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Grrrl Gang on success and new album: 'This is the year of grassroots artists'
The Indonesian indie rock band's debut full-length album, Spunky!, showcases how nothing compares to independent-minded musicianship.
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Grrrl power: Grrrl Gang's new album 'Spunky!' was released on Sept. 22, 2023. The indie rock album incorporates pop-punk and post-punk elements.
(Courtesy of Green Island Music/-)
G
rrrl Gang has come a long way since its inception in 2016. The indie rock band, comprising vocalist-cum-guitarist Angeeta Sentana, bassist Akbar Rumandung and guitarist Edo Alventa, has lived out a career journey not unlike a classic Cinderella story, beginning with the trio's humble beginnings in the Yogyakarta underground scene before culminating into global recognition from noted publications such as the NME, Spin and Bandcamp Daily.
Nonetheless, in a conversation with The Jakarta Post on Oct. 10, Grrrl Gang underscored that the band's rags-to-riches chronicle was far from being a fairy tale – let alone the result of mere luck. As embodied in their debut full-length album Spunky!, out on digital streaming platforms on Sept. 22, every creative step and success (so far) has been a manifestation of the band's determination and grit.
"We just kept on going, regardless of the obstacles," Angeeta said while reminiscing how the trio "grew up together, essentially, over the past seven years; to be the people we are today."
'No longer shackled'
Looking back, it was Grrrl Gang's 2018 extended play (EP) Not Sad, Not Fulfilled that first put the band on the global map. The record's delivery of indie rock stylings with a feminist twist led to overseas gigs, the most high-profile being the 2021 South By Southwest (SXSW) Festival, NME's Girls To The Front and Singapore-based Esplanade's Rocking The Region program.
Yet despite their steady rise overseas, even Grrrl Gang acknowledged how the trio's fellow countrymen in Indonesia might not necessarily be familiar with their presence in the music industry. For many Indonesian music acts, seizing that nationwide spotlight is the ultimate goal. Grrrl Gang, however, insisted on being the exception to the rule.
