People generally welcome a new year as the start of a bright and promising future. Rock band Aftertones, however, has not.

The Bandung-based septet’s skepticism is apparent throughout their latest studio album Adulting Is Hard, which dropped on Dec. 9 on all streaming platforms.

The band’s cry of despair is perhaps at its most particular on the fifth track, “Not So Lucky”, on which front man and vocalist Ilham Ashari croons over lazy beats: “I’m not ready for future / Feeling so happy, but I have no ability.”

Ilham spoke to The Jakarta Post on Jan. 14, explained Aftertones’ contempt for the future and, more poignantly, why it was OK not to feel optimistic about the days ahead.

“Here’s the thing: When we hear the words ‘future’ and ‘growing up’, there are certainly many things we feel worried about. One of them is how to be financially independent. Not everybody is in the same boat, some are still unemployed and some have jobs that lack certainty. So, like, ‘What if things continued like this?’” said Ilham.

“And then there’s that classic Indonesian question: ‘When will you settle down?’” he said with a giggle.

Aftertones might not have the answer to all the questions that come their way, but they certainly had fun expressing their concerns in their latest record. The band’s yacht rock-influenced sound imbues a joyful tone to the album’s bleak narrative, as Adulting Is Hard finds Aftertones pushing their sonic boundaries further by experimenting with elements of acid jazz, disco, funk and soul.

Sound that ‘sways’

The band is no industry newbie. Aftertones kicked off their musical escapade with a self-released extended play (EP) record, 2019’s Sadboi, which was expanded into a full-length studio album of the same name later that year. Regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic, the septet continued to be productive by working on their follow-up EP Pathétique, which was released in May 2021.

While their previous records explored a more generic sense of melancholy, Aftertones were keen to pursue a lyrical subject in Adulting Is Hard that was more specific and “relatable”, according to Ilham.

“It so happens that the majority of our listeners are the same age as us. They nudged us to step up and be more mature,” he explained.

The septet was game for shaking things up, but they were also adamant in grounding their roots in rock music, particularly yacht rock and adult-oriented rock (AOR). Aftertones credited ‘70s and ‘80s bands such as Toto and Earth, Wind & Fire as some of their biggest influences in establishing their sound for Adulting Is Hard.

Saxophonist Nauvali Daffa asserted that Aftertones’ focus on yacht rock and AOR was vital to their “originality”.

“These genres offer a different kind of sensation,” said Nauvali. “Moreover, it ‘sways’ the listeners who are tuning into our songs. There’s an ease to it in terms of the lyrics, the music and what we’d like to express,” he added.

No album is without its challenges, and that includes Adulting Is Hard.

Bassist Fajar Nur said working on the album was mentally arduous due to its lyrical subject: “This album is more grown-up. It’s also more technical” than the band’s previous outings.

Sad dance party

Running 41 minutes and 21 seconds, Adulting Is Hard contains 10 tracks that explore different forms of fear and growing pains, such as anxiety, insecurity, regret, what-ifs, incoming responsibilities and emotional immaturity. Meshing these topics with the more upbeat sound of yacht rock, acid jazz, disco, funk and soul, the album offers a contrarian, paradoxical vibe.

Ilham believes that bleak lyrical subjects do not necessarily have to be paired with an equally morose, balladic production. Sometimes, the grimmer the lyrics, the more uplifting the accompanying music should be.

“I think sad lyrics and downtempo music would end up torturing our listeners,” he mused.

“Even when we’re sad or feeling anxious, we have to keep our spirits up and imbue more color into our circumstances. That’s why we ‘packaged’ these seemingly dark lyrics with more danceable beats.”

Besides, Nauvali opined, contempt and grief were not always synonymous with tears. With a danceable production, he said, “we could ‘enjoy’ the sadness until we were like, ‘Oh, the sadness has already passed!’”

Drummer Gelar Hari added that Adulting’s sound “should be more palatable to audiences our age as well”.

The septet also looked to inspiration beyond their personal lives for the album.

“Bold Lines”, characterized by dramatic percussive thumps and Ilham’s multilayered vocals, tells the story of unexpected fatherhood, inspired by 2019’s teen drama Dua Garis Biru (Two Blue Stripes).

“This song is actually more about the regret we feel when we have failed to take on a huge responsibility in the past,” said Ilham.

Aside from exploring the feelings of being a failure, Aftertones are not shy in expressing their obsession with a more idyllic past. The free-spirited “Highschool Fantasy”, for instance, finds the band members yearning for their adolescence.

Keyboardist Kahfi Ramadhan believes there was no shame in being hung up about the past.

“Despite the good or the bad, we were able to arrive here because of [our] past. And those [formative] moments mostly took place back in high school. It was our wildest time, we were a bunch of rascals!” recalled Kahfi, laughing.

“The Animal”, one of the album’s more thought-provoking tracks, describes how growing older did not necessarily mean becoming immune to romantic jealousy and insecurities.

“I’m that type of person, let’s just be honest here!” Fajar chimed in, laughing. “I’m still trapped in the past. I still can’t see ahead of me.”

Being ‘a mirror’

Percussionist Rafi Ramdani summed up the septet’s position regarding their listeners after dropping Adulting Is Hard.

“We’re a mirror, offering a sort of plot twist,” he said, and then added: “Gosh, it’s so hard being a grown-up!”

Be that as it may, considering the album’s feel-bad message, what if the band’s listeners didn’t like what that mirror showed?

“We have to face it, though, even when it hurts,” said Nauvali. “We must get through it, and if possible, we must find joy in it.”

Adulting Is Hard by Aftertones is available to stream.

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