What Does the Future of Gigs Look Like from Fleur!'s Perspective? Check Out the Interesting Conversation

Kapanlagi.com - The name Fleur! might not be unfamiliar to music lovers in the homeland. Starting from a tribute band for the legendary Indonesian music group, Dara Puspita, Fleur! brings a fresh breeze that presents a retro rock and roll sound in the local music scene.

The band, led by Yuyi (Bass), Tika (Drums), and Tanya (Guitar), brings a captivating old-school sound. Even though this band started being active during the pandemic era, it did not hinder their productivity in creating art.

We spoke with Fleur! about their activities during this period and their future plans, which are focused on the release of their highly anticipated album by their fans.

If I may ask, what are you busy with? How is the album preparation going?

Tanya: We are busy preparing for our first album. The plan is, just pray that everything goes smoothly so we can release it in January. Well, in January we released a single, and then in February we released the full album.

Can you give us a hint about what inspired this album?
Question: The inspiration... Yes, we are still greatly influenced by Dara Puspita, of course. And then we also combine it with more modern music. We have references from The Young Veins, and also from... Tika, Yuyi, maybe?

Yuyi: So we combine it with vintage elements because it all started as a tribute to Dara Puspita and there are some bands from the 60s and 70s era. Like, The Kings. And then there are elements, maybe we take some fragmented vocals from The Beach Boys. The recording was already finished in 2019. For all the recordings and we are in the process of mixing and mastering. And we released one single, at the beginning of 2020. It was one week before the pandemic. So when we just released the single, a week later, there was a large-scale social restriction. So the first large-scale social restriction was the one where there was really nothing happening. The first three months.

So actually, we were ready in terms of material. The recording was already finished. So we just need to finish the mixing. And the plan was to release one single, then an album. But because of the pandemic, we changed our strategy with our manager. So we released singles only. In 2020, we released two singles and collaborated virtually with several artists. And in early 2021, we released another single and had a collaboration with Diskoria. And now, at the end of 2021, we have finished all the mixing and mastering. And because I don't know... We don't know how long this pandemic will last, so we're still thinking about when would be the right time to release it. Because if we release the album but there are no live performances, it won't be exciting and we won't get the vibe. So we're waiting for the right time, probably early 2022.

What are your plans after the album is released?

Fleur!: Having fun, hahaha.

Yuyi: After the album, if possible, we want to do live performances. We can perform the materials from the album, because in the virtual performances we did recently, we didn't perform all the materials from our album.

It's an interesting conversation to know what's on the minds of Fleur! members, right, Klovers? Are you also one of the fans who are looking forward to their album?

 

 

 

And there are also some elements from The Beatles. Bands from that era, but because our basic music reference is actually from the 90s. So we mix it. So the music is vintage but can be listened to in terms of mixing and mastering, it's more modern.

Why choose the looks, sounds, and feel of the 60s?

Yuyi: Okay, Fleur! Previously, we were a band tribute to Dara Puspita. Dara Puspita was the first rock and roll band in Indonesia in the 60s that toured Europe. So we were formed under the name Flower Girls, as a tribute to Dara Puspita and performed at festivals in Europe. Well, from there, we just got to know each other.

After that, when we returned from Europe, we thought about whether we should create our own material, right? Instead of just bringing songs from Dara Puspita. Finally, we gathered, created our own songs, made demos. And that's how Fleur! was born! It's a reference, because we were introduced to each other through Dara Puspita, so we still use that as a reference.

How do audiences respond to the aesthetics you present on stage?

Question: So far, it has been well received and warmly welcomed. Because some people also said that they missed hearing Fleur! with the touch of old music. But it can still be heard by people now. Because we did try to combine them.

You mentioned that your music is actually inspired by the 90s. What does that mean?

Yuyi: It's actually the 60s, but the basics are that we like 90s songs. It happened automatically when we were workshopping. That's what's interesting about Fleur!. So when we formed Dara Puspita, we decided to continue with the 60s era. However, it turned out that we had a basic reference from the 90s. That's where the genre fusion happened. So I hope we can also bring something new. Both in terms of lyrics and arrangements.

During this period of social distancing, how has Fleur been getting gigs?

Question: In the pandemic season, we can still get, we can survive. We can get performances even virtually, but we could also perform offline. With strict health protocols. With the audience, we still remind them to maintain distance. So we still have many calls. There are still many performances in this difficult era.

Do you miss performing live? What do you miss about it?

Question: Oh yes, definitely the interaction with the audience.

Yuyi: We had one live performance before. After almost two years of virtual performances. We had our first live performance and luckily there were many audience members. And what's interesting is that the people who came could already sing Fleur's songs! So what we miss the most is actually the interaction with the audience and the energy created on stage live. That's what we miss the most, actually. 

But what do you think future gigs will be like?

Yuyi: I think virtual gigs will continue. Because, you know, this is the digital era and we don't hope for this pandemic to continue forever. But in times like this, virtual is the safest option. But we don't hope for it to be continuous. So we will continue to prepare whether it's for virtual or off-air performances.

Has your recording or rehearsal process changed in the past two years?

Tika: Our recording process was actually completed before the pandemic. We finished it in January 2019, if I'm not mistaken. So we were preparing a single at that time, early 2019. And when we released our first single, that's when the pandemic happened. So in terms of recording and rehearsal process, the rehearsal is what changed. We ended up needing arrangements that are different, you know, virtual with live. We had to think about how to engage the audience, so we actually adapted. Still. Still learning.

For the past two years, what lessons have you learned?

Tika: The lesson we learned is patience.

Tanya: Patience. Even during a pandemic, we still have to create content. We have to promote our songs, especially as a new band. It's more accurate to say that we continue to create. However we can, whether through collaborations or creating our own content. So that people still notice us.

Why is the album still next year?

Tanya: Actually, Fleur! The recording has been finished since 2019. For all the recordings and we are in the process of mixing and mastering. And we just released one single, at the beginning of 2020. It was one week before the pandemic. So when we just released the single, a week later, there was a large-scale social restriction. So the first large-scale social restriction was the one where there was really nothing happening. The first three months.

So actually, we were ready in terms of material.

(kpl/wri)