27 October 2023
Fascinating and fast-rising Indonesian trio GRRL GANG are on a world-conquering
roll after releasing their critically acclaimed debut LP, titled SPUNKY! A swirling
collection of glam and glitter pop exaltation, irresistible fuzz and buzz tunes, with
hungry guitars flying all over the place and jumpy vocals/harmonies to spice it up.
The sassy spirit of Bikini Kill and 10 spiky crackers,
not longer than an average Ramones song.
Recently frontwoman Angeeta Sentana talked in-dept with legendary British
music bible NME about all things good but also about all bad things from the
past, like mental health problems, alcohol abuse and writer’s block.
“I thought, ‘I’ve gone through so much shit in my life.
If I overcame that, I can overcome anything’”
Read the full feature here.
Despite drawing anybody’s attention – indie and mainstream – right now,
and a big Southeast Asia tour starting this weekend Angee took the time for
a quick chat. Totally fabulous! But as usual, we start a Q & A with a slice
of music. We picked one of the rad singles from the longplayer.
Hello Angee,
When and how did GRRRL GANG got together?
“We first got together in 2016 at Jogja when the three of us were
still in college. I think each of us really wanted to form a band, and
I’m always grateful that we met at the right place at the right time.”
What’s the story behind the band’s name?
“It came from a jacket that I bought that had the name, “Girl Gang”, on it.”
Which track would you play to the people who never heard of you?
“I think “Spunky!” is a good start for most people.”
Your debut album SPUNKY! is out now. What does the title stands for, Angee?
“The title essentially describes what we want to convey in the album, which
is that you need to have a little bit of a “spunky” attitude to get through life.”
What did you want to express with the
album’s artwork and who developed it?
“So, we teamed up with Tiny Studio, our longtime collaborators, to design the album artwork. We just sent them the song files and asked them to visually interpret the songs.
We didn’t give them any prompts or references for it. What Tiny Studio wanted to express through the artwork is the emotional turbulences and inner turmoil that a young girl experiences.”
Were all three of you involved in the writing process?
“Yes, we planned to meet up at least once a week to sit down and
write the album together. I remember how hectic it was, especially
trying to work out each person’s schedules.”
Which music/artists inspired you when writing/making the record?
“The Go-Go’s and Sleater-Kinney inspired me
with their vocals, while Hole with their lyrics.”
Do all songs are in some way connected or do they all stand on their own?
“They are all connected in a single narrative, but I also wanted for the songs to
be able to stand on its own. Each song was based on a single event that I personally experienced, but we wanted to tie them all together and tell a story of how you can
find hope.”
RUDE AWAKENING is one of my favorite tracks.
What’s the song about and where was the video shot?
“Thank you! “Rude Awakening” is about realizing that you’re always
the odd one out, and how lonely it feels after said realization.
We shot the music video at Tiny Studio’s—the people
that worked on our artwork—compound.”
Suppose the album would be the soundtrack
for a movie, which want would it be?
“Shrek 2.”
What’s your ultimate goal, Angee
“To be able to buy a nice house from music.”
Thank you very much for taking the time for this Q & A, Angee.
May the road rise with Grrl Gang.
STREAM SPUNKY!
.
BUY SPUNKY!
.
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