Before Fame, Pamungkas Experienced the Bitterness of Being Rejected by Radio and Record Labels

Kapanlagi.com - Who doesn't know Rizki Rahmahadian Pamungkas aka Pamungkas, the singer of the viral song To The Bone. Now his career is soaring due to his romantic songs.

When met at KLY Office, Gondangdia, Central Jakarta, Friday (16/4) night, Pamungkas shared the story of how he started his journey to build his career until he could reach this point.

"Actually, in 2017, I challenged myself, at that time I was 24 years old turning 25. I felt like I had to choose a job, what I should do in this life. What do I want to do? at that time I was a designer, a videographer for weddings, and also worked on social media for artists," said Pamungkas.

1. Working on TV

This 28-year-old man apparently also worked on a private television program as an audio person. Then, in one episode, the vocalist of the accompanying band was unable to attend, so Pamungkas was asked to replace the position for a while.

"I became like an audio person for the program Islam Itu Indah, like the voice for bumper in and bumper out. Then one day, the vocalist of the accompanying band had diarrhea and couldn't attend for four episodes," he explained.

"Because of that, we didn't have anyone who could quickly make songs and play the guitar. So, I filled in even though it was only for four episodes. At that time, I was even lower, not as a backing band, not as a soundman, but as a button pusher. When it was time for the call to prayer, I inserted the voice," continued Pamungkas.

2. Rejected Radio

Pamungkas (credit: Kapanlagi.com/Bayu Herdianto)

After that, Pamungkas chose to step out of his comfort zone and start his own career. In 2018, he distributed his songs to radio stations and record labels. However, he had to experience the bitterness of rejection due to language reasons in each of his songs.

"I worked hard just to earn money to buy a soundcard, a microphone, and a guitar, all towards music. I resigned as a designer and saved my last salary to live for 3 months. Then I recorded my first album," said Pamungkas.

"In 2018, I had finished the album 'Walk The Talk' and some of it was ready, but it was rejected by many radio stations because they didn't want to play English songs at that time. Some labels also rejected it because I didn't have money, so I did everything myself and released it independently," he continued.

3. Utilize Social Media

Despite facing many rejections, Pamungkas never runs out of ideas to introduce his work. Through social media and digital platforms, Pamungkas found his way as a musician.

"The only free media is social media, Instagram, Youtube, and Spotify. So, I started guerrilla marketing on social media since June 2018, then released an album and it started to gain popularity in December. Many people liked it, many listened to it, many comments, many gig offers. Finally, I just went for it, like a snowball rolling bigger and bigger, and in 2019 the song To The Bone was released," he concluded.

Stay motivated for KLovers who are still fighting to achieve their dreams. Don't lose hope and always #RememberMother'sMessage. Wash your hands regularly with soap, wear a mask, and maintain distance. Stay safe!

(kpl/irf/lou)