Off the street (corner), Cozy gets groovy on stage
By Danielle Bray
JAKARTA (JP): Intensely humid weather and a swarm of mosquitoes did not deter a crowd from forming on the hill behind the Aikon office in Kemang, South Jakarta.
A dedicated fan base gathered on July 18 for the rerelease celebration of Cozy, the first album produced by local band Cozy Street Corner. The band, comprising three friends in their mid twenties from Bogor in West Java, were the stars of their own backyard party.
The band's name is derived from their past jamming stage, a street corner in their local neighborhood. They attended the same high school and have been playing together since 1997. The boys lived on campus during their high school years, and found it difficult to find the right place to practice. They decided to take their music to the street corner, where they played from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m. almost daily.
Individually, the band members have diverse influences. Together, they mesh a sound that complements each other's tastes and ability. They attribute their unique collaboration to the influences of The Beatles, Bach, Dave Matthews Band and Deep Purple to name a few. This is a definite mixture of musical tastes that they successfully elaborate into their own style.
"Because of our different influences, our writing ability is strengthened. We are all working toward the same goal," said bass player Adoy.
They initially released Cozy under their own independent label. With minimal resources and funds, they were searching for a larger company to represent the band and help it grow. They gained the sponsorship of PT Sutera Indomusik, and rearranged their existing songs, added a couple of tracks, to rerelease a new, well-planned album of the same name. The outcome proved a success, with their music creating an easy-listening atmosphere.
The band took breaks between songs at the release party to answer questions from the audience. They briefly discussed their beginnings, influences and hopes. Through such a personal touch, it was apparent they were eager to create a unique voice in the Indonesian music scene.
Cozy Street Corner mixes both western and traditional influences on their album. Of the six songs on the demo tape, one is in English and the remainder in Indonesian. A traditional set of drums is used to accompany half the songs, giving them an Asian flavor. The other half has a distinct modern folk sound.
The band does not want to limit itself to a particular genre or musical style. Vocalist and guitarist Kris stated, "We are trying to promote the feeling of a street corner band with no classifications ... we want the audience to interpret our music in their own way".
One of the tracks, Hutan Hujan (Rain Forest), was written to promote conservation awareness in Indonesia. The song is accompanied by a set of traditional drums played by occasional band member, Agus. Kris belts out meaningful lyrics, while guitarist Boby whistles into the microphone and Adoy plays back- up guitar.
Cozy Street Corner promotes harmony and awareness, with its members boasting they are completely drug-free. "We drink lots of coffee and tea though, lots of it," Boby chuckled. The closeness of the band members is apparent in their music, their onstage demeanor and personal conversation.
The band has become Internet savvy, with a few of their tracks online. Being on the worldwide web promotes their music to Indonesians and other nationalities alike. The only drawback is the site is written in Indonesian, which limits the number of foreign fans who can understand what is said. However, it gives details of their upcoming performances and promotes feedback. Those interested should surf on over to www.cozystreetcorner.com and take a look.