One can hardly bring up Tarapti Ikhtiar Rinrin, or Rinrin for short, without mentioning the fact that she’s a friend and bandmate of Iqbaal Ramadhan, the young actor slash heartthrob musician. Well, she actually is, but the lady is so much more than that. Having started singing and covering the works of other artists since a very young age, the 18-year-old girl is an up-and-coming star on her own. We sat down with the singer-songwriter to talk about her role model in songwriting, the backstory of Svmmerdose and being a first-time voter in this year’s general election.
Text by Lulu Nisrina. Photographs by Ila Schaffer.
Can you introduce yourself a little?
My name is Rinrin and my full name is Tarapti Ikhtiar Rinrin. And the reason why my Instagram username is tarrarin, it’s just the combination of my full name. I live in Bogor, I have a musical background and I’m constantly learning to sharpen my skills.
You started as a cover singer on YouTube since you were very young. Who influenced you in doing so?
I think I’ve started uploading cover videos on YouTube since I was in elementary school. Actually, I came from an intensely musical family. My mom is a singer and my dad is a musician who’s also encouraging me to upload my videos to YouTube. Because I didn’t know how to use the video sharing website, so, he helped me with that until I can manage my own channel now.
Now that you’re in Svmmerdose, tell us the backstory of the band!
I met Iqbaal [Ramadhan] in middle school. When I went to high school, I met Agy, our guitarist, and we both were in the same school band. Later, I introduced them both and they quickly bonded over song playlists. They share the same love for The 1975, The Neighbourhood, HONNE and many other bands, so they decided to form a band. Initially, the band was meant to be a duo, but since I was in the same school band with Agy, he asked me to join the band as a singer. So, that’s the history of Svmmerdose!
What’s been your favorite part about being a musician?
I think the coolest thing about being a musician is that you can tell anyone anything at anytime. Music is a platform for me to share what I’m feeling. And it’s not always about love. It could be anything like having stressful times with your parents or telling someone not to fall in love with you. Through music, we can communicate anything at any moment honestly and vulnerably.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would that be?
I personally, because my background is in songwriting, want to collaborate with Melly Goeslaw because she’s one of my role models in songwriting. For Svmmerdose, I’d love to collaborate with our producer, Janitra Satriani. It’s a dream that hasn’t happened yet.
Who’s your favorite musicians?
Oh, damn. Everyone is my favorite! [Laughs] Daniel Caesar, The Neighbourhood, Matty Healy, those are my current favorite musicians.
What would you like your fans know about you?
I want them to know that I’m not a cheesy person. I don’t fall in love easily with someone. And I just want them to see me as an honest person. A teenage girl who’s living her life and doesn’t need love—at least for now! But I’ll surely need love, just not now. Also, because svmmerdose is an R&B experimental band, I want to present the band candidly, that the atmosphere of our music is dark and that our lyrics are mostly written in English. I just want to be ordinary, that’s all.
As you know, our country will hold general elections on April 17. How do you feel now as a first-time voter?
Well, actually I’m scared. Because it’s gonna be my first time voting for an election! It’s new and I’m kind of scared of choosing the wrong candidate, but I have to vote! Maybe I should just be grateful for that [opportunity to vote].
Why do you think people, especially the youth, should vote?
You guys should vote because each candidate has their own excellence, and from there, you can vote for the candidate whom you feel best represent you needs. Please, don’t abstain from voting. It’s the best for our country, so vote!
What’s next for you in 2019?
I have a songwriting project coming up this year, it’s still a secret! Wait for it in April or May. [Laughs] I’m also working on Svmmerdose upcoming album which is gonna be out this June or July. So far those are the two things I’m mainly focused on right now.
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