TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
The summer of Ringgo 5
Exploding out of nowhere into one of Indonesia’s most dedicated and loyal music scenes, pop-punk band Ringgo 5 aims to show it has what it takes to conquer your mind.
Change Size
The Ringgo 5: Band members Gege (far left), Rishad (left), Nabil (center), Robert (center right) and Rhein (far right). (JP/Ibrahim Irsyad)
R
inggo 5, the name of which derives from the names of the five members, deliver to the Indonesian music scene a healthy offering of pop-punk that is very much held apart by each members’ tendencies and aspirations.
Vocalist Nabil Pawaka trades vocals with guitarists Rishad Marciano and Rhein Michael, all while supplemented by Robert Matthew’s bass and Gege Aditya’s drums. The quintet has been together for most of its lives as friends and the band feels mainly as an extension of their friendship and their creative synergy.
Sound-wise, Ringgo 5 seems to be inspired by acts such as ONE OK ROCK, 5 Seconds of Summer, All Time Low and even hip-hop artists such as Drake.
“People like to refer to us as the Indonesian ‘5 Seconds of Summer’ but we strive to be more than that,” Nabil told The Jakarta Post during a recent interview.
Their latest album, Emotion, was released this year and was mixed-mastered in the United States. It took them around one year to fully complete the album due to complicated time differences.
The way the band approaches the songwriting process can be described as very individualistic but tidy.
“We prefer to work on our individual parts at home then bring them to the studio when we meet. We rarely jam songs out,” Rhein said.
All the members, who are either still in college or are just finishing college, grew up inspired by the same kind of music, which makes their connection with each other more solid.
The word “emo” comes to the fore when talking about their sound as they grew up with the post-third wave emo wave of pop-punk bands of 2008 and beyond, particularly bands such as All Time Low and Forever the Sickest Kids.
Notably, their single “Promise” features hip-hop head guitarist Rishad rap for a few bars, which in the beginning sounds like it will derail the song but ends in a way that congeals well into the rest of the song.
The band’s accessible sound gives them an edge to break into the mainstream.
The pressure to be successful is harder on Nabil, who is known in small circles as the son of Indonesian actress Ayu Dyah Pasha.
The 19-year-old Nabil admits that while there is pressure on him from the public and from himself to make his relatively creative family proud, the most important thing for him is to make sure his success is achieved on his own.
“I grew up with a creative family. My mom is an actress and my brother is also a singer who has helped me improve my singing abilities. It’s normal that we want success for each other in what we do,” Nabil said.
Before Ringgo 5, Nabil, Rhein and Gege were in a band called Lights On.
They were signed to a major label in 2014 and released a single but they later felt that the label dictated too much to the point where they just became uncomfortable about it.
With greater freedom and a freer image within their control, the three members say it has been the most comfortable time they have been through in any band.
As with many bands their age, their lasting goal is to ultimately go on tour in Indonesia and abroad and also try and crack the international market, which is why the band decided to write their songs in English.
Despite being around for only two years, the band has secured enough performances for them to break through as possible support acts for touring international bands.
Back in August, Ringgo 5 were thrilled to find out that they would be the opening band for their idols All Time Low’s second ever live show in Jakarta but alas, it was not meant to be as the American band cancelled the performance due to issues with promoter Rockafella Entertainment.
It was a big letdown for the band, who already have a history of playing to large, international crowds such as at the annual JakCloth events.
Sucking up their disappointment, the band pressed on and looked more positively toward their ambitious musical future.
Recently, the band played one of its most significant solo shows at the Hard Rock Café at Pacific Place, Central Jakarta, at an event dedicated to showcasing their latest album.
The response toward the show from their fans was positive.
“We don’t fret about it. It’s a bummer not to play for them [All Time Low], but the best thing to do now is to carry on, doing what we do best as a band. It’s for us and for our fans as well,” Rhein said.
