This review was written by guest author Lyra Wilson.
Last Monday felt like something out of an indie movie. I went to the cinema and ended up in La La Land. This inspired the latest album from the Indonesian indie/pop group Reality Club, titled Reality Club Presents... I've listened to their latest album, and the progression from their earlier work to now shows a growing maturity in their approach to life and love. The music is presented in a way that allows you to visualize the emotions and experiences being conveyed.
Getting to know the band, felt so natural and fun. During our interview, they offered me a slice of their first-ever Chicago deep-dish pizza and introduced themselves as they cut my slice. Chia, who looked stylish in her tuxedo dress with a film roll tie, is one of the lead singers and plays the keys. Her brother, Faiz, the other lead singer, also plays guitar. Era, who had just woken up from a nap, is the drummer, and Nugi is the bass player and singer. It was clear that there was a lot of light, humor, and love from the band and their team who helped them during their first North American tour. They shared stories about their adventures trying American burger places, and I suggested Culver’s as it’s a Midwest staple. They were excited about experiencing the States and parts of Canada. They mentioned that this tour might inspire the writing process for their future albums.
In anticipation of their Chicago show, Chia expressed excitement about performing for the crowd, stating, “We’re always thrilled to see the crowd. That’s one thing that always excites us when we play. Especially here in the U.S. because we realize each city and state that we go to is different.” The band noticed differences in the audiences at their shows based on the country. Nugi and Faiz pointed out that in Indonesia, many people would attend the concert if they knew the band, while in the U.S., Reality Club observed that many people come to hear new music and just enjoy themselves. I found it interesting to learn about the variations in how different countries react to concerts and interpret the band's songs. For instance, in Indonesia, people might sway to a ballad, but occasionally, there might be someone who really gets into it and rocks out to a ballad.
As they prepare for their upcoming show, the band reflected on their humble beginnings. Formed in 2016 in South Jakarta, they revealed that they were not even friends when they first started. They came together with the shared goal of starting a band and connected through that common aspiration. It all began with Mayo, a lawyer by day and a "weekend rocker" by night, who initially wanted to start a band. Chia then invited her brother, and this led to a chain reaction, with other members joining the group. They described it as a smooth transition of power.
Faiz commented, "It's quite interesting because when you hear band stories, you usually think of friends coming together like the Beatles, but for us, it was the opposite. We didn't even know each other, but we were thrown into this practice and we were like, 'Okay, let's make music!'"
When it comes to their music, Faiz had a beautiful answer regarding the kind of music they would write about. He explained that the reason they are called Reality Club is because they believe that reality isn't always negative and must have some positivity. They aim to inject both positivity and negativity in their music. Chia added, "Like a reality check."
This brings us to their latest album Reality Club Presents… They asked me what I thought about it. I joked and said I’m a very cinematic girl, which excited them. I made comparisons of some songs that felt reminiscent of James Bond or similar to the band The Last Shadow Puppets. Reality Club are big fans of Alex Turner, saw him live, and really connected to his music. So I was glad I could spot those influences.
“The main theme with this album is, everyone has their own love story. It is always so unique. People have their own stories, their own problems, their solutions, and their own endings whether happy or sad. We thought about, ‘How can we put that in an album?’ We made the album so we show all the many shades of romance. By using different genres, and topics, that’s where cinema came in. There’s horror, action, anything you want to watch when you walk in the theater. That’s why we called it Reality Club Presents.. It can be anything you want to watch. Not every song is connected, but it’s all within this space”. After this we joked in a British accent about how we were "off to the cinema".
Within that cinema, they talk about the space of using tempo changes as tools, the writing process behind some of their prolific songs. Which felt very 1968 Beatles territory where they go off separately to write and then come together to piece it together. Leading to the monumental tracks off the album such as, “Dancing In The Breeze Alone”, “Tell Me I’m Wrong” and “Love Epiphany”. One thing that really stood out about "Love Epiphany" is how it made me choke up countless times upon listening. And no wonder it made me cry, because Reality Club claimed it was largely inspired by “La La Land”. The song, talks about love’s contradictions, but no matter at the end of the day, people still go in head first. That you can lose at any time, but just as easily win at any time. Which is quite beautiful to think about. And when discussing that concept, opened my eyes for the first time, that love didn’t have to be this ultra negative or overtly positive, but be a beautiful linear or non-linear process in life.
The live performance of the cinematic show after our interview was incredibly beautiful. Many people in the audience danced freely, a man in the center stage was looking at Chia adoringly as she sang, and the band was excited to have witnessed a makeout session in the audience, which was a first for them. There was a lot of fun on stage with small choreography accompanying some songs, getting the crowd to crouch low and then jump high when the beat dropped. The show ended with "Love Epiphany," where each band member played a part in the serenade. For the closing of the show, all the band members watched Chia play the final notes on the keys before taking their final bow.
“Every love story deserves its own movie, and every movie has its own soundtrack.” That night, I fell in love with Reality Club, and their music will be the soundtrack of my life for years to come.
All photos by Lyra Wilson.