Unveiling the Melody: Rin's Journey, Her Latest EP ‘Mended Hearts’, and What Lies Ahead
By. Alicia Zamora
In the realm of contemporary music, Rin stands out as an artist who boldly articulates the complexities of human emotion. Her captivating melodies and heartfelt lyrics resonate deeply with fans, creating a sense of intimacy that draws listeners into her world. In her exclusive interview with Alicia's Studio, Rin opens up about the transformative power of music, explaining how it serves as both a personal outlet and a means of connecting with those who share similar experiences. Through her art, she seeks to bridge the gap between feeling isolated and finding community.
Rin's approach to songwriting is rooted in authenticity and vulnerability. She candidly shares how introspection and life experiences shape her creative process, allowing her to channel her emotions into powerful compositions. The artist reflects on the profound sense of relief that comes from knowing her music speaks to others, emphasizing that her hope extends beyond her own feelings. By crafting songs that resonate on such a personal level, Rin aims to create a safe space where listeners can find solace and understand that they are not alone in their struggles. As she reflects on her motivations, it becomes evident that music is not just a career for her; it is a lifeline that helps her navigate her own emotions while fostering a sense of community among her fans. By sharing her story, Rin hopes to inspire others who may be struggling, reminding them that they are not alone in their feelings.
As the interview comes to a close, Rin expresses her gratitude for the support of her listeners and emphasizes the reciprocal nature of this connection. Knowing that her music resonates with others brings her immense solace, and she encourages her fans to embrace their own journeys. Through her heartfelt storytelling and melodic artistry, Rin continues to create a space where both she and her audience can find solace and strength, making the world feel a little less lonely, one song at a time.
Diving In
Rin: Hi! I’m Rin, and I make music.
Alicia: Diving into the first question, how did you get started in music? Was there a moment or experience that made you think this is what I want to do with my life?
Rin: I started playing instruments at a really young age. I started with piano, and then around quarantine time, I kind of got bored of the piano just because I couldn't play it very well, and I picked up the guitar because I thought that would be something that would make me cooler, and it was very on and off for me. I'm a giver-upper, so I didn't get it right the first time, so then I gave up. But then, luckily, I tried again. Yeah, I only started writing songs like my own songs last year.
Rin: So, the first song I ever wrote, I posted it to TikTok, and then it got a lot of attention. So that's what got me into music now. It kind of feels like an accident, but a happy accident.
Alicia: Okay, nice, so you started a year ago?
Rin: Yeah!
Alicia: Okay, nice. Who are some of your musical influences, and how do they inspire the way you approach your music?
Rin: I really love Laufey, Beabadoobee, Alice Phoebe Lou, and Eloise. She was one of the people who heavily inspired me, especially when I started. I also really love her sense of melody and songwriting.
Alicia: How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard it before?
Rin: I like to tell people that my music is soft-girl acoustic music. It gives a really cozy vibe, and it's sometimes sad, but you know it has cute sounds in the back, too, so it's a good balance.
Alicia: Are there any specific words or feelings you hope listeners take away after hearing your music for the first time?
Rin: I make music to communicate my feelings, and knowing that people are listening to and relating to it makes me feel less alone, so I hope it also makes them feel less alone.
Alicia: Every artist faces challenges in their career. What’s one obstacle you've had to overcome, and how did it impact your music?
Rin: I think getting the hang of social media. It's a really big struggle for me because I wasn't using social media that much before doing Music so I've been trying to, it's still a struggle. But I'm getting better at it.
Alicia: No, yeah. I think a lot of people struggle with that. It's hard.
Alicia: You opened up for FIG… Congrats, by the way! You did so well; it was amazing.
Rin: Thank you!
Alicia: I know opening for someone can be a nerve-wracking experience. How do you manage any pre-show anxiety if you have it?
Rin: Oh it was bad *laughs*. I haven't done a public speaking or a performance I guess since high school. I'm in college now and I've always had like stage fright so it was really difficult for me. Luckily I had like a little charity show at my school two days beforehand, so I kind of got some practice in there. It made me feel a little more confident. But before going up on stage, I was just sitting on the side of the stage drinking water and shaking… Um, yeah it was a funny moment at the time. Once I got up there, I also kind of blacked out, so I think I actually don't know what happened *laughs*
Alicia: No, I get that, I'm still not used to talking to people, and it's kind of funny because, what I'm doing has a lot to do with speaking with people or in front of people but blanking out is so understandable.
Alicia: Seeing people in the crowd sing along with you while performing—how did that make you feel?
Rin: Oh my gosh, I didn't expect it at all! I had my friend come with me to LA so I heard him singing but then I also heard like some other voices, so it was kind of crazy because that's the first time like, I'm sharing my songs with people and this is like the first time that people who have listened to my music have like been in a room with me, and I got to talk to some of the people, so it was really-it made things feel more real.
Alicia: After this do you see yourself like doing any more shows or maybe like your own showcase anytime soon?
Rin: Maybe not my own showcase soon just because it's so early for me, I think. But I'd love to keep doing shows, maybe open for more people, I think that even though it's very nerve-wracking and I shake and I cry sometimes… I think that it's such a good experience and fun at the end of the day.
Alicia: Then we're going to go into your EP, 'Mended Hearts'—you recently dropped it last month. The EP touches on themes of love, loss, and healing. How did these themes develop throughout the EP?
Rin: I like to think about it as the stages of your first love and onto your second love just because that was the headspace I was in. I think that I just wanted to have a good mix of sad and happy feelings like with ‘Just Me’. I know a lot of people cry to that one, but I think that it's a happy love song or not love song breakup song, um, because it starts off with obviously like all the bad things in a relationship, but then it ends off in like a self-love kind of situation and then I put ‘Sweater Song’ last just because I wanted to end the EP off on a good note and ‘Sweater Song’ kind of communicates what I feel like love should feel like just because I feel like I still don't know what it is because I'm so young, you know so there's only so many experiences that I have.
Alicia: Did you know from the start that you wanted to create an emotionally-driven body of work, or did it evolve naturally as you worked on the EP?
Rin: When I was writing these songs, I actually didn't think about an EP at all; I was just writing over the course of a year because I just started songwriting, so I didn't have that many songs. So I figured, like, I should write as much as possible, and then these songs ended up being the ones that caught my ear and coincidentally, they just fit together, I guess, so that was also kind of like a happy accident.
Alicia: Were there any particular artists, producers, or moments in music that influenced the production style of Mended Hearts?
Rin: I really love the old, like, soft girl very quiet and lo-fi music that was especially popular around 2020, I think, 2019, and so I just wanted to include that in there just because that was such a big musical influence for me.
Alicia: As the title of the EP suggests, the concept of mending or healing plays a significant role. Did you feel like working on this EP helped you process or heal from something in your own life?
Rin: Oh definitely ! I didn't realize how healing I guess songwriting would be for me but this year has really shown me that it is. It's like my number one way to cope now.
Alicia: Did you notice a shift in your emotional state or outlook as you worked on these songs?
Rin: I think that things that used to like weigh down on me a lot felt a little lighter afterwards, especially after the release date and I got all the feedback from like everyone who follows me and from friends and stuff like that and it was a good thing.
Alicia: What do you hope listeners take away from the Mended Heart EP? Is there a particular emotion or message you want to leave them with after they’ve finished listening?
Rin: I just want everyone to know it's okay, it's okay to feel these types of ways. It's very normal and I hope that you know they still feel that they're not alone in these types of situations.
Alicia: What are some goals you’re working toward in the near future?
Rin: I'm working on the next project it’s a little bit of a different sound but still something that I love and resonate with and I feel like people will like it.
Alicia: Are there specific milestones you’re focused on like working with specific people?
Rin: I actually haven’t thought about that. I think I’m so focused on cultivating my community and my artist presence, but I haven’t really thought about it. But I think it would be really cool to do some collaborations with artist like Clairo but that’s like shooting for the stars.
Alicia: No it’s okay… It’ll happen were putting it out there.
Alicia: As an artist, what kind of impact do you want to have on your listeners?
Rin: I think that I just want to be someone who they can turn to when they feel kind of sad or alone; I want to be a sense of comfort, I think.
Alicia: Okay, that’s so nice
Alicia: How do you stay inspired and keep pushing your creativity?
Rin: I try to consume a lot of media; I think it helps me. Sometimes watching movies or just following other artists and seeing how they play – what their process Looks like and listening to a lot of music, especially older music to find out stuff that I like and stuff that I feel like I could dive into.
Alicia: You did mention an upcoming project I don't know if you can tell us like what we can expect from it.
Rin: I mean it's still going to be like cozy, I think is the word, but it's going to be a lot different in the sense that it's going to be a lot more produced out, so it's going to be much more fun and I think a little bit more happy too.
Alicia: Your music has a very personal, emotional quality to it. What’s one of the most personal songs you’ve written, and what inspired it?
Rin: ‘Homesick’ is probably one of the most emotional ones for me just because I wrote it around my birthday. It's about not wanting to let go of childhood. So when I had my birthday blues last year, I wrote 'Homesick', and um yeah, I guess it really pinpoints how I feel about growing up because you know, I'm only getting older.
Alicia: Yeah I remember you performing it. It was so good. I was honestly like wow. I could feel the emotion.
Alicia: Does writing those personal songs help you work through emotions or experiences, or do you find it challenging to relive those feelings?
Rin: There are definitely some times when I feel like I have a situation that happens to me and I need a way to cope with it, and songwriting is a good way to cope with it. But the same time, sometimes I like to bury things in the back of my mind and because if I put it on paper then it's like it becomes real. So there's moments like that, but then if I give it a little bit of time, eventually I will write it out and then that will be like the best feeling in the world.
Alicia: What would you say has been the most important lesson you've learned since starting music?
Rin: I think that practice is something that's really important, even though like you hear that all the time, but I feel like especially because I feel like people are kind of watching me learn how to songwrite; they've been with me like at the very start, so it's kind of nerve-wracking. But I realized that like just trying some things over and over again will have like help you get better at things, and um, and it's important not to give up because you know if I gave up after that first song, like maybe didn't do so well; like I wouldn't be doing songwriting right now. So it's kind of crazy that after a year, I'm here now.
Alicia: I remember you said that in the beginning that you tend to give up easily. what's motivating you to keep going and to not give up on this?
Rin: I think the fact that the community that I have is just so encouraging and so kind. Like I haven’t received a hate comment but everyone is just very kind and understanding and patient. Yeah like I haven't released in a while, I mean I guess I released like last month but um I feel like sometimes I feel like I'm not doing things fast enough or I'm not like keeping up with the trends. Or, like, I'm not getting better in a good amount of time but I get a lot of sweet messages from people that I try to respond to all the time but everyone's just very encouraging and very kind about that kind of stuff so it keeps me in a positive mindset.
Alicia: No yeah that’s good I feel like support and having people tell you “oh this is good” really keeps you going. I’m really glad you kept going like your music is really good!
Rin: Thank you!
Alicia: If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
Rin: Oh my gosh, younger me, loved Hannah Montana. This feels like I'm gonna tell her Like, oh my gosh, you're gonna sing on stage one day and she's gonna be like, 'Oh my gosh, that's kind of crazy' because she would pee her pants *laughs*
Alicia: Is there something you wish you had known when you first started out in music?
Rin: I wish I had known like more about social media again just because I feel like if I had that down, things would be a lot easier. But at the same time I feel like no one has it down.
Alicia: Yeah, I don't think they do. I feel like social media is just like a really it's a hard concept to be honest; it's like everyone's figuring it out as they go, so it's like, yeah, even me when I'm doing this, I'm like I don't know what I'm doing, like posting-wise, I'm like, well it happens, it happens, yeah.
Alicia: Out of all the songs you’ve released, which would you say best describes you as an artist?
Rin: I think out of all my songs, ‘Just Me’ is what best describes me. I think that it's a very honest song and it's also, I don't know, it like describes my feelings and how I process things.
Alicia: Ending the interview off I wanted to say thank you so much for letting me interview you!
Alicia: Would you like to say anything to the people who listen to your music?
Rin: There's definitely more to come. Thank you so much for Listening, I hope that these give you those songs give you the best feelings or even the worst feelings but in the best way. I hope my music makes things feel better and thank you for listening to me !!
