1/19/2024 0 Comments Irresistible songsThey began to tour, gathering a nationwide fanbase and even turning heads around Southeast Asia through shows in Singapore and the Philippines. A year later they dropped the EP ‘Not Sad, Not Fulfilled’, which crystallised a signature sound for the band: sweet songs with a slight tang, bright indie pop ditties with an undercurrent of bleakness. They debuted on Jakarta indie label Kolibri Rekords with the 2017 double-single ‘Stop This Madness’, which effectively went viral on the trio’s university campus. “You can basically choose who you want to be in Jogja for that period of time – especially us college students.”ĭuring this formative, experimental period, Grrrl Gang turned out releases that swiftly marked them as ones to watch. “College students, musicians and many others come to Jogja to create something,” Rumandung says, using the city’s common nickname. When Grrrl Gang formed in 2016, they were kids playing in a “sandbox”: Yogyakarta, a city in Central Java known for its vibrant arts culture and abundance of universities. “The uncertainty was just so stressful to think about,” adds bassist Akbar Rumandung. “I honestly thought we were going to break up,” says Sentana. For those who have followed them since their beginnings as a university group in Yogyakarta, it’s also their official coronation as one of Southeast Asia’s finest indie acts – and a stunning resurgence for a band that almost never made it out of the pandemic. Released to glowing reviews from publications in Indonesia and beyond, ‘Spunky!’ is Grrrl Gang’s introduction to the world. It’s fitting to hear Sentana put a 21st century spin on the clarion call that riot grrrls in Olympia, Washington sounded decades before: 11 days ago, Grrrl Gang’s debut album ‘Spunky!’ was released in the Americas by Kill Rock Stars, of Bikini Kill, Bratmobile and Heavens to Betsy fame – the riot grrrl label itself. Wry humour, sticky-sweet guitar riffs and singalongs that leave you feeling exhilarated and empowered: this is the music of Indonesian indie trio Grrrl Gang. After the chorus, she leads a thrilling chant: “ Be aggressive, be aggressive / Stop being passive!” “ He’s a jerk and a maniac, why waste your time on him?” Sentana asks. Frontwoman Sentana and her band Grrrl Gang then launch into ‘Pop Princess’, an irresistible power pop single about a charismatic heartbreaker who should really ditch the guy who’s bringing her down. The excited crowd at Gudskul, an arts space in south Jakarta, jostles to heed her call. “Girls, gays and in-betweens to the front!” shouts Angeeta Sentana.
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