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Evoking emotions through acoustic sounds with Fletch
Acoustic emotion: Folk-pop band Fletch from Malang, East Java, evokes emotion through calm, acoustic music
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coustic emotion: Folk-pop band Fletch from Malang, East Java, evokes emotion through calm, acoustic music. (Courtesy of Lucky Brinanda Putra)
Finding playlists composed of soothing, warm music on streaming services is easy. From ambient electronica to acoustic instrumentals, listeners command their own specific interests — that is why music is as generous as it is plentiful.
Fletch, a band from Malang, East Java, is more than just relaxing – though judging from a cursory listen, a musical balm is what you get. It is a folk-pop band, combining the rich strumming of the guitar, light taps of the drums, melodious sounds of the violin and gruff vocals courtesy of vocalist-guitarist Richard Yuno Valerian Kawuwung.
Richard — along with Muhammad Ridla “Ridho” Imam Al-Haq (vocals, keyboard), Danti Anugrah Putri Santoso (ukulele), Amanda Ramadhani Nur Arifin (violin), Naufalia Paramahayu (bass) and Ade Kurnia Rajasa (drums) – had a lot of ideas for Fletch when he formed it with Danti and Ridho in August 2015.
Their journey started at Brawijaya University, where an extracurricular program permitted them to create a song for a compilation album. They contributed with a song called “Oxygen”. The track, along with nine other ones, comprises their debut LP Konotasi (Connotation).
Konotasi was released in late 2017 through GZZ Records after a mutual decision made by the band to take a year off. After all, university students have more pressing business to take care of and the members of Fletch had plenty to do in 2016. They have played music for folks other than themselves, playing a slew of popular music. At that time, their original music lived only in their heads.
They started work on Konotasi in early January 2017, working on it for 10 months. “Before we set them to our arrangement, we already had the songs ready,” Richard, the band’s primary arranger, told The Jakarta Post.
Richard himself did not write the lyrics; it was Danti, Amanda and Ridho’s responsibility. Since making music was their only concern — and not, say, finding a record label — the time committed to working in studio came purely on their own dime.
Loudly pronounced are their stark, often poetic lyrics. “Kamu meredup/dan aku/tak hidup” (You dim/and I/no longer live) is a line in “Tiga Pagi” (3 in the Morning), a song featuring musician Nabila Rizky.
“Darah merindu tubuh/hingga mencium tanah/sukma ku lumpuh/batas tak lagi tampak” (Blood misses the body/until it smells the concrete/my senses are numb/the borders are no longer in sight) is another in “Sadajiwa”, one of their singles.
What informs the lyrics is some form of exorcism that is often found in the tradition of emo music. Richard himself admitted to being influenced by emo lyricism, citing American rock band Saosin.
For the music, Richard was influenced by a laundry list of musicians, from an early iteration of Indonesian band The Trees and the Wild to Norwegian band Kings of Convenience.
“We make music that will calm our listeners, even when they’re feeling a bit temperamental,” he said. Although Richard did not write the lyrics for Konotasi, he “lives through them, lives through the stories in Fletch’s lyrics”. In the future, however, he plans to write his own lyrics.
Fletch’s music is also notable for its carefulness — a good trait for a band that is faithful to its sounds, but willing to explore new avenues. With the ukulele, guitar, drums, bass and violin as its primary ammunition, Richard notes that “there’s only a few Indonesian bands that combine these instruments. We also give ourselves each of our own parts”.
Fletch receives a lot of support from those who hail from Malang. When they released Konotasi, musicians, “from the juniors to seniors, like [Malang-based band] Wake Up, Iris!”, saw and supported the band, Richard said. When they went on their album tour in Bekasi, Jakarta and Bandung, folk singer Oscar Lolang gave them words of advice and support.
Fletch is currently working on a new collection of songs. “God willing, we can put out a five-track EP by the end of the year,” Richard said. For now, Konotasi is a document of emotions, evoked through calm, acoustic music.
