Country tunes: Members of Farewell Angelina jam on stage at @america in Central Jakarta.

A radiant energy fills the room as the all-female country act Farewell Angelina takes to the stage.

It’s a Tuesday afternoon, but the dim lighting and packed audience in Jakarta’s @america studio make it feel like a Friday night.

As the musicians pick up their guitars and violins, you can feel the crowd’s excitement growing.

“How are you all doing?” calls Ashley Gearing, one of the group’s singers, as the band begins to play. “I said, how are you all doing?” she calls again, this time met with the crowd’s thundering cheers.

The feel-good country melodies and soaring harmonies Farewell Angelina is known for soon fill the air, and you can’t help but tap along to the beat.

Since bursting onto the scene in 2016, the American band has been making a name for itself, being listed among Rolling Stone’s “New Artists You Need to Know” and Roughstock’s “Ones To Watch”.

The all-female quartet is made up of longtime friends Nicole Witt, Andrea Young, Lisa Torres and Ashley Gearing. All successful musicians in their own right, the women met in Nashville, Tennessee, each pursuing their dreams in country music.

Having always respected and admired each other, the four musicians decided to try and play together. After hearing the magic of their voices combined, Farewell Angelina was born.

Named after a beloved Bob Dylan song, the band has been rising in fame, performing across the United States and receiving widespread acclaim. It has gone on to become a household name in American country music, breaking down gender stereotypes and inspiring other women in music.

“We have created an environment that we’ve always dreamed of for ourselves,” said Young, “that’s part of the beauty of being with three other women who are supportive […]; we’re just a family on the road.”

Making her mark: Indonesian singer Monita Tahalaea sings an acoustic song at @america.

Being women in a male-dominated industry, each member of Farewell Angelina has experienced inequality and discrimination of some kind. Whether things “weren’t quite fair on the road” or they weren’t “treated the same way” — these experiences have all made the group passionate about standing up for women in music.

Guitar player and singer Torres, a mother of two, said it was tricky balancing touring life while raising a family. When she had her second child, she said “the [community’s] expectation was for me to stay home and not be part of the band anymore”, but with support from the group and her family, she has been able to continue doing what she loves.

“We just decided that, hey, this is it, you know, this is what we do,” said Torres. “We don’t want to allow our life choices to get in the way of that […] and we’re just very fortunate to have been able to create our own path.”

Having played shows throughout the US and Europe, Farewell Angelina visited Indonesia for the first time. The band was joined here by Indonesian pop, folk and jazz singer Monita Tahalea.

When asked by The Jakarta Post what inspired the group most, Gearing said, “strong female artists that are standing their ground, such as Monita”.

“It’s so amazing to come to a new country and see someone from a different culture doing the same hustle as us and putting in the work and thriving, so it’s very inspiring to connect with someone like her.”

Monita opened up the performance with her pitch-perfect voice, captivating the audience as she sang. The Indonesian artist, who will be releasing her third album soon, also joined Farewell Angelina on stage, collaborating on multiple songs with the band.

The crowd went wild for an ingenious medley of Imagine Dragon’s “Radioactive” and Siti Badriah’s hit “Lagi Syantik” (Still Pretty), which ended with the whole room clapping and singing along.

Farewell Angelina’s honest songwriting, paired with the driving energy of two violins, two guitars and four powerhouse vocalists, made for a truly incredible performance.

In town: Farewell Angelina members (from left) Lisa Torres, Ashley Gearing, Andrea Young and Nicole Witt pose backstage at @america.

The original songs were moving and diverse, from romantic ballads like “If it ain’t with you”, to the upbeat grooving sounds of “More problems” — this show surely had something for everyone.

Dandy and Gideon, two members of the audience told the Post that, despite not knowing Farewell Angelina beforehand, they had a great time.

“It was amazing,” said Dandy. “[It’s great to see] that women in America have skills of music and skills to interact with the audience.”

Both Dandy and Gideon were happy to hear some familiar songs, especially “Lagi Syantik”. “[That meant] we could sing together,” said Gideon, who loved the crowd involvement at the show.

The band is excited to play a number of shows in Jakarta before moving on to Malaysia.

Backstage at @america, Torres said “the welcome that we have felt from [the Indonesian people] has been so amazing; it’s very loving and embracing […], and the smiles on people’s faces are just so beautiful.”

Witt added that country music was growing throughout the world and said, “hopefully with trips like this, we can spread country music and we can take a piece of Indonesian music home with us as well.”

Farewell Angelina has a big year ahead, with plans to tour “almost every state” in America, and the band’s schedule is looking full — having booked close to 100 shows already.

The musicians teased an announcement for their social media accounts on Feb. 14, saying that exciting things, as well as new music, were coming.

The joyous harmonies and infectious country rhythms of this all-female group have found their way into the hearts of many. Farewell Angelina shows no sign of slowing down and will continue to be an inspiration to women in music around the globe. (ste)

It’s for the girls: Indonesian singer Monita Tahalea (third left) performs on stage with Farewell Angelina at @america.

— The writer traveled to Jakarta with the assistance of the ACICIS Consortium for Indonesian Studies.

— Photos by JP/Gabriella Payne