I'm Sorry, Indonesia

I don't remember ever having nationalistic pride for Indonesia. I love the food, but other than that, I overlook pretty much everything. Having lived there for 17 years, my life was pretty monotonous especially when I hit high school. Nothing ever changed. I was in the same school for 12 years. It really felt like I was mentally, and to an extent physically, put in a cage so when I moved and lived independently it was a relieving and freeing experience. Not only is Indonesian culture heavily Westernized, but there is also a sort of cultural imperialism. I think this engrained ideology and my dull state at the time led me to retrieve to bands who are not from South-East Asia, even though A LOT of my friends are involved in the scene.

 

It wasn't until I saw the trailer for a movie my friend is in (hi rain ;-)) that I started looking deeper into these Indonesian bands I often overlook. Never have I felt true potential and pride in Indonesian music. I did listen to popular bands like Sheila on 7 (lol), Nidji, Peterpan, etc. when I was younger but come on, we sing their songs for pure nostalgic purposes now. I think we can all agree that the Indonesian music industry tries so hard to mimic other big music industries (i.e. k-pop is a big one) that they fail to notice the local talent, and when they do, the artists often look and are trained to be like those in the West. So here are some Indonesian indie bands who are totally worth your time:

Jirapah

 

The first song I heard from them is in the OST for Rocket Rain. Holy crap they're so good. There is just something about Indonesian bands that make feel nostalgic, and even a little bit homesick (and I've never felt homesick after I moved). The soft vocals over the clean guitars in "Crowns" remind me of a more laid-back version of Wild Nothing without the airy synths. And this live version of "Summer" which builds up from a simple guitar riff somewhat resembles, you guessed it, Foals circa Antidotes and a less intense version of The Cast of Cheers' album Chariot.

White Shoes & The Couples Company



White Shoes & The Couples Company are probably one of the biggest Indonesian indie bands in the scene. They've been around for quite a long time, but high school me was too stubborn to check them out. The first song that caught my attention was "Tam Tam Buku", a number (again) used for Rocket Rain's OST. I found it so interesting that they took traditional Indonesian village songs and made it into their own. The melodies sound like something my mom would sing to me when I was a toddler, but funnily enough the lyrics are about finding a partner. Then there's "Senja Menggila" which entirely made me think of Wild Nothing's "Paradise" when I heard the guitar riff. (I'm sorry, guys, I'm going through a Wild Nothing phase right now). And really, who dares to disagree that that bass line is so freakin' catchy and the lead singer has such cute dance moves?

The Trees & The Wild

 

I've listened to a couple of their songs in high school but folk music wasn't something I was into at the time. When I watched their Take Away show with Vincent Moon, that was the moment when I truly appreciated their talent. The video is almost 18 minutes long but it is seriously worth your time. Vincent Moon captures the rawness so simply and beautifully, but I just find it rather hilarious that they played through a mall or plaza-type because Jakarta is so bombarded with them. "Irish Girl" is the first song I liked from them. This acoustic track is filled with hand-picked guitar strumming and a groovy Mac DeMarco-esque bass line that will definitely catch your attention. If not, it will certainly be that outro that resembles the usual indie pop sound we are fully accustomed to. Man, the way he sings in English is making miss Indonesia even more.

Hopefully I found a new addition to your iTunes library. Now excuse me while I write an essay that's due in 2 hours.