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Scaller: Daredevil duo 'takes a break' in 2020 ... with a new album, in a new studio
After their 2020 calendar was wiped clean due to the pandemic, the indie rock duo is ready to follow up their successful debut album with a sophomore offering, its lead single already available to stream.
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Return to recording: Four years after releasing their debut album, husband-and-wife duo Scaller are set to release their second studio album, due out later this year. (JP/Courtesy of Scaller)
After releasing their debut studio album Senses to critical acclaim in 2017, alt rock band Scaller was riding high on their adoration from both fans and critics. Fast-forward two years and it was looking to be the start of an international career for the husband-wife duo, featuring Stella Gareth on vocals, keyboard and synthesizer and Reney Karamoy on vocals, guitar and producing. Then COVID-19 came along and ground everything to a halt.
Speaking with The Jakarta Post via Zoom on April 27, the pair recounted 2019, a time when face masks weren't mandatory and live shows were frequent.
"That year was incredible for us. We even scored a gig in the US. Unfortunately, visa issues forced us to postpone,” said Reney. “However, we managed to redeem ourselves by performing in various music festivals in Asia. We had a gig in Japan, Singapore and Thailand,” he said, the latter two referring to Music Matters Live and Bangkok Music City.
For Stella, the best part of the year’s gigs was meeting the movers and shakers of the global music industry. "We also got the chance to meet other Asian and Australian acts. But the most memorable one was Noah Dillion,” she said, referring to the Australian singer-songwriter known for tracks like 2020’s "Matthew McConaughey".
“We talked, and he really opened up our perspective," she added.
Scaller was ready to build on their early career. By the end of 2019, they had released standalone single “North Star” which, to judge from its stadium-ready production, signaled bigger things to come the following year. On New Year’s Day 2020, they released another single, “The Unknown”, which echoed the heyday of ‘70s progressive rock.
"We listened to a lot of King Crimson. Our initial plan was to explore that particular sound. We wanted to create ambitious headbangers, records that would be fun to perform in arenas. We were very optimistic about that vision," said Stella.
