Ryan and Melvin, who grew up in Ireland, have known each other since childhood. They went to the same school in Dublin, took the same bus home and attended the same church. With their shared roots in Kerala, Melvin jokes, “We can’t avoid each other.” However, despite their many shared experiences, it was music that ultimately brought them together.
As teenagers, the two would jam inside the bus while returning home from school. “We’ll say we should do ‘something’ one day, practice singing or rapping. “We kept at it, not knowing if anything would work,” says Melvin.
Last year Ryan sang the track ‘Neo’ hello momAnd Melvin sang ‘Psycho’ ED-extra decentEarlier this month, she was heard in the song ‘Cyclone Central’ from the Tovino-starrer alongside Yazin Nizar. IdentificationComposed by Jake Bejoy.
The duo is known for their unique style of music that combines English and Malayalam lyrics, blending Kerala and Western cultures. Ryan says, “When we started, we wanted to make music that represented Malayalees living abroad, often reflecting the distance between the two cultures.” “Every NRI has probably faced an internal conflict growing up – questioning your identity, finding balance and learning to embrace it.”
Born in Kuwait, Rayyan has his roots in Kapuzha, Kottayam, and moved to Ireland when he was five years old, while Melvin remained in Kochi until he studied in the third grade.
Ryan and Melvin founded New Thira Productions in 2019 and released their first song, Lokam, in the same year. “We didn’t initially plan on releasing any more music after that,” Ryan admits. “But the first song did better than we expected, and that’s when we decided to keep going.” Since then, the duo has worked on 26 songs.
The musician credits his inspiration to British singer-actor Arjun and Indian-American artist Mickey Singh, who seamlessly blend Punjabi and Hindi with English in their music. Sharing his vision of doing something similar with Malayalam, Melvin explains, “Our idea was that we have our own culture, and we are going to represent it.”
Ryan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Ryan considers Thamburatti, released in 2021, as a turning point in his career. “That was the first song that really took off. It opened the door for us to perform in many shows,” he says. More recently, in 2024, the artist collaborated with veteran musician Jassi Gift on an Afro hip-hop track Thakathom.
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Ryan shared that Jake Bejoy reached out to him for the song neo Because “he wanted a voice that could speak both English and Malayalam. Since we are not in Kerala, it is often challenging to connect with the people here. We are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this project.
Melvin Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In Melvin’s case, it was music producer Arcado who recommended him to composer Ankit Menon. ED – extra decent“We went back and forth, I put it on a few shortlists and then they chose the demo I sent them. It was all coincidence, Melvin says.
Growing up in an NRI family, both of them had never dreamed of choosing music as a profession. “It was difficult to think of a career path that was creative. Because you came here as an immigrant, your parents want you to get an education, get a job, secure your future,” says Ryan. “Especially in a country like Ireland, the options are limited,” he added.
“We have been talking about coming to India for centuries. It’s something we can do in the future if we get a little more traction. “There’s no point in showing up and thinking about what to do next,” says Melvin.
Expressing their desire to work with independent Malayalam artistes like Baby Jean, Dabji or Thirumali, the duo is currently on a break. Currently, his sole focus is on producing an EP (extended play) this year. ,
published – January 22, 2025 01:01 PM IST
