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Drew: Under a new skin
(Courtesy of Aquarius Musikindo)Once known as a sweet urban pop act, Drew says hello again under a different shell
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(Courtesy of Aquarius Musikindo) (Courtesy of Aquarius Musikindo)
(Courtesy of Aquarius Musikindo)
Once known as a sweet urban pop act, Drew says hello again under a different shell.
Releasing 'Hey DJ' with its rock n' roll flavor, Drew marks its rebirth ' from a toned-down urban pop and acoustic band to a dynamic pop-rock group.
''Hey DJ' is a kind of a statement from Drew ' with a new band image and musical genre. The song has a totally different style and ambiance compared to our previous songs,' drummer Putra Praditya, 28, told The Jakarta Post in Jakarta recently.
Drew, mig33's Artist of the Month for April 2014, is a four-person band, consisting of Putra, Sashi Gandarum (vocals/guitar), Aji Yudo (guitar) and Shanda Singgih (bass).
The band, whose name is taken from the members' admiration for American actress Drew Barrymore, had its debut album, Sing with Drew, released in 2011.
Drew was formed in 2007 by Sashi, Aji and Putra. The band got its start performing cover songs at cafes and live music events in Jakarta before deciding to enter the recording industry. Shanda, and old friend of the trio, joined the group in 2009.
The band caught the public's attention thanks to its catchy and easy-listening tracks like 'Radio' ' quite an anthem for some teenagers, 'High' and 'Yang Ini Untuk Kamu' (This One is for You) from its first album.
Unlike most musicians, who prefer to release a full music album before promoting their singles, Drew has decided to release singles of its upcoming sophomore album before wrapping them up in one package.
'The full album, which will be our second, is set for release early next year. It is our strategy to release single by single before the big one because we'd like to introduce, or re-introduce, Drew to the public, including our existing fans.
'The strategy will make us more focused [in promoting the band and our songs] because now we have a different musical style. We want the public to recognize, or maybe even wonder, who's singing 'Hey DJ'? for example, and our following singles, before we come out with a full album,' explained Putra, who is a big fan of Rush, Iron Maiden, Dream Theater and System of a Down.
'Hey DJ' is a perfect prelude to the band's transformation. The upbeat number is adorned with light distortions, a shift from unplugged instruments.
The song was written by Sashi in 2009 and inspired by her crush on a disc jockey.
Shanda, 29, said that the significant change in the musical genre was a natural process. He said that those who had been watching Drew live on stage would understand why it chose the pop-rock genre.
'On stage, we like to play loud ' we often rearrange our songs from the original version: putting some distortions and some sound explorations,' said Shanda, who looks up to The Beatles, Trent Reznor, Thom Yorke and Brian Wilson.
'We have a lot of energy to share with our audience,' said the bass player of laudable Andi Rianto's Magenta Orchestra, adding that the band had passed the phase of playing sweet and mellow songs.
Over the transformation, Drew said that most of its fans gave positive feedback.
The band, which performed at Java Jazz music festival in Jakarta in March, said that it mostly played new songs during the gig.
'We probably did seven new songs out of nine or 10 at Java Jazz, and the crowd appeared [to like] our show. Some also gave positive feedback through Twitter,' said Sashi, 28, the only girl in the band.
Drew tries to make a significant creative shift in every recording process it does.
In 'Unromantic', its first ever recorded single as a band, which was listed in the NuBuzz music compilation in 2008, the band did the usual digitalized recording. For Sing with Drew, the group did a live recording for the whole digitalized album.
For the upcoming album, the band has maintained its live recording technique. This time however, it is utilizing analog technology.
'The boys have great skills and sense of rhythm. Putra, for example, knows where Shanda's going. So, [live and analog recording] becomes very easy and fast. We really enjoy the recording process because we were brought up on stage,' said Sashi, lyricist of the band, adding that she and the boys hoped that the upcoming album could also be released on vinyl.
With regards to writing the lyrics, Sashi revealed that she was heavily inspired by powerful lyrics from international musicians such as The Cardigans, Tegan and Sara, as well as Sara Bareilles.
'They put together lyrics with great stories. I was also inspired by strong lyrics like the ones in 'Roar' [by Katy Perry] and 'Born This Way' [Lady Gaga],' said Sashi, whose favorite songs include 'Ironic' by Alanis Morissette and 'Call It Off' by Tegan and Sara.
In the coming years, Drew has a number of projects in the pipeline. Besides releasing and promoting its second album, the band dreams of organizing a solo concert with an orchestra.
With its undoubtable talent as well as live performance experience, Drew looks forward to exposing the world to its sound.
'We have several plans including participating in an international music festival, such as Future Music Festival, as well as making connections with artists and producers overseas.'
