Peterpan: Popularity Bites

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sun, 10/30/2005 7:59 AM  |  Life

Tari Danawidjaja, Contributor, Jakarta

This is the band that has achieved success with only two albums under their belt to date; the band that often pops up in gossip magazines or on infotainment shows. They've toured across the country, staying in fine hotels, playing at a varying range of venues, yet there's real hard work behind the glitz of popularity.

Peterpan's career has moved on an upward climb, from a caf band to the recording studio, where they compose original music for albums.

But perhaps we should recap.

It was their first single, Mimpi Yang Sempurna (A perfect dream), taken from the Kisah 2002 Malam compilation album that led them to record their debut album, Taman Langit (Sky garden). Within three months, the album sold over 300,000 copies, and the band received a double platinum award from Musica Studio, their recording company.

No one predicted that the six-guys band -- Ariel (vocals), Uki (guitar), Loekman (guitar), Andika (keyboard), Indra (bass) and Reza (percussion) -- from Bandung were going to make it big.

In July 2004, Bintang Di Surga was released and made a sales breakthrough of over 2 million copies, surpassing Sheila on 7, which sold 1 million copies in sales of their first three albums.

Most recently, Peterpan launched the original soundtrack for Alexandria, and the corresponding concert was broadcast live by five local TV stations while thousands of people lined up to watch the band rock.

It's hard to remember that they were once like other ordinary boys who thought about music and hung out with friends. Today, they find it difficult to separate the popularity glut from their private lives.

Every now and then, the members of Peterpan wish that they could have had more time to lead a normal life.

So, what could be worse than being over-publicized and not having any privacy at all? The band revealed their thoughts on fame and a life of music to The Jakarta Post at Musica Studio, South Jakarta.

Question: Things have changed a lot during the past year. What has dramatically changed in your life?

Ariel: Time and peace of mind. But mostly time and freedom.

Indra: Yes, the schedule is going crazy.

Uki: It's going crazy. We barely have time to do anything.

Loekman : Peace of mind and freedom.

Are you feeling annoyed with the publicity?

Ariel: Well, we don't have privacy anymore. Anything and everything that has nothing to do with music is in the media. So, we're no longer musicians.

Uki: We're like celebrities about to lose our privacy.

Are you surprised with the response to your second album?

Uki: We're totally surprised. Our first single boosted the sales.

Ariel: I was surprised by the publicity. I guess Breaking the Record (the album's launch) had a strong influence. People know about Peterpan, and it's not just about the music, but also about the new record.

What are your visions now?

Ariel: We want to go back to our first vision, success in music.

Loekman : Yes, we wanted to be successful in (the music industry) in the first place and go international.

What is your biggest influence in creating music? Where do you get your inspiration?

Uki: Mood. If we're not in a good mood, we could waste three hours or even three days. But if we're in a good mood, even the toilet could be a place to write a song.

What are your musical influences?

Indra: Radiohead and U2.

Uki: Britpop bands, Oasis, but I also listen to Lifehouse and other new bands.

Reza: I listen to rock 'n' roll.

Ariel: Cranberries, Nirvana and REM.

Andika : The Beatles, The Cure and that kind of British music.

Loekman : Incubus, Stain, Joe Satriani.

Everyone in Peterpan is now composing, not just Ariel. Does this mean others are ready to write their own songs?

Loekman: We were hoping we could create a different atmosphere. Well, we did. My song is definitely different from his (Ariel's).

Andika: Our previous albums were dominated by Ariel's aura. But now, we're creating something different, and it turned out to be good. We leave the lyrics to the pro (Ariel), because he's better than the rest of us.

Uki: I was not really confident about my song. But now, I let the other guys listen to my songs. And it turned out okay. Ariel would correct the lyrics we wrote.

What's the difference between Ariel's music and the others'?

Ariel: Well, there are definitely differences in the music, because each one of us has a different (musical) background. You heard us play the other band members' music. So you can hear the differences.

Most of your songs are about humanity and love. Are you focusing in this area?

Ariel: We're focusing in that area. Lyrics are the identity (of a band). If you hear Bang Iwan (Iwan Fals), you know, oh this is so Bang Iwan. Maybe we might write something different, for Ramadhan or other occasions for example.

Your theme is more into human relationships. Why is that?

Ariel: When we look at human relationships, we observe many things that we could tell (through music). It could be A-Z or Z-A.

Andika: Human relationships tells different (stories).

So, you're not creating any songs with social criticism?

Ariel: Maybe. If (the situation in) Indonesia is getting worse and we think we have to wake somebody up, maybe we would.

Loekman: Maybe we could make a song about cutting the fuel price.

During creative process, what books do you read, fiction or non-fiction?

Uki: Both.

Ariel: I don't read novels. Basically, everything is based on experience. I read literary works, but maybe only one or two.

Do you have a strategy in writing songs, or do you just go with your mood?

Ariel: We go with the flow, except with Alexandria, because (then) we had the script. But usually we wait for the mood, and then we start working on the music.

What motivates song-writing, and how does it usually go?

Ariel: So far, it's a mix of personal experiences. Then we develop the story. We also look at some books as reference for the language (in the lyrics).

Apart from music, what things keep you alive in the industry?

Uki: Definitely music.

Ariel: At times, we thought of quitting. But this thought wouldn't last, especially when we listen to music or a song. Then we tell ourselves, we can make this kind of music.

Loekman: The music pumps our adrenaline.

Andika: Maybe because music is our destiny.

Currently, they are so many teenagers who want to be famous. What is key becoming a star?

Ariel: Mental strength. Because your mind keeps everything balanced. So, if we're mentally strong, then we know how to handle things in the future. Like how to handle gossip.

Uki: We're learning and doing it at the same time. Practice makes perfect.

What is your advice to aspiring stars?

Andika: Well, they have to see the side effect of becoming a star first, not just looking at the fame and money.

Ariel: It's like trying to look a house from a window. If they're just looking in the window, they wouldn't know anything about what's really inside the house. But once they step inside, then they'll know.

How do you handle gossip?

Indra: We tend to be silent.

Ariel: Yes, we're just silent. If we started to talk things out, it might turn into another story, especially if you call a press conference.

Uki: Yeah, it could be used as additional information.

Don't you think the publicity also helps raise the band's profile?

Uki: We don't want that, actually.

Indra: We don't want publicity in a negative way.

What do you think of the current political and economic situation?

Ariel: There's no direct effect on us except the tax, because our accommodation is always prepared by a third party. I am concerned about the situation, but from what I've heard, this is the best solution for the time being. Although it seems bad, it might be better for the future.

Are you bothered that the public prioritizes their daily concerns rather than music?

Ariel: No. The entertainment business will never die. As long as people live, they need entertainment. Maybe the sales would decline, but the business will remain active.

Uki: Music still excites people, even though they might be hungry.

Are you afraid being in this position?

Andika: Definitely not. There's no reason why we should be afraid.

Is there any of you who want to act in sinetron (local soaps)?

Andika: No, definitely not. That's not our commitment. We're always together, even for a commercial. Besides, we don't have the talent.

Do you still enjoy your leisure time?

Uki: Yup, definitely.

Ariel: We play games, sleep. But we don't really have time to work out like we used to.

But you used to work out?

Ariel: Yes, but not anymore. Now, whenever I have time during a sound check, I take a run around the venue.

What do you love most about touring?

Uki: The stage, because we grew up on a stage. So when we're not on tour, we miss the feeling of hearing good sound (on stage).

Ariel: I like the journey.

Reza: Sometimes the bus journey can be so boring, especially those over three hours.

Andika: Touring is part of being in a band, not just promoting the album.

Don't you get tired?

Ariel: If it's not too much, we're fine. But our last tour was too excessive.

What's your upcoming agenda?

Ariel: We're going back to work after Idul Fitri. Then we're going to Timor (Leste). After that we'll continue touring.

Are you prepared for the Timor audience?

Andika: We don't know (anything) about the audience there.

Uki: The most important thing is we're there to entertain people.

Ariel: We heard that Xanana always greets any bands that perform there in person.

What would you ask Timor Leste President Xanana Gusmao?

Ariel: Hmm... How does if feel to be liberated?

What if the audience is not as you expected?

Uki: That's okay. We've been in worse situations where people just stay quiet.

Do you keep up with current news?

Uki: I do read the newspaper whenever I'm home. When I wake up in the morning, I read the paper and see something that I haven't heard about.

Do you feel like you miss out on something while you're on tour?

Uki: Yup. I feel like time has passed me by.

Andika: Feel like time has left me behind.

Ariel: It's like what The Cranberries said, `something's taken from us'.

What keeps the band together?

Ariel: Back in our caf days, we played different kinds of songs. We united our visions, so we know the music we like and it help us to play and to create our music.

Do you miss playing in cafs?

Ariel & Uki: Yeah, we miss it.

Loekman: We want to play in cafes and play cover songs.

Uki: We played in cafs for a long time, so sometimes we discovered great music while we were jamming. It helps us to refresh the memory. We still listen to other music to add to our repertoire. Many people stop listening to other music and they just get stuck creating music. Maybe someday, we could create our own genre of music.

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