Royal Sounds, Indie Roots: The Duo Behind Netflix’s The Royals

In just over a year, this sibling duo, better known to fans as emerging composers RUUH and JOH, have gone from crafting their first OTT soundtrack to scoring for one of Netflix India’s most anticipated shows, The Royals. With a sound that moves effortlessly between retro synth nostalgia and indie pop exuberance, their music has already begun shaping the emotional texture of a new era in Indian streaming content. What sets them apart isn't just their genre-defying experimentation but a shared vision rooted in familial rhythm, professional clarity, and a deep respect for the emotional architecture of scenes. As brothers, their bond strengthens their creative process, enabling them to challenge and complement one another, resulting in music that, in their words, “feels good” yet is also technically intricate, emotionally immersive, and memorably melodic. “The best part of living life for us is making music,” they say, and that philosophy reverberates through every track they compose.

The New Sonic Tapestry: How Genre-Blending Is Shaping India’s Music Scene

India’s contemporary music landscape is undergoing a seismic shift, with rigid genre boundaries rapidly dissolving in favour of hybrid sounds that blend retro aesthetics, indie pop, electronic textures, and regional rhythms. This genre fluidity is not just a stylistic choice; it reflects a growing appetite for music that transcends generations and geographies. Major festivals like NH7 Weekender, Magnetic Fields, and Echoes of Earth are increasingly curating line-ups that spotlight artists whose work defies classification. According to a 2024 report by KPMG India, independent music now comprises over 25% of digital streaming in the country, up from just 7% in 2017, with genre-crossing tracks seeing the highest engagement on platforms like Spotify and YouTube Music.

For emerging composers like the duo behind The Royals, this evolution is less about conforming to market trends and more about embracing instinct and emotional resonance. “We didn’t really go in thinking we’ll do retro or we’ll do this or that,” one of the brothers reflected. “It went like, feels good in the moment? That’s what we go with.” Their process, rooted in improvisation and emotional fidelity, mirrors the broader shift towards authenticity in Indian music culture. As they put it, “The fans make us. We are nothing without people listening to our music.” Their approach, writing melodies first and then layering in sonic textures based on instinct, illustrates a growing departure from formulaic production, in favour of music that’s intuitive, inclusive, and rooted in everyday emotions.

Harmony in Chaos: Navigating Creative Conflicts and Innovation Pressures

In a field as emotionally driven and collaborative as music composition, creative disagreements are not just inevitable; they are integral to growth. The pressure to constantly innovate, especially within a rapidly evolving sonic landscape, can intensify artistic conflict even further. As the composers behind The Royals explained, their biggest challenge isn’t a lack of ideas but the pursuit of that perfect “hook”, a musical moment that feels both fresh and emotionally powerful. “We spend hours, sometimes days, just writing and rewriting until the hook feels right,” one of them shared. This meticulous process reflects not just a technical challenge but a psychological one, demanding resilience and mutual trust.

When asked how they manage creative tensions, especially as siblings, their response was strikingly grounded: “In the studio, we’re very professional. There’s no ego between us. If something doesn’t work, we just say it. It’s a really good dynamic.” Their ability to compartmentalise personal and professional relationships enables a workflow that is both honest and productive. Rather than viewing conflict as a setback, they treat it as part of the creative architecture, one that sharpens their sound and deepens their bond.

Scoring Emotions: How Artists Shape Narrative in the Age of Genre-Fluid Music

In today’s genre-fluid musical landscape, background scores and original soundtracks have become far more than auditory embellishments, they are narrative devices that define characters, shape moods, and guide audience empathy. In shows like The Royals, music doesn’t just accompany the story; it steers it. From subtle mood shifts to full-bodied dance sequences, the compositions offer emotional cues that help viewers decode what a character might not be able to say aloud. As one half of the composing duo noted, “Our job was more about creating the mood of the scene rather than defining individual characters. So, if a scene started dark and led to a dance, the music had to follow that arc seamlessly.”

When asked how the opportunity to compose for The Royals came about, they traced it back to their previous work on the show Call Me Bae. Their sound had caught the attention of the team behind The Royals, who offered them full creative trust. “We were ecstatic. We knew this was going to be big, so we went guns blazing from the start.” Unlike traditional scoring processes that rely on visual scenes, they were initially handed only the script, no footage. This meant composing based purely on narrative tone and imagination, further underscoring music’s role as a primary storytelling tool.

On scenes that were particularly inspiring or challenging, they recalled tracks like Adri Adri and Dillivana, which required shifting tonal landscapes within minutes. “We had to go from dark to dance, from intimate to grand. It wasn’t about character motifs, but about what the scene felt like.” Their reflections highlight how, in the new wave of Indian OTT storytelling, music is no longer just a background element; it is a foregrounded emotional language.

Legacy in Loops: Social Media, Memory and the Music That Lingers

As platforms like Instagram Reels and Spotify algorithms increasingly dictate what gets heard and how long it stays in public memory, musicians today face the dual pressure of creating both art and virality. The duo behind The Royals are acutely aware of this tension, yet they resist being boxed in by trend cycles. “We don’t write music to go viral, we write what feels good to us, and hope it resonates,” they affirmed. While social media plays a powerful role in amplifying their reach, their creative compass is firmly internal. This balance between authenticity and digital relevance is what makes their work stand out in a saturated audio landscape.

When asked about the psychological legacy they wish to leave behind, their answer was both playful and profound: “We want people to remember us as those two brothers who were pretty crazy, but made music that felt good.” It's a legacy rooted not in perfection, but in emotional resonance. In an era where artists are often reduced to fleeting trends, their commitment to feeling, memory and connection offers something enduring. Music, for them, isn’t just a product; it’s a presence, meant to linger quietly in the background of people's lives, long after names are forgotten.