Get to Know These 6 Indie (Badass) Female Bassists of The Independent Scene
Bass, these four stringed musical instrument is always present on most live band formats. Often being overlooked, bassist sometimes lose the spotlight to the guitarists. On the independent music scene, it becomes exciting when these talented ladies take care of this instrument well. They are not here for being that token pretty girls, they are here because they are good at playing bass. No matter how you look at it, please look beyond what their outer appearance might suggest, these badass bassists are here to stay. Here are several female bassists from Indonesia’s indie music scene that you could look up to from their skill, talent, and of course, style.
1. Octavia from HEALS
Octavia Variana Lantang or friendly addressed as Via started her interest in music by seeing her friends who play guitar. She started learning to play guitar as well as bass, until she became a member of shoegaze band, HEALS. According to her interview with NYLON Indonesia in 2016, she also became a bassist in her former band. Filling in the position of bassist in this new band with her friends, Via isn’t shy to showcase her skills on stage. She also developed an interest in stage gears that could help her performance becomes flawless. HEALS have reached several milestones, including making an appearance at Laneway Festival Singapore 2018 recently as the representative from Indonesia. How about her style? We could say that she got her own style that possess a certain degree of edginess, quirkiness, as well as cuteness. We love the fact that she stays true with her short hair cut as well!
2. Irna from Humi Dumi
It’s true that Qanita Hasinah (Nitnot) is a show stealer with her vocals and fashionable style on Humi Dumi. But if you look closer to the side of the stage, you will find Irna playing her bass. Starting her love for music since the early age, Irna found her home in Surabaya’s folk pop band, Humi Dumi. Despite her small posture, you could not belittle her musical skill. She also proves that musical ability and beauty could also go hand in hand with intelligence. Irna is almost finished with her education as a dentist at University of Brawijaya, Malang. A doctor who could play music? Yes please!
3. Cinta from Peonies
Starting from the bottom, now we here is the perfect phrase for Cinta from Peonies. She started out as someone who could not play any musical instruments at all. With the help and encouragement from her bandmates in Peonies, Cinta learned to play bass and has enjoyed this position since the creation of this dream pop band hailing from Jakarta. Sometimes, skill can be gained through experience and determination. We certainly could look up to Cinta as the source of inspiration if you want to be in a band. Look out for Peonies’ releases within this year! She also isn’t shy of wearing out-of-this-world stage outfit while thumping her bass to the rhythm. Check out Peonies’ latest single called “Thin Holiday” here.
4. Dini Lestari from Soft Blood
The jangly dreamy pop group, Soft Blood, won’t be half the band as they are without Dini Lestari. The bassist who has the username ‘thelittlethunder’ on her IG was scouted as the second member of this band by its founder, Mirza P. Wardhana. In 2015, Soft Blood became a four-membered band before expanding into five with the addition of Andri Cahyaningtyas at synth in the following year. Dini Lestari matches the vibe of Soft Blood’s lo-fi sound with her subtle bass although sometimes it is overshadowed by the full reverb guitars. Still, this chick got what it takes. Her signature short hair cut and ombre hair will make you notice her from miles apart (althouth now Dini Lestari has grown out her hair). Soft Blood are preparing for their full-length release this year. You might want to check out their songs “Epitaph” and “The Shangri-La’s Journey”.
5. Anida from Dental Surf Combat/Sugarsting
One band isn’t enough for Anida to channel her talent as she is an active member of both Dental Surf Combat and Sugarsting. Being a bassist in these two projects with two different genres, Anida could switch her style when it’s needed. Dental Surf Combat is a hardcore punk band founded in 2014 and their mannerism on stage is out of this world. Jumping, screaming, and head-banging is only a part of their routine. In this project, Anida finds herself playing music with her boyfriend, Siddha. While, on Sugarsting, Anida plays alongside Ages, Suki and Peter. This time she tones down the action and presents an indie rock flair with a high dose of pop. Her bass play becomes more apparent in this band, proven on their single called “Chasing Pony” which was a split release with a band called Ache. Despite being in two bands with different genres, Anida is pretty constant on her style and fashion choice. Whether feminine, classy, sporty, gothic or casual, she could pull it off well!
6. Gisela Swaragita from Seahoarse
Hailing from Yogyakarta, Seahoarse were resurrected with the help of Jakarta’s record label, Kolibri Rekords. This band has been in the independent scene since 2015 and Gisela Swaragita is the frontwoman as well as the bassist. Besides being a badass bassist, Gisela also works as an English literature lecturer. Seahoarse’s dream pop tunes is not complete without Gisela’s bass. Listen to the band’s latest album called “Magical Object” here. Singing and playing bass at the same time is no big deal for this girl!
