Explaining why working in a duo is better than working as a soloist, Nicky "Kaay" Kay, vocalist of pop duo OKAAY, came up with a theological and philosophical answer.

"This might be a far-off answer, but even Adam wasn't alone when he was created by God on this Earth. Afterward, Eve was created from Adam's ribs," said the 24-year-old.

"Aristotle also said that humans are zoon politikon which means that we are social creatures. Therefore, humans find it difficult to go through things by themselves."

As someone who has been part of the Indonesian music scene for more than a decade, the duo's bassist, Niko "Okin" Al Hakim, agreed that in creating the most creative records possible, an artist should do so with a trusted partner by his or her side.

"When we make music by ourselves, we easily feel satisfied and think that the music is good enough. But we don't have a sort of different brain that could offer us some insight," remarked the 28-year-old. 

"When there are two brains working together, who knows? Perhaps we could come up with an even better result."

Such convictions later served as the key foundation that fused Kaay and Okin in a united pop duo dubbed OKAAY—the name is a combined acronym of both artists' epithets. 

On Aug. 12, OKAAY released its debut album Together We Are OKAAY, a nine-track LP that delivers not only a creative demonstration of what a duo format can pull off, but also a compassionate message about ceasing pandemic-related blues.

Musical soulmates

Kaay and Okin met in 2014. The two musicians shared a stage during a gig in Jakarta. Okin eventually took interest in Kaay's talent. Nonetheless, it took a few years before the two started considering joining forces. Observing the uncertainty that came with the COVID-19 pandemic, the artists decided to throw caution to the wind and launched a duo act. 

In January of this year, OKAAY released its debut single, "Lupa Nama Ingat Rasa" (Forget the Name, Remember the Feeling), a nu-disco number in which the protagonist happily muses on a certain stranger she encountered at a party and the romance that could have happened. The track was penned by Laleilmanino, a production trio that is known for crafting upbeat pop tunes for the likes of Diskoria, Marion Jola and Mark Natama.

Somewhat of a veteran in the music industry, Okin asserted that his newfound duo and its sonic direction made for an ideal next chapter in his career. Previously, Okin had been involved in the pop-punk band The Potato Head and a more experimental one dubbed L.Y.O.N. 

"I've known Kaay for quite some time now. I have even gotten acquainted with her parents and her family. Also, thankfully, during the early phase, we had lots of kind people who lent us a hand—the senior figures such as Laleilmanino," said Okin.

Kaay, on the other hand, understood that she could have debuted as a soloist instead. However, after getting to know her future music partner, she believed that in pulling off the sound she wanted to explore, she could use some help from someone as bold as herself. 

To boot, one of her music influences happened to be the London-based alt-pop duo Oh Wonder.

"I wanted to explore things. More like, we wanted to explore things. It wasn't just me," she said.

Sharing a similar sentiment, Okin said that when all was said and done, what he and Kaay tried to explore was a sound they liked to call "creative pop". Case in point, OKAAY's second single, "Peneman Malam Sepi" (The Lonely Night Companion), showcases a more bohemian side of the duo by incorporating different elements of pop ballads, pop-funk, dance-pop, techno-pop and R&B.

"We still insist that this is pop music," he remarked, "but we are heading for something more ingenious."

Sad no more

Kaay and Okin spared no time working on the duo's debut album. Both concurred that it took, more or less, a month and a half to record the remaining seven tracks that would make up Together We Are OKAAY. 

To ensure that their "creative pop" vision was properly delivered, they also worked with different songwriters and producers such as Rinaldy Vidianza, Agung Munthe and Ari Renaldi.

Explaining the swift recording process, Kaay said, "We've got support from the universe. Let's just say that we had set ourselves a deadline or a sort of big expectation instead—if the universe had not given its support, things would not have come true. But that was the pious answer. The secular answer, though, was that we just wanted to get on to the [music] festivals as soon as possible." 

Okin noted how the audience's "massively significant" response to "Lupa Nama Ingat Rasa" and "Peneman Malam Sepi" encouraged him to proceed with recording an album. At one point, the latter song went viral on short video platform TikTok.

"The public has gotten to know us, and that gave us the motivation to work on the album. It was, like, ‘Wow, we dropped two singles and the response is like this?’ And then we got invited to perform live. Performing song covers wouldn't cut it anymore!'" he added.

The album's explorative spirit aside, on a more emotional level, the duo aimed to create an album that could spark joy in its listeners—true to the album's title. While the album encompasses complex themes such as a love triangle in the Quincy Jordan-assisted "Antara" (In Between), possessive relationships in the dance-teria "Racun" (Poison) and romantic insecurity in the old school-leaning "So Bad", the duo wished each track would be able to ultimately cheer and uplift.

"Kaay and I have had our own, respective struggles in our careers and stuff. But we joined forces, hoping that we would be okay by being together," Okin explained. 

"In this album, we have stories about being the third wheel in a relationship and a friend on a lonesome evening and a date who gets stood up at a bar or someone who is currently feeling over the moon. Still, no matter the circumstances, we'll all be okay. We wanted to deliver that spirit."

Kaay also divulged that in recording the album, she tried to channel her "youthful spirit" without compromising emotional integrity.

"From me, personally, the past me helped inform this album," she said. 

"Role models might remain the same wherever I am, but the one who has inspired me until now is who I was before. With the trauma that has yet to heal and the difficult life's journey that I've experienced, this record is like a manifestation of how I made peace with the past."

Last but not least, the album's other collaborators were on board with OKAAY's hopeful nuance as well. Nino of the producing trio Laleilmanino commended the duo for understanding that there was a certain "dream" that the producers left to the artists.

"Not only have they carried our work adeptly, but they have also carried it everywhere with a burning passion,” said Nino. “At a time when musicians might be more focused on streaming numbers while waiting for an opportunity to take to the stage to come their way, OKAAY started from the bottom instead—touring across Indonesia guerilla-style and performing the 'dreams' that we had created for them, wherever the stage would be. 

“Such fighting spirit is what we believe to be the reason why they have reached this point. And they deserved it."

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