FEATURE: Spotlight: Grrrl Gang — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

Grrrl Gang

_________

WITH a couple…

of great dates ahead in Australia – 20th 0ctober at Pleasures Playhouse, Sydney, NSW: 21st Oct at The Chippo Hotel, Sydney, NSW – there is this international respect and demand that is coming the way of Grrrl Gang. The trio from Yogyakarta, Indonesia consists of Angeeta Sentana (vocals, guitar), Akbar Rumandung (bass, vocals) and Edo Alventa (guitar, vocals). The group have been making waves since 2016. A lot of K-Pop bands translate from Asia and are highlighted in the media. I am not sure whether any other types of music from the Asian continent are given as much spotlight. In fact, most of my Spotlight features concern artists from the U.K. or U.S. It is nice to embrace and dive into the music of Grrrl Girl. They are getting some real praise and salute from the British press. It is no surprise! The trio’s new album, Spunky!, is one that is among this year’s absolute best. I shall come to a review for the album to end. First, here is some detail about a remarkable album:

“Indonesian trio Grrrl Gang build on their considerable worldwide buzz with Spunky!, their full-length debut album. Released on 27 September 2023 by Green Island Music in partnership with exclusive licensees Kill Rock Stars (for North and South America), Trapped Animal Records (UK and EU) and Big Romantic Records (Japan and Taiwan), the album is preceded by its title track and first single which drops on May 31.

Spunky! arrives following some major life changes for Angeeta Sentana (vocals, guitar), Akbar Rumandung (bass, vocals) and Edo Alventa (guitar, vocals), including a switch in locale from Yogyakarta, the city where they formed the band while still in college. “This is Grrrl Gang’s first release after we graduated and got day jobs that made us have to move to Jakarta, which is undeniably 180 degrees compared to Yogya,” says Rumandung. “But moving to Jakarta enabled us to work with Lafa on Spunky! from start to finish.”

Overall, Spunky! is the sound of a band not content to rest on its laurels, despite gathering an impressive list of achievements since Grrrl Gang first got together in 2016 and proceeded to take the local, regional, and international indie scenes by storm, leading to a prestigious performance slot on the pandemic-induced online edition of SXSW 2021 and an A- review that esteemed music critic Robert Christgau bestowed upon Here to Stay!, the 2020 compilation of their early singles. According to Rumandung, “We want this album to show that we’ve changed, that Grrrl Gang is a band that isn’t stuck in one place and that we always have the urge to discover new things.”

In other words, Spunky! proves that Grrrl Gang are – to borrow a familiar phrase – here to stay”.

Let’s move to some interviews from this year. It is hard for any group outside of the U.K. and U.S. to grab a larger foothold and get that international attention. We do not really look at the music coming out of countries like Indonesia. Before getting to a recent NME interview A-indie spoke with the captivating and cool Grrrl Gang:

“The Origin of Grrrl Gang

– I know you formed in 2016. How did the three members, Angie, Akbar, and Edo, meet and get to form the band?

Angee: We went to the same university. I was still a freshman when I met Akbar and Edo, they were already in their third year. Akbar and I studied the same major, while Edo studied economics. I was introduced to them by our former drummer, because I was invited to be a part of a music collective, called Terror Weekend, which Akbar and Edo founded in 2015.
Akbar and I were in a car ride together with said former drummer, as he was looking for new housing, and we thought that it would be great to form a band together. Then Edo came along to be the lead guitarist to make our sound less flat and more colorful.

– What is the meaning of the band’s name, “Grrrl Gang”?

Angee: I think there’s no meaning behind the name “Grrrl Gang”. The idea to name the band came into fruition as a joke, and we looked for other names using a band name generator on the internet, but they all sucked! So, we just stuck with “Grrrl Gang”.

The Choice of English Lyrics

– I’ve heard that there are about 500 languages used in Indonesia. If your home language is Indonesian, why do you use English in lyrics instead of using your first language？

Angee: It’s because I use more English on a daily basis, rather than Indonesian. I feel more comfortable writing, speaking and singing in English.

PHOTO CREDIT: Tiny Studio

The Issue of Hijab in Indonesia

– I read an article that Indonesian women are practically not free from wearing or not wearing hijab. Regardless of such situations, I guessed it would be “spunky” that Angie didn’t wear hijab in promotion photos. Angie, could you tell us your ideas about wearing or not wearing a hijab?

Angee: I’m not a Muslim, that’s why I don’t wear hijab in promotion photos and in daily life. Indonesia is a multicultural country with many different religions, and what I understand is that for some Muslim women wearing the hijab comes from their own choice and is a rite of passage for them—basically, it’s their own business with God and spirituality. So, seeing how several institutions in this country are “forcing” Muslim women to wear the hijab is quite depressing.

The Asian Indie Music Scene

– How do you think of the Asian indie music scene these days? And do you have any competitors in Asia

Angee: I think it’s great how globalization and the rapidly increasing access to the internet opened up the possibilities of discovering new music in Asian countries and for the Asian indie music scene to be more exposed to more people in different regions, especially considering how traditional media was mostly dominated by the West. I think right now, the Asian indie music scene is bustling and thriving and I’m looking forward to see what’s to come.
Akbar: We don’t see any competitors because music is not a competition anyway.

The Story Behind the Album “Spunky!”

– Listening to this album “Spunky!” just once, indie music fans will get hooked on Grrrl Gang. How did you name this album and the single “Spunky!”?

Angee: The themes that are written about are quite depressing, and the takeaway that I want the listeners to know is that you can overcome anything despite your circumstances. So, we decided to name this album “Spunky!”, because all you need in life is courage and determination. As for the single, I figured that it’s very fitting to name it that, because, I feel like, this is the first ever song that I’ve ever written where I proudly declare that I am powerful and remarkable.

The Concept of “Cool Girl”

– In “Cool Girl”, which is the 5th track of the new album, “Spunky!”, Angie sings “I wish I was a Cool Girl” repeatedly. What is like “Cool Girl” do you think of?

Angee: The “Cool Girl” that is referred to in this track is the patriarchal idea of what a girl should be. The song is satirical and personal, because I can’t deny that I’ve internalized these ideas that manifest in my need to be deemed “perfect” by everyone and myself. The “Cool Girl” that I strive to be is someone who just doesn’t care about what others think.

The Target Audience of Grrrl Gang

– Is there any particular listener or person aiming for?

Angee: Not really, to be honest. I just want everyone that listens to our songs to enjoy and relate to them.
Edo: Same with Angee, we don’t really aim for any specific segment when we wrote the album. This album is for everyone.

The Influences of Punk Music on Grrrl Gang

– I guessed your music was influenced by punk music. Please tell us about three albums that have influenced your music. And tell us about the specific part that inspired you in each album.

Angee: The three albums that inspired “Spunky!” for me are Hole’s “Live Through This”, Sleater-Kinney’s “Dig Me Out”, and The Go-Go’s “Beauty and the Beat”. I love Courtney Love’s candid and morbid lyrics in “Live Through This”, and I deeply relate to them. I guess, her honesty assured me that it’s okay for me to be completely honest about what I went through. “Dig Me Out” made me want to play the guitar for the tracks in “Spunky!” to be more aggressive, meanwhile the vocal melodies in “Spunky!” were inspired from “Beauty and the Beat”.

This NME interview spends time with a trio making irresistible Indie Pop. Angeeta Sentana spoke about the group’s beginnings and how they got to their debut album, Spunky! I have selected some parts of the interview that caught my eye. It is clear that we will be hearing a lot more from Grrrl Group. They are very much here to stay:

“There’s a saying: bands from Jogja that move to Jakarta or other cities when they finish college will disband,” says Rumandung. Grrrl Gang decided they would break the curse. Sentana pushed through her creative block by writing the first song for the record, ‘A Fight Breaks Out At A Karaoke Bar’, and then keeping at it until it felt “effortless” again. Instead of working with a producer they already knew, Grrrl Gang picked someone from outside their circles: Lafa Pratomo. Over a month-long recording process, the band had free rein of Pratomo’s studio, Alventa’s experiments with guitars and pedals manifesting in the noisy, grungy moments of ‘Spunky!’ – textures never before heard in Grrrl Gang’s discography.

The band describe Pratomo as a producer who needs to “deep-dive” with his collaborators. “Talking to Lafa before recording really helped me access those old moments [in the lyrics],” says Sentana. “I told him everything that happened in college, from shitty exes to sexual assault experiences and sexual harassment on stages. I harboured all these feelings that had always been stored in my body but never vocally expressed.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Hafiyyan Faza for NME

Grrrl Gang were, from the beginning, a statement against machismo in Indonesia’s music scene – specifically the othering and objectification of female musicians. That was one of the reasons the band named themselves Grrrl Gang: to anticipate and defang that misogynistic framing, says Sentana. I know you’re going to see me as a woman in a band – so I’ll own it. That was the logic.

Nevertheless, Grrrl Gang still came face to face with these ugly perceptions. “No one really saw me as a songwriter,” Sentana says of her experiences fronting the group, especially early on. “They would just focus on me being a woman in a band: the mouthpiece, the trophy for this group. They only focused on how pretty I looked, and never on the qualities of the songs we make.”

And with Grrrl Gang, it’s all about the songs. “We always thought that this band had to have a female perspective for all lyrics and narration,” Rumandung says. “We never had that before, especially in Indonesia where the industry and community are too masculine sometimes. We need to balance it. And there are lots of stories that Angee needs to tell.”

As a storyteller and a musician, Sentana hopes she can be a positive influence: “I just hope I inspire young women to pick up a guitar or any musical instrument and write their own songs.” That hope manifests in their music video for ‘Spunky!’, which follows an introvert at a rowdy Grrrl Gang show. As she gazes at Sentana, resplendent before the crowd, her discomfort morphs into open-mouthed awe – and before long she’s imagining herself holding a guitar, standing on stage singing ‘Spunky!’.

I am going to finish with a glowing review for Spunky! An emphatic debut that people should get, I first want to quote from Rough Trade, and what they say about one of the most exciting and essential debut albums of this year. Proof that some of the very best and most important Pop is coming from Asia:

“Indonesian trio Grrrl Gang builds on their considerable worldwide buzz with Spunky!, their full-length debut album. Released on 22 September 2023 by Green Island Music in partnership with exclusive licensees Kill Rock Stars (United States), Trapped Animal Records (United Kingdom) and Big Romantic Records (Japan and Taiwan), the album is preceded by its title track and first single dropped on May 30, featured from the same title of the album, 'Spunky!' Spunky! arrives following some major life changes for Angeeta Sentana (vocals, guitar), Akbar Rumandung (bass, vocals), and Edo Alventa (guitar, vocals), including a switch in locale from Yogyakarta, the city where they formed the band while still in college. “This is Grrrl Gang’s first release after we graduated and got day jobs that made us have to move to Jakarta, which is undeniably 180 degrees compared to Jogja,” says Rumandung. “But moving to Jakarta enabled us to work with Lafa on Spunky! from start to finish.” The song itself essentially describes Sentana's experience during a manic episode. “I feel like I’m on top of the world, untouchable. I do things without thinking, always chasing after that feeling of instant gratification. I feel extra confident in myself to a point of grandiose thinking and that I could do anything,” Sentana explains. That would be Lafa Pratomo, the in-demand producer brought in to help shape the ten tracks that make up Spunky! With a resume that includes the likes of the chanteuse Danilla and legendary singer-songwriter Iwan Fals, Pratomo might not seem the obvious choice to take the Grrrl Gang producer’s chair. But according to Rumandung, “In terms of production, this was something new for us by working with someone outside of Grrrl Gang’s comfort zone.”

Indeed, Pratomo considerably beefs up Grrrl Gang’s sound particularly Alventa’s guitar tones, Rumandung’s rumbling bass, and touring drummer Muhammad Faiz Abdurrahman’s muscular beats while preserving the band’s signature raucous energy, catchy melodies, and Sentana’s attitude-filled, equal-parts-honey-and-vinegar vocals. The music video for Spunky! premieres on the Grrrl Gang YouTube channel on the same day as the release of the song. The video, directed by Bathroom Girls, is part of a continuous movie, with Spunky! being the second chapter. It tells the story of an introverted girl who goes to a house party to validate herself among her peers. Despite facing challenges to her self-esteem, she manages to overcome her discomfort to survive the night. During the party, she watches Grrrl Gang perform Spunky! and is mesmerized by the confident performance of Angee, the lead singer. The girl imagines herself as Angee, a confident and cool person that she will never be. Hailing from the cultural city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Grrrl Gang is a rising force in the independent music scene with their infectious melodies, anthemic songs, and electrifying live performances. The power trio, composed of Angee Sentana on guitar and vocals, Akbar Rumandung on bass, and Edo Alventa on guitar, has been making waves in the Southeast Asian music scene since their formation in 2016. Grrrl Gang's music is a celebration of their collective roots and a testament to the power of pop music to connect people across cultures and borders. Their lyrics touch on themes such as feminism, mental health, and relationships with a raw honesty that speaks to a generation of young listeners. With their infectious energy, socially conscious lyrics, and unique sound, Grrrl Gang is poised to take the global music scene by storm and become a voice for a new generation”.

Let’s finish on a review from Joyzine. This is what they had to say about an irresistibly listenable album that is going to be among the most-celebrated of the year when critics decide on the best albums of 2023. I am excited to see where Grrrl Gang go next. Let’s hope they have some touring dates in the U.K. very soon. So many people here would love to see them play:

“Spunky!’ is the debut album from Indonesian band Grrrl Gang I have to say for me, if I see any band in any way associated with the Kill Rock Stars record label, it always piques my interest.’ Spunky’ has been released across several labels across the world- Green Island Music in partnership with exclusive licensees Kill Rock Stars (for North, Central, and South America), Trapped Animal Records (UK and EU), and Big Romantic Records (Japan and Taiwan). So many good bands have been associated with Kill Rock Stars in particular, and Grrrl Gang are no exception.

Spunky! is a fun debut that is in no way one dimensional. I note that on their Bandcamp bio, they have described themselves as an ‘indie pop trio’. While there is definitely indie-pop moments to be had here- such as songs ‘Blue Stained Lips’ and ‘The Star’, there is also punky, riot grrrl moments too. Title track ‘Spunky’ is one of those moments, even featuring lyrics that wouldn’t seem out of a place on a Bikini Kill album- ‘I was born in the pit, I gave birth in the pit, I never shave my pits, Let me swallow your spit’. ‘Better than Life’ is a minute and a half shouty assault that will stick in your mind. The song is quite dark, dealing with thoughts of depression.

Other topics touched upon on this album include insecurity on single ‘Cool Girl’ (a personal favourite for me) and self loathing on ‘Birthday Blues’. So despite the fun sounding title, ‘Spunky!’ actually covers a whole spectrum of personal emotions.

The band have been together since 2016 and have already built an impressive fanbase in that time. They have toured around South East Asia and one of their first singles ‘Bathroom’ received over a million streams online. With the release of ‘Spunky!’ I am sure that they will be making waves here in the UK also”.

Such a sensational, fresh and colourful trio who have provided us with one of the best albums of the year in 2023. Spunky! is a sign that Grrrl Gang are going to be a huge name. Such a broad and varied group who can make any subject and sound completely compelling and their own, many will sit back and watch to see…