Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with  M. Rumbi x Nkatha Muthoni 

Nkatha’s Answers

Earliest Memory connected to Music: 

Dancing with my mom and sister to some music was a fun activity in our household. I did not witness this, but mom tells me that when I was about 2, I really enjoyed Yvonne Chakachaka especially through my father 

How my Passion for creating began: 

I was a smart kid and my parents’ incentive was always having me go to studio as a reward for achieving my academic goals. I was inspired by kids my age who were doing music at the time, as well as the music I was exposed to as a child through my parents. 

Describe My Sound: 

My sound is a merging of different genres that inspire me, such as, Indie Folk, Pop, RnB, Jazz and Western Classical Music 

What I learned that changed how I make Music: 

Learning through life to be authentic, which inspires me to show up fully and freely in how I make music, and prioritise honesty through my lyrics, expression and musical choices such as melody and harmony. 

Essential Tools, instruments and software for creative process: 

I mostly accompany myself on guitar and occasionally on piano, relying heavily on chord progressions I come up with or am given. I also enjoy working on pre existing studio tracks, arranging harmony stacks on either Bandlab or other DAWs like Ableton, Logic and FL 

Indie Songs/Artists I’m loving: 

I’ve been a fan of Passenger for a minute, currently fangirling over Lizzy McAlpine, Dodie and Jacob Collier. Current Indie Song obsession is Lonely Bonds by Dodie 

Personal Experience influencing my music/artistic vision: 

Music has been a tool through which I express myself, my ideas, feelings and thoughts. It has been instrumental especially when it gets very hard, helping me process and heal through what I’m going through, as well as helping me articulate my joy, dreams and fears, and doing the same for my audience. 

Emotions and Messages I want listeners to take from my work: 

I would like for my listeners to feel seen and understood, and empathised with in their most vulnerable situations. I want to be someone who understands their most deep-seated emotions. 

Important lesson taught by music so far: 

The most important things in life are to take the first step because after that the path creates itself. And to also believe in my voice and message, to always show up for what is important and to be unapologetic about my magic. 

Dream Venue/ Festival:

I have a few dream venues;Blankets and Wine (locally), NPR, Coachella and Royal Albert Hall (Internationally) 

Dream Collab and Why: 

Locally, that has to be Xenia Manasseh and Lisa Oduor as they inspire me with their musicality. Internationally, it would be a dream to work with Jacob Collier just to experience his musical genius firsthand. 

Follow and Support: 

Nkatha Muthoni – Facebook and YouTube 

nkathamuthoni- Instagram and Tiktok

M. Rumbi’s answers

Being taught how to play piano by mum on the keyboard at home 

I listened to a song (I think Break by Three Days Grace), and it opened up a world of feeling, and I’ve always wanted to evoke emotion in people, do unto them what was done unto me. 

It was part of an EP of which I released two tracks (Another Mess I Make and Goodbye Goldfish), it was titled as “Countdown to Nowhere”, a 6 track project that was just around futility and frustration. Unfrotunately I lost a lot of files, cause a few projects got corrupted so I’m releasing the songs I still have as singles, with another looking at coming out in February 

Soft, fragile, short and sweet 

My acoustic guitar (more and more these days), usually my electric guitar but it’s out of commission. I used to be a die hard FL fan but I’ve been working with Ableton more and more 

Lizzy McAlpine, Duckwrth – Ken Doll, 

Yes, I think it’s impossible for them not bleed through. And I do write about how I feel. I think now they inspire more than anything, with occasional nuggets of truth, with certain lines 

Softness, sadness (though momentarily) 

I think at home (Kenya), Blankets and Wine would be great, on the continent MTN Bushfire festival, and in the world the Royal Albert Hall would be amazing 

Right now it would be Hozier or Mari Froes, they’re both amazing songwriters and guitarists, and the music is really speaking to me, The music cuts through, right to the heart. The idea of making something beautiful with them would be one of a kind. 

So I’m planning out my next years, and I’m hoping to take my music to a few cities, a few countries. Musically, I want to play around a bit in 2026, I have working on something called “Rumba Folk”, so I’m looking forward to debuting the genre, with some indie folk, releases mixed in in between 

Also also I’m starting the year with some passion releases, nothing tactical just stuff I like