Indonesia is home to thousands of talented music talents with various styles in it. Big names in the country’s music scene emerged through various channels, starting from talent searches, big music labels, to the latest Indonesian indie bands in 2023 who have pursued their careers independently from the beginning until now.
Curious about which indie bands are on the radar in 2023? Here is the complete list!
Latest Indonesian Indie Bands
Indie bands are independent music groups that are not affiliated with major music labels. They tend to produce original, experimental, and different music from mainstream music. Although not many Indonesian indie bands have become popular, the following names must be familiar to your ears!
1. Hindia
Hindia is one of the indie bands that is currently on the rise in Indonesia. The band initiated by Baskara Putra has a unique musical style with a strong pop and folk feel.
Hindia has an extraordinary ability in processing poetic lyrics that are full of meaning. Their songs are inspired by life experiences and everyday events so that they are considered relatable to the conditions of many people.
Through their various works that are in accordance with the conditions of many people, Hindia has succeeded in producing several hits with more than one hundred million plays such as “Evaluasi”, “Rumah ke Rumah”, and “Secukupnya”. In addition, their popularity is also very high with more than 8 million monthly listeners at the time this article was written.
2. Feast
The band .Feast is in the spotlight in the Indonesian music industry because of its energetic music and strong lyrics. Formed in 2012, .Feast consists of four people with different backgrounds. They combine various music genres such as hip-hop, rock, and punk, creating a unique sound that is different from other Indonesian indie bands.
In recent years, .Feast has become one of the most popular indie bands with over 700 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify. In addition, they also have a myriad of hit songs with some of them successfully getting more than 20 million plays such as “Peradaban”, “Berita Hilang”, and “Kami Belum Tahu”.
3. Efek Rumah Kaca
Efek Rumah Kaca has carved its name in the Indonesian music industry with experimental music and profound lyrics. The band, which has been around for more than two decades, often raises social and political issues such as corruption and injustice in Indonesia.
Now, Efek Rumah Kaca is perched as one of the most popular Indonesian Indie bands with more than 586 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify. In addition, they also have several hits that have been played up to 30 million times such as “Desember”, “Sebelah Mata”, and “Cinta Melulu”.
4. The Panturas
No less popular than the previous bands, The Panturas is also very popular with its ability to combine various music genres at once. First established in 2015, this latest Indonesian indie band has managed to achieve very high popularity.
At the time of writing, they have more than 569 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify. In addition, some of their works such as “Sunshine”, “Gelora”, and “Tafsir Mistik” have also become very popular with more than 10 million plays on Spotify.
5. Banda Neira
Banda Neira is an Indonesian indie band known for its folk, pop, and rock music. The group consists of two people, Rara Sekar and Ananda Badudu, who are talented in creating music with poetic and beautiful lyrics. Banda Neira’s music is often considered a work of art that takes its listeners on a journey through heart-touching music.
Through this ability, Banda Neira’s works have become hangouts for music lovers in Indonesia. Now, they have more than 2.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify with several singles such as “Sampai Jadi Debu”, “Yang Patah Tumbuh, Yang Hilang Berganti”, and “Hujan di Mimpi” having been played tens of millions of times.
6. Payung Teduh (Kini Parade Hujan)
Who doesn’t know this music group? Consisting of five members, Payung Teduh is one of the most popular indie bands in Indonesia. Their music has a distinctive feel with a touch of various traditional instruments such as kentrung and ukulele in their musical arrangements.
Through this uniqueness, Payung Teduh has succeeded in producing several hits such as “Untuk Perempuan yang Sedang Dalam Peluk”, and “Akad” which have been played more than 100 million times. In addition, their popularity continues to increase from year to year with more than 4.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
7. Fourtwnty
Fourtwnty is an indie band that combines music with simple lyrics but contains deep life messages. Their music often has a folk and pop feel, using instruments such as guitar, ukulele, and bass.
Fourtwnty is best at presenting songs with relaxed lyrics that are suitable for accompanying afternoon hangouts. Through this ability, they have succeeded in having 3.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify with several hit singles such as “Hitam Putih”, “Zona Nyaman”, and “Aku Tenang” which have been played more than 80 million times.
8. The Upstairs
Fronted by eccentric musician Jimi Multhazam, The Upstairs is the next most popular Indonesian indie band on Dewatiket’s radar. First established in 2001, this music group continues to exist and is loved by its fans.
Currently, The Upstairs has more than 232 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify. In addition, they have also succeeded in producing many popular works, some of which are “Matraman”, “Disko Darurat”, and “Terekam” which have been played millions of times.
9. Reality Club
Talking about Indonesian Indie bands, the name Reality Club certainly cannot be missed from the list. First established in 2016, this music group led by Fathia Izzati and friends has succeeded in giving a new color to the Indonesian music scene.
They are the most famous indie-rock band in Indonesia with more than 3.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify. In addition, Reality Club has also had several very popular hits such as “Anything You Want”, “Alexandra”, and “Is It The Answer”.
10. Barasuara
Finally, the name of the newest Indonesian indie band that you should know is Barasuara. Although they were only founded in 2015, they have created many works that are loved by Indonesian music lovers. In addition, Barasuara is also known for its stunning and energetic live performances, so it is no wonder that every show is always stormed by thousands of spectators.
Now, Barasuara is still growing with more than 175 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify. Even so, they have managed to produce several works that have been played millions of times such as “Mengkunci Ingatan”, “Pikiran dan Perjalanan”, and “Sendi Melagu”.
Who is Your Favorite Latest Indonesian Indie Band?
That’s a complete explanation of the list of the latest Indonesian indie bands that are very popular. Starting from Hindia, .Feast, Efek Rumah Kaca, to Barasuara, they have succeeded in having very high monthly listeners on Spotify.
However, based on the discussion above, it must be admitted that Hindia is the most popular Indonesian indie band today with more than 8 million monthly listeners on Spotify. So, from the list of indie bands in this article, which one is your favorite?