INTRODUCING…A KID NAMED RUFUS
January 27, 2023 BY Jason Currell
ALT-POP ARTIST SIGNS WITH NETTWERK
+ SHARES NEW SINGLE “EIGHTEEN (FT. COLE BAUER)”
Transitioning into adulthood is already a hideous process, even under the best of circumstances. For Malaysian-born, queer bedroom-pop performer Rufus Sivaroshan (they/them), who performs as a kid named rufus, leaving home was exponentially more challenging. The now 20-year-old Rufus is thriving at Syracuse University, where they major in music business while simultaneously fostering a burgeoning music career.
Today, a kid named rufus proudly makes their Nettwerk debut with their new single “eighteen ft. Cole Bauer.” A soulful effort centered with youthful optimism, twinkling melodies, and heartfelt alt-pop cadences, “eighteen” reminisces on being younger, wishing things could be the way they used to be. The harmonizing track is tailor made for a modern, quirky coming of age film. It finds Rufus reflecting on an overwhelming immigration process, escaping reality, moving on from the past, and trying to build a better life for oneself.
Of the new track, a kid named rufus shares, “‘eighteen’ is a song about the realization of reaching adulthood and wanting to return to a simpler time in your life. The idea of driving around your hometown at night with your high school crush, reflecting on how easy things used to be when you were a teen, was what Cole and I envisioned when we finished this song together. I used this song to capture the bittersweet emotion of leaving my childhood behind to start building a life of my own.”
a kid named rufus joins Nettwerk’s expanding label roster, including artists like KALI, Michal Leah, Miki Ratsula, young friend, and others.
“eighteen (ft. Cole Bauer)” is available at all digital retailers here: https://akidnamedrufus.ffm.to/eighteen
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Drawing inspiration from a range of influences — from Weezer to Alex G to Mac Demarco and Dayglow — Rufus grew up in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, where they taught themself to write, play, and produce music on YouTube. In the fall of 2021, a kid named rufus released their debut EP graduation, an assortment of easy listening, loveable indie pop tracks that paint vivid soundscapes of pure bliss. The EP garnered more than 1.5M Spotify streams and was featured on playlists such as Lorem, Bedroom Pop, All New Indie, Fresh Finds, and more.
“I spent half of my time in Southeast Asia, where there are people like me, and I spent half my time in the US, where there aren’t people like me,” says Rufus. “You don’t see a lot of brown, queer, non-binary musicians. You don’t see a lot of musicians in the States that are immigrants. Now, combine all four things together. That’s me. And there’s nobody like me.”
The obstacles in their journey, however, are captured on their open-hearted, ultra-catchy forthcoming debut album out later this year. The record is a vibrant collection of songs touching on themes of homesickness, adulting, love, lust, culture shock, and much more.
