Foto: Amelia Vindy & Adythia Utama

Indonesia is no longer a strange country for Marijannah. Not only because it is relatively close in distance, Indonesia has also inspired their musicality. Following the release of their debut album, Marijannah stopped by Indonesia on their Asia tour leg – brought to you by 630 Recordings – along with Australian heavy metal band, Potion. We had the chance to chat with Marijannah about the response of their home country to growing the local bands, music inspirations and their future plans.

Before forming Marijannah, as a founder, Nick admitted that at the beginning he didn’t have any interest in that kind of music, however, what changed it and finally ask Rasyid and the others to form a stoner metal band like Marijannah?
Nick: I think that’s one of the beauties of music, especially in music that is connected to metal. I think all of us, like most forms of these music and most of time, we just don’t know it yet so everything is better on a journey of discovery. Yeah, I didn’t know that I would like this as much as I did back then, but I’m glad I found it and I’m glad I found these guys and I’m glad that we’re doing it now, because it’s one of my favorite types of using right now.

Rasyid: I’ve always like this kind of music. I’ve been playing with Wormrot, but sometimes I need something slower, I don’t know, I just found this is my comfort zone also. Sometimes I always too hectic, I just need something to chill down.

There’s not a lot of musicians in Singapore that makes music or sound like Marijannah. How important is it you think, the acknowledgment of a band’s existence from their home country?
Nick: I’m half and half on this. I believe that people should give local bands the same chance as they give to the bands that are from places with the bigger scenes and industry like America, UK and Europe. But then again, I’m not a big fan of people trying to make other people feel like they are obligated to like certain bands, just because they’re from the same hometown. For me personally, I want people to support us because they like our songs and every song like this, not because where we’re from because that’s doesn’t matter. So it’s half and half for me, I much rather be judged by our music or creativity than where we are from. But in the same time I do believe, we should all give the local bands more chances.

Rasyid: I guess we are lucky because no one is making this kind of music (laugh). We are not trying to say that we are the cool one. We just trying to show that this kind of music is also cool. Why are you guys didn’t listen to this kind of music?

Nick: When we started this band, we definitely didn’t think of trying to make something different. It just so happens to be a little bit different.

Your debut album, “Till Marijannah” received a lot of positive response, and interestingly, the inspiration behind the songs that Nick wrote was horror films. What made horror films significant enough to be a main topic or theme as well as an inspiration in writing lyrics?
Nick: I can’t really take the credit for the lyrics because I don’t really do much for the music. But I think all of us agree on film as much as we agree on music. We have really similar weird taste of music and I’ve seen it before. I believe music and film can go hand in hand, when it comes to artistic influence, in terms of visual or audio. When you are playing in metal band, I don’t believe if your favorite movie genre is romantic comedy. I mean, most of all the bands that we like borrowed imagery from horror and I think there is combination between old school horror, sci-fi or weird movie. Metal and non-metal pipeline locator

Marijannah’s exploration of sound is quite fresh, do you think it’s because you are made of personnels that have musical projects outside of Marijannah. Was there a red thread that united you as a band?
Rasyid: For me, I just wanted to be in band that sync and play something catchy.

Nick: Yeah, I think if anybody thinks our sound is unique that’s definitely because the four of us are from completely different musical background. We can’t be further and we all listen to very different bands. I think for most of the bands especially metal or hardcore backgrounds, the members are usually being influenced by the same bands but for us it’s like completely difference for each other taste. So when we come together and write everything as a band it gets pulled from many different elements. Whatever it is, is what it is. I don’t know if this unique or not because I don’t listen to this kind of music enough, but there are few bands that like four of us but still

Is there anything that you’d like to explore on your visit to Indonesia? Have you ever experienced the stoner music scene here?
Rasyid: I used to play in the band called Satan! and we have toured to Indonesia before. I’ve seen some of stoner band here like MATIASU, Sigmun, AUMAN and they are really good. When we started to make this band with this kind of genre, I was like trying to match their level and it was really hard for me. It feels kinda intimidating to coming here and playing this kind of music because i learned it from those bands and their from here, this is their hometown.

Nick: I never play with stoner band from here, but I know one of the great band from here, I’m a big fan of The SIGIT. But the last I came here, I’m with the hardcore band and play with some of the local hardcore like Final Attack!, Straight Answer, and several bands and it always fun to see and hear new things or watch the new bands. I’m quite excited about it.

Is there anything that Marijannah is planning for the future? Are there any plans for each of your bands as well? (The Caulifeld Cult, Wormrot, Satan!)
Nick: I think one of the reasons why four of us enjoy playing on this band so much is because there’s no solid contract commence. We’re all used to being rushed and obligated to go on tour to promote an album and go here and write this by this time and all that. So we have like guidelines to where we wanna go and we are writing new music now, but nothing like so called “plan”. There’s no timeline for anything basically, whatever it feels right, it’s right.