moment isn’t just another performance; it’s a sign of how quickly things have started to build.
“We’re really excited to be a part of something like [Indie Night],” bassist Alejandra Acerbo said.
Indigo Lane first came together in the fall of 2024 as part of a class requirement, before evolving into something far more intentional. After several lineup changes, the group found its current form, composed of USF students and shaped by collaboration and a shared commitment to building something distinct.
That mindset carries directly into how they approach the style of their sound.
“We call it Indigo rock,” lead guitarist Conner Dirksen said. “Because we are such an eclectic amalgamation of all of our influences … we have heavy songs, we have light songs, we have fast songs, we have slow songs … really it’s just an amalgamation of any possible musical influence you can imagine.”
Instead of committing to one genre, the band draws from a range of influences, creating a sound that shifts in tone and energy while still feeling cohesive.
That unpredictability also challenges expectations, especially for a band fronted by a woman.
“I feel like a lot of times when people see women-fronted bands, they think that they’re going to be pop,” rhythm guitarist Connor Trimble said. “It’s decently uncommon in our genre for there to be women-fronted bands with this type of music. So I think that, you know, shocks people … They like to see diversity in this genre.”
That contrast carries into their songwriting process, not just how the music is received. Instead of following a set structure, their songs come together through a collaborative, evolving process.
“It’s very free flowing,” drummer Laiba Nasir said. “We come up with one part, then we’re like, ‘What if we do this really cool part?’ … We’ve written whole songs in one rehearsal before, and some songs have taken us multiple.”
Each member contributes their own part, while lead vocalist Annabelle Lupiano develops the lyrics and melodies. The result is music that feels both individual and collaborative at once.
If their sound is built on collaboration, their live performances are built on connection.
“We want people to feel included,” Dirksen said. “It’s like our own little Indigo Lane community … people feel like they’re a part of something bigger … like, hey, this is home.”
That sense of inclusion is intentional. The band incorporates inside jokes, audience interaction, and small moments that make shows feel less like a performance and more like a shared experience.
“We make sure they don’t feel like we’re superior or anything like that,” Acero said. “They are literally just like us. We’re all friends.”
That connection has played a central role in the band’s growth, particularly within Tampa’s local music scene, which they describe as close-knit and collaborative.
“There’s a lot of really good artists here,” Trimble said. “I feel like before I started doing music, I didn’t really realize just how many musicians there are … It’s just one big home most of the time.”
At the same time, the band acknowledges that the scene is still developing and often under-supported.
“I feel like little by little, it’s starting to grow more,” Acero said. “But there’s definitely a lot of growing for the amount of talent Tampa has.”
That growth has been visible in Indigo Lane’s own trajectory. After performing at USF’s annual Battle of the Bands showcase, the band secured the audience vote, earning their place as an opener for The Driver Era at Bullstock and reinforcing the support they’ve already built locally.
“The fact that people enjoyed it, and they wanted to see more of us, and they wanted us to be one of the openers at Bullstock,” Nasir said. “It made us feel super grateful and super happy for our community that we have.”
Looking ahead, the band is already working on new music, including upcoming singles and a larger project still in development. They describe their newer material as more refined and more representative of their evolving sound.
“Definitely stay tuned,” Dirksen said. “What we had on Spotify before is a little bit different than what we’re doing right now.”
For now, they’re focused on what’s in front of them and letting everything else build from there.