Frau is the German word for woman. But for fans of indie music here in Indonesia, Frau means the simple tunes of a fascinating young woman.
Leilani Hermiasih may be in her early 20s, but she honed her musical skills while attending college in Yogyakarta, jamming with fellow musicians and producing tons of great music.
Leilani has her own band, the surf rock outfit Southern Beach Terror — but she shines brightest when playing solo through her alter ego, Frau.
Frau plays a stripped-down version of pop music with only two elements, vocals and a piano. The Yogyakarta-based independent label Yes No Wave Music released Frau’s EP, Starlit Carousel, in March.
It was later distributed by Demajors. Six songs from the EP are available for free from Yes No Wave Music’s web site.
Starlit Carousel received critical acclaim and Frau is now seen as a promising new talent, part of the new generation of female songwriters such as Kartika Jahja of Tika and the Dissidents and Aprilia Apsari of White Shoes and the Couples Company.
Leilani hasn’t been affected by the buzz.
“Frau isn’t a burden. I love writing and performing songs. I am very excited by the melodies I can create with my piano and my voice,” she said.
Leilani bared her soul on the Frau EP, with songs about the difficulties a young girl faces dealing with the complexities of the world. Song-writing is catharsic for her, and she is modest about Frau’s early work.
“My expectations were low. I just wanted my songs to be released so I could continue writing songs. I was already bored with the old songs. So, yeah, I managed and now I’ve got new songs,” she said.
Her expectations from fans are also low. “My only goal is to make people smile when they listen to my songs, or at least they can chill out,” she said.
Leilani does not put much faith in a successful music career in the future.
“I go pretty slow, and that is fine by me. Although I love making music my college education is more important,” she said.
You too have to be patient with Frau, and if by the end of one of her songs you don’t have a smile on your face, give it another listen.
Frau’s music is available on myspace.com/ffrau or for free on yesnowave.com.
*) At a Glimpse is all about the local music scene.
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