Emerging from the misty hills of Aizawl in 2021, RNZX has rapidly become Mizoram’s most vital indie export. The sibling duo – multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Rina Khawlhring and singer-songwriter Zeli Khawlhring, crafts genre-defying indie pop entirely from their bedroom studio, a DIY ethos that birthed two critically embraced albums, Amateur (2021) and Messy (2024). They recently released their single ‘Thawnthu Tawp.’
Recently, the duo was spotlighted on TuneCore’s ‘Next,’ a flagship artist spotlight property by the global music distribution and artist development platform, TuneCore. Built for India, ‘Next’ spotlights independent artists from across the region who are at an inflection point in culture. In conversation with us, they talk to us about their journey so far.
1) Tell us a bit about your project. How did you begin your journey?
Rnzx is the sibling duo indie project by Rina and Zeli Khawlhring. We began this project in 2020, during the global pandemic. Lockdown in our home with no school or going outside of any sort, it was the boredom of it all that led us to make songs together, to put it quite simply. With both of us having a similar musical background and the rise of the ‘bedroom indie artists’, a budget setup in our own bedroom was the driving force to start up our own indie act. Writing, recording, producing, releasing, and promoting everything ourselves from the beginning. Additionally, we get to play these songs live as a band with our closest friends and talented musicians.
2) Which bands/artists were your first love? Who is your biggest influence?
Growing up, we were exposed to and brought up on the same kinds of music in the household. Classic rock and pop records were the main tunes in the family jukebox.
The Beatles were the ones we first fell in love with together as siblings and creative collaborators, and indie artists like Clairo, Wallows, and Laufey were the early influences in our sound. Billie Eilish and Finneas are our biggest influences as siblings making music together. Their chemistry and the work they have done over the years really inspire and motivate us in the work we do, and continue to do so.
3) Tell us a bit about your latest single ‘Thawnthu Tawp.’
Our latest single, ‘Thawnthu Tawp,’ featuring Dingtea Guite, is a song about losing a lover and the difficulty in moving on. It reflects on the melancholia of seeing them with someone new, and the realization that the moment with them is over. We first wrote this song back in 2022 and recorded the demo. Three years later, and working on it with our close friend, Dingtea Guite, we finally had the opportunity to release it.
4) What is your music-making and recording process like?
Our process of writing and making music is as simple as it can be. An idea on a random evening or a short voice note is all it takes for us to sit down and finish 90% of the song on the same night. We try not to overthink our creative process and try to keep it simple. We record everything ourselves, and we experiment and enjoy the process, which is what keeps us going.
5) Why do you make music? What drives you as a band and what are your songs about?
We have no definite answer to why we are making music. It just feels natural for us to keep writing songs whenever we can. Using our bedroom as a studio, we have the freedom and independence to do things just the way we want. The support and love the community has given us since our first release truly inspires us to keep writing and grow as artists.
6) Which Indian bands or artists do you admire? And why?
We love bands like Avora Records. We admire the work they have done, the stages that they have been on, and the way they are supporting younger and upcoming artists, including ourselves.
7) What’s your take on the independent music scene in India?
The independent music scene in India has grown like crazy in the past few years. We have seen so many bands and artists making and releasing music independently, using social media as a useful tool, and the community is only getting bigger and better. We believe that we could cross boundaries and break barriers globally, and we’re so excited to be a part of it.
