Jan 26, 2023

By Caleb Campbell

Photography by Chase Denton

New York-based alt pop singer/songwriter Rufus Sivaroshan debuted under the moniker a kid named rufus in 2019, releasing a string of airy bedroom pop singles culminating in his 2021 EP, graduation. That first EP introduced the warm and openhearted contours of Rufus’ sound, incorporating influences ranging from Weezer and Mac Demarco and lacing them with infectious pop hooks. Today, Rufus is back, making their Nettwerk debut with their new single, “eighteen ft. Cole Bauer,” premiering with Under the Radar.

Rufus’ latest effort finds them slowing things down, delivering a dreamy adolescent reverie tinged with wistful twinkling melodies. The track settles into an effortless elliptical groove, crafting honeyed beauty via Rufus and Cole’s longing harmonies. Meanwhile, the lyrics see Rufus looking back on neverending moonlit drives and stolen moments of teen love, capturing the bittersweet border between teenage years and adulthood and casting those moments in the golden haze of memory for a pure adolescent reverie.

Of the new track, 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.”

Check out the song below. The debut full-length record from a kid named rufus is due out later this year via Nettwerk.