Q&A: a kid named rufus Goes Back To His Roots with "things will be okay"
CREATING MELODIC YET CATCHY TRACKS FOR THE SOUNDTRACK OF YOUR LIFE - a kid named rufus is a refreshing new artist whose sound is energetic and full of light and comfort.
Under the moniker a kid named rufus, Rufus Sivaroshan started making music in his bedroom after learning how through the internet. He soon uploaded his single, “useless,” which garnered an influx of attention leading his song to have over 800,000 streams on Spotify. Combining elements from bedroom pop with modern indie pop, his sound is unique to himself and definitely the kind of sound you can easily associate with him.
Coming to the United States from Malaysia for college at Syracuse University has built a connection and interest for Sivaroshan. His interest in the music industry and growing admiration of his music here has led him to take a musical approach to his career. Whether that be going into the music business or doing music full time, it’s part of him now and we only hope to see his growth go beyond what is expected and that the rise he’s in keeps growing.
His latest track “things will be okay” has a smooth, upbeat nature sure to get stuck in your head. Created with friend Mimika Muscillo via a Facetime session, the track gives us a preview of the sound of his upcoming EP graduation, out later this summer. As Rufus better understands his direction as an artist he continues to bring in his core influences and sounds he’s always been drawn to.
Read down below to get to know Rufus Sivaroshan!
LUNA: How are you doing these days? How are you adjusting to things opening up?
RUFUS: It's been very interesting seeing things go back to normal. I'm staying on campus in Syracuse this summer, and I haven't had the need to wear a mask since they lifted the mandate for vaccinated people. It's still weird, I try not to go out to large gatherings and stuff, although there are a bunch of festivals happening soon that I'm planning to go to. Overall, I'm happy things are getting better pandemic-wise!
LUNA: I love the sweet nature of “things will be okay”, it’s a really smooth track overall and has a really heartfelt feel to it as well. Can you touch a bit on the making of the track?
RUFUS: Thank you! My co-writer, Mimika Muscillo, and I worked on it last summer. We'd been writing a lot over FaceTime. During one of our sessions, I sent her a rough instrumental of the song, and I told her I wanted to write something more reassuring. She came up with the concept on the spot, and I think we had the song fully written in less than an hour. I put the song together and produced it over the course of the summer, and towards the tail-end of finishing the EP, my friend, Joe Kelleher, added some final touches and really brought the song to life. I don't think the song would be where it is without Mimika and Joe.
LUNA: Which lyric from the track are you most proud of?
RUFUS: The chorus: "when all these things go wrong, know that things will be okay; I know it all seems so far gone, but know that things will be okay".
LUNA: Your graduation EP is coming out later this summer, so exciting! How would you compare the overall feel of the project to what we’ve heard so far?
RUFUS: graduation is way more true to my influences and the music that I enjoy listening to. I felt very constrained with the pop direction of my last four singles. Writing graduation felt very freeing because I felt like I was making the kind of music I wanted to make. It's way more honest. It's way more "DIY" too. I recorded and tuned my own vocals, and mixed all five tracks (which I've never done before). I did everything from my bedroom. It's by my favourite piece of work and I hope everyone enjoys listening to it as much as I did making it.
LUNA: Is there a common theme or narrative you found yourself drawn to when making the EP?
RUFUS: I wrote the EP during one of the worst times in my life. Apart from the pandemic, I had to defer my admission to Syracuse University by a semester because of travel restrictions. My grandfather passed away suddenly in the middle of last year. I was also diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorder shortly after. All the songs on the EP talk about one of the four experiences, or at least the feelings I went through during those experiences, and together they tell a story that goes from coping to reassurance, sad to happy. It's like the EP goes full circle.
LUNA: Describe the project in three words.
RUFUS: True to myself!
LUNA: Sonically, what are elements you’d like to explore more in future music?
RUFUS: More guitar, more live drums, more tape delay. That's it! I also want to try working on more stripped-back songs, that could be fun.
LUNA: Sky is the limit with this one - dream artist to collaborate with?
RUFUS: There are way too many. If they had to be big artists, I'd do Mac Demarco, Still Woozy and Dayglow. I really want to collaborate with the rising indie-pop acts, like Wallice, spill tab, ella jane, mazie, Ryan Woods, renforshort, etc. Jim-E Stack and Oscar Scheller too!
LUNA: With “things will be okay” and the EP around the corner, what intentions do you have for the upcoming months?
RUFUS: We're putting out one more single, and then the EP drops in August! I have some more material I'm finishing up for after the EP. Who knows? I'm here for the ride. As long as I get to make good music that reaches people, I'm happy.
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