SXSW Artist Spotlight: Grrrl Gang
360°Sound sat down with Indonesia-based indie rock band Grrrl Gang. Formed in 2016, the power trio consists of Angee Sentana on guitar and lead vocals, Akbar Rumandung on bass, and Edo Alventa on guitar. Known for their energetic live performances and catchy tunes, Grrrl Gang has built up a considerable following in Southeast Asia. The band’s lyrics center on such themes as mental health, loneliness, feminism, and relationships.
Grrrl Gang will be playing multiple official SXSW showcases: March 13 at Valhalla, March 15 at Hotel Vegas, and March 16 at Hotel Vegas. In this exclusive interview, Sentana and Rumandung talk about how Grrrl Gang has matured lyrically, the inspiration behind their new maxi-single, Online 24/7, and what SXSW attendees can expect from their live sets.
Editor’s Note: This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity. Scroll to the bottom to view the full video interview on our YouTube channel @360degreesound.
360°Sound: How do you describe the band’s sound?
Akbar Rumandung: Guitar-driven. Unapologetic. Chaotic. There are mosh pits and circle pits everywhere at our shows, whether it’s a festival or a small show. It’s chaos. We gotta bring it to the U.S.
Your new maxi single, Online 24/7, which consists of three songs, is described as a “stark mirror to the paradoxes of modern life, where connection and isolation, violence and tenderness, noise and silence collide.” Tell us more about the inspiration behind this batch of songs.
Angee Sentana: We were inspired by a lot of issues that we often see on the internet. When you are exposed to so much bad news on the internet, you can’t help but slowly feel like you’re just a bystander, just merely a spectator. You feel helpless and lonely. It seems like everyone is out for each other.
Through writing these songs, we are repositioning ourselves from that passive role. We wanted to try to understand why all of this was happening. That’s why we wrote a pretty powerful song like “O, My Love,” and “You & Me” as well.
The band has been together for 10 years. How do you think you’ve progressed as a band?
Rumandung: Angee and Edo are the songwriters. They have progressed a lot in the way they approach the music – both the perspective in the lyrics and the music itself. It’s just so much progress over the past 10 years since the first release that we did after we moved to Jakarta. I think it’s more mature how they approach the music.
The themes are deeper, and you can actually relate to all the songs. Angee writes a lot of things about personal stuff in Grrrl Gang, and it speaks to a lot of people. We have better infrastructure in Jakarta with studios and producers. It makes it easier for Edo to express himself. Because Edo is not actually a person who can speak his personal stuff that well. He’s kind of closed off, even to both of us. But with music, he can express himself. As a friend, I’m so excited to see both of them progressing.
Your debut full-length LP Spunky! came out in 2023. Do you have plans to record another LP?
Sentana: I really hope we can. It’s a bit hard for us to find the time to sit down and write. We’re a lot more preoccupied with our nine-to-fives nowadays. I hope we can start writing again this year.
What are your goals for the band in the coming years?
Sentana: More traveling is always the goal I have for the band every year.
Rumandung: We always like to make new friends everywhere we go, so that’s why we always try to go somewhere we’ve never been before. Hopefully, next year the album will happen, and we go on another tour.
How many shows are you playing a year?
Rumandung: The situation is kind of different in Indonesia. In Indonesia, we have a festival every weekend. We do maybe 50-60 shows per year. We have local shows every weekend, and during festivals, we usually play two or three shows per week. It’s kind of hectic, so sometimes we don’t have time to focus on writing new music.
What can SXSW attendees expect from your live show?
We just expect everyone to have fun. That’s the only thing we can think about.
Akbar, I saw in an interview where you said you feel nauseated before shows. Is that something you still deal with?
Rumandung: Yeah, but when I play the bass, it’s all gone. But like five minutes before that, I’m gonna be in the toilet. Angee knows. I always did that before the show. I think it’s just me. I’m not sure. What about you, Angee?
Sentana: I don’t feel that nauseated that much anymore, compared to our early days. I still feel nervous, but I’m more excited nowadays.
Check out the full video interview on our YouTube channel, @360degreesound:
