Perth-based alternative rock rising star RinRin adds another chapter to her dystopian world with the angsty new single I’m Sad lol.
The new year introduced a new era for RinRin, and I’m Sad lol is the second offering in the new narrative, and the second in a string of fantasy-fuelled releases. Previous single PRN explored a dystopian and fictional story of Rin, based on real life – a multiverse where ‘variants’ of RinRin reside in alternate worlds, leading different lives that reflect real feelings.
I’m Sad lol exists in a real and mundane space, introducing a Rin that struggles with social anxiety and depression. The song is about accepting that suffering is suffering, and there’s no need to compare or to feel the extremes to justify feeling “The Rin in the ‘im sad lol’ universe doesn’t speak up about her struggles, thinking it’s no big deal and isn’t worth validating compared to everyone’s troubles,” explains RinRin. “But the background characters in her world remind her that it’s okay to feel low, so she shouldn’t beat herself up over it.”
HEAVY chatted with RinRin about her latest single, the multiverse she has created and what’s to come!
HEAVY: Could you introduce us to RinRin? What have you been up to this year?
RINRIN: RinRin is a persona and a character I made up to embody when I’m out there performing, telling a story through my songs and this character. This year, I’ve played with so many amazing musicians and worked with awesome people trying to push my music into a new direction.
H: Could you talk us through your new song ‘i’m sad lol’, what does it mean, and who did you work with?
RR: ‘I’m sad lol’ is a song about being sad and the loathing of one’s self and their own life. I worked with the super-talented Chris Lalic of Windwaker to produce the song. The song’s also an intro to one of the main characters of the story of my little RinRin universe, representing a more mellow aspect of myself.
H: You are exploring a narrative on your latest two singles, where did the inspiration for a concept come from? Could you expand on the overall narrative theme?
RR: Gorillaz was one of my favorite bands growing up so I took major inspiration from them. I just love having a story linked to any of my creations in general and using my already-hyperactive imagination. If you take a step back from the general narrative, the story overall is a metaphorical way of expressing my journey to self-acceptance and self-love. There are many versions of me growing up and going through my struggles as well as various identity crises, so each version personified battling each other or working together is showing the process of me growing into the version of myself now and who I aim to be when I’m older. Self-love and acceptance is a battle royale of the many aspects of myself, so I wanted to express that.
H: Did you draw on any musical influences for this track?
RR: Because the version of RinRin is linked to this song, I wanted to do something not as heavy or flashy as my other works, taking on a more classic rock/pop sound, kinda Avril Lavigne-esque (since she was my idol as a kid.) I want it to feel nostalgic in a way.
H: Who’s on your playlist at the moment?
RR: At the moment, I’ve been listening to Windwaker, Ez mil, Ashnikko, and Royal & the Serpent.
H: Being from Perth, are there any Perth based artists you’d recommend we check out?
RR: I recently had the honour to support CHEZ along with Wesley Black for the first time and immediately, I was impressed by them. Definitely check them out.
H: You’ve played with some great international and Australian artists, do you have a favorite live show memory?
RR: There was one time where I was playing over east in Brisbane with Reliqa on their Secrets of the Future headline tour and while I was playing one of my newer songs, someone got onto stage and did a backflip off of the stage. I thought that was awesome, and I love it when the audience has so much energy, especially from what I made.
H: When can we expect to see you live next?
RR: January, next year, I’ll be supporting Future Static in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide. I can’t wait!
