Musician raised in Malibu emerges from the darkness of addiction to delight fans and find inspiration
By Barbara Burke
Special to The Malibu Times
It’s been a long and winding road for Malibu’s Indio Downey as he traversed from his carefree childhood growing up in Malibu, then, unfortunately, spiraled down — down, down, down — into the painful and sometimes seemingly insurmountable abyss of addiction, but then, painfully, slowly and … finally, successfully, climbed out of that insidious nightmare.
On the evening of June 28, Downey stood tall and talented on Trancas lawn, preparing to perform with his band in his hometown.
Affable and approachable, Downey smiled as he shared a few details about his treacherous journey and survival and about how important Point Dume is to his creativity and Malibu is to his essence and ethos.
Answering questions right before the sound check, Downey displayed humility, gratitude, and contemplation during our colloquy.
Did he attend Malibu High School? Yes, but only for one year and then, the addiction began and soon ensnared him.
Was he looking forward to playing here in Malibu?
And how!
“I’m really excited to play at Trancas lawn in my hometown as Malibu is such a very special, unique community and provides all of us with such an awesome culture!” Downey said. “Playing near the beach in Malibu is awesome!”
An ever-growing crowd of attendees gathered, toting lawn chairs and beach blankets as kids and dogs cavorted joyously without a worry in the world.
Amidst the cacophony, the calm and confident Downey smiled serenely as he surveyed that mayhem in front of the stage, briefly flashing an expression that revealed he fondly recollected his carefree childhood days in Malibu.
Pausing to reflect a moment, he shared that his interest in becoming a musician began during that childhood when he heard bands around LA play superb concerts.
“Three bands in particular influenced me,” Downey said. “I saw Wolf Müller and Kings of Leon when they played at the Music Box, and I enjoyed Queens of the Stone Age there, and I was intrigued by other bands who played at the Viper Room and at Henry Ford Theater.”
These days, Downey draws inspiration from Point Dume, he said, noting that it is there where he is most creative and that his song, “Dume,” one of five tracks from his recently released EP, “Cigarettes in Bed,” derives from his affinity with one of Malibu’s most iconic areas.
Music, Downey notes, is transformative — and music was key to his transformation from being an addict to becominga prolific creative.
“‘Dume’ is about the fatal attraction of self-destruction,” Downey explained. “Doom is my biggest fear and within the context of the song, it’s a metaphor for my past addiction, but I switched the spelling to Dume as a play on Point Dume.”
“Cigarettes in Bed,” released in February, is infused with influences from both slacker rock and grunge, and the Trancas audience gyrated joyously as they danced and grooved with the various songs Indio played.
“Indio’s sound melds the head-banging rebellion of early 2000s punk and the grungy melodrama of ’90s alt rock with a sincerity and conviction all his own,” music commentator Carmel Walsh wrote recently. “Cigarettes in Bed is gritty and dynamic, pairing punk-tinged rock anthems with simmering moments of self-reflection.”
So true.
“My goal as a musician is to contribute to a very exciting rock scene in LA,” Downey says. “I also want to get into the habit of playing in Malibu!”
From the looks of the crowd enjoying his music on Trancas lawn where locals love to gather for concerts, he’s most welcome to play again anytime — and often.
