Asteriska Steps Out of Her Comfort Zone Through the Asteriska & The Fellow Stars Project

Kapanlagi.com - Asteriska Widiantini is known as the vocalist of the band Barasuara along with Iga Massardi, Gerald Situmorang, TJ Kusuma, Marco Steffiano, and Puti Chitara. Currently, Asteriska is still active in music with Barasuara and other projects. Outside of her music activities, Asteriska also shares her busy life as a well-being practitioner, in access bar, and sound healing.

In addition, she has one personal project titled Asteriska and The Fellow Stars. This project has released three singles combined into one EP. The single Out of Jakarta serves as the closing track of the EP First Light.

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1. New Experiments in Pop World

Asteriska on stage (Credit: instagram.com/asteriska_)

Asteriska and The Fellow Stars is a project that brings Asteriska out of her comfort zone. Compared to her project with Barasuara, this project feels far from the music genre she usually performs. "I used to be less confident singing pop," said Asteriska. With a solo pop format, Asteriska collaborates with Eferem Star and other collaborators who made her realize that singing in the pop genre is a new experience, but exciting for her to perform.

In her busy schedule, Asteriska now divides her time between three music projects: Barasuara, her solo project, and The Fellow Stars. "Honestly, that’s still a question every day, hahaha. I just surrender to it. If Barasuara is busy, The Fellow Stars is handled by Eferem. If I can take over, I join the promotion. I’m currently putting my solo project on hold to focus on The Fellow Stars. Basically, I check the weekly schedule and prioritize what’s most important first," she explained.

Initially, Asteriska did not intend to create a trilogy of singles for this project. However, when the three songs were released, she realized that there was a common thread among them. Starting from the first song about appreciating memories, Don't Go Yet, which evokes the fear of losing a loved one, to Getting Out of Jakarta which tells of her desire with Eferem to leave the city of Jakarta.

2. The Creative Process Behind the EP First Light

Asteriska on stage (Credit: instagram.com/asteriska_)

During the process, Asteriska admitted there were many interesting moments. Like the relaxed atmosphere during the vocal recording due to her team and the music changing completely because of spontaneous ideas from her colleague Irwan Simanjuntak, but this became a process that felt so flowing because there was creativity involved.

Asteriska also shared that her ideas in this EP actually managed to unite her vision with other projects like Barasuara. "Barasuara likes to incorporate ethnic elements that are my trademark. Even though The Fellow Stars has a different genre, my vocal character still comes through. So it’s not mixed, but more about complementing each other," she revealed.

However, in terms of promotion, she feels that although promoting music digitally is relatively easy, Asteriska still finds it difficult to get her music widely distributed. "It requires a large budget, promotional strategies, and consistent energy," is the challenge Asteriska feels in promoting this project. Nevertheless, she sees this as part of the struggle as a musician.

Interestingly, even though she is focused on the new project, Asteriska admits she doesn't talk much about it with her colleagues in Barasuara. "It seems not many have heard about it, hahaha. I'm not the type to promote to my own friends. So I just released it without much talk. "If they want to listen, go ahead. But I won't force them," she said while laughing.

As a musician known for her perfectionism on stage, Asteriska also shared her routine before performing. "I always warm up my vocals, that’s a must. Sometimes I do it in the car too. Then I eat an hour before the show, not too close to the time. Physical warm-up is also very important, especially when performing with Barasuara who moves a lot. I drink plain water, never cold. It’s pretty simple," she explained.

At the end of the interview, Asteriska conveyed a message to her fans. "Don't forget to listen to the EP First Light from Asteriska and The Fellow Stars!" There are three songs in there, and even though the melodies are light, the lyrics are very deep. I hope it can accompany you wherever you are, in the car, at the office, or at home. Also follow @thefellowstars for more information. And of course, keep the spirit up for friends who are creating!"

(kpl/vaj)