[Interview] Hi Mom! : <i>"Karena Hi Mom! punya misi diluar musik"</i>

Hi Mom! (left to right) : K, Mery, Drain, So hard so suck

Hi Mom! adalah harapan baru yang muncul dari scene musik di Surabaya. Namanya mulai mencuat diperbincangkan selepas demo Turning Point dibagi-bagikan secara terbatas kepada teman-teman dan beberapa media Surabaya. Dan semakin banyak dibicarakan ketika mereka mulai sering berpanggung, dan menampilkan performa live yang sangat menarik untuk disimak, dengan gloomy rock-alternative nya. Mereka memulai perjalanan musikalnya dari Mew katanya, dan sekarang mulai menapaki karakter musikal mereka sendiri, sembari menyebarkan pesan untuk lingkungan dan bumi yang lebih baik. Inilah K (vokal, gitar), So hard so suck (drum), Drain (gitar) dan Mery (bas), untuk Mellon Zine di pojokkan jalan di malam hari. Tepatnya sehabis sebuah show di sebuah kampus, dimana lapisan snare drum baru saja dibuat jebol oleh mereka. Haha.. Here is Hi Mom!

Gimana cerita pertama terbentuknya Hi Mom!?
Awalnya So hard so suck (So) sama Drain pingin nge-band, terus kita nyari vokalis, ganti-ganti lah kita udah nyoba Fadli, Once, udah pada nolak semua. hahahaha. akhirnya ketemu sama K, temen lama sih, tapi yang aku tau dia emang salah satu vokalis paling oke. akhirnya saya ajak, beliau bersedia, terus kita nyari lagi, nyari bassis. Udah nyoba Tetsu, Flea, pada gak mau juga. Terus akhirnya ketemu Mery, yang ternyata punya bakat luar biasa bagi kita. akhirnya ya terbentuklah Hi Mom! setelah menemukan Mery.

Kenapa namanya Hi Mom!?
K : Pertama kita bikin list nama-nama banyak, ada panglima sudirman lah apa lah, macem-macem, nah waktu itu ibuku lagi sakit, dipikir-pikir kenapa kok ga bikin sesuatu yang di dedikasikan buat ibu. akhirnya muncul Hi Mom! pertama So ga setuju sama nama itu,

Kenapa ga setuju?
So : Feeling aja, saya ga setuju
K : Ternyata belakangan emang ada nama band lain yang sama. Tapi akhirnya ya dipake nama Hi Mom!

Apa proyek terbaru Hi Mom! ? Album? Rekaman?
Mulai rekaman lagi, yang kemarin-kemarin di take ulang lagi. maunya sih ngerjain single terus dirilis.

Sebelumnya udah pernah ngeluarin single?
Ya itu kemarin demo Turning Point itu diputer di radio juga. sebenarnya kita juga ga berharap itu diputer di radio soalnya kan kualitasnya jelek. Kita tadinya cuman mau nyebar-nyebarin aja biar ada yang tau hi Mom. Ternyata diputer juga. Jadinya kan njomplang sama sound band-band lainnya, levelnya kurang. sebenarnya seneng sih lagunya diputer, tapi belum layak aja sebenarnya kualitas rekamannya.

Band atau musisi yang menurut kalian serupa atau mirip-mirip sama Hi Mom! apa?
So : Sebenarnya ga mirip-mirip banget, cuman aku merasa aja band ini seperti Hi Mom!, yaitu Vincent Vega, dan The Morning After. walaupun kalo didengerin lagunya beda, tapi ga tau saya kok merasa mirip.

Kebanyakan lirik kalian cerita soal apa?
K : Banyak. Sebagian besar tentang lingkungan, cinta yang dibelokkan, dilihat dari angle yang berbeda. kalo di analogikan sama social, alam itu masih bisa nyambung. kebanyakan juga dari protes tentang lingkungan hidup tapi yang ringan banget kita ga pingin menggurui juga, cuma mengingatkan.

Lick the TV sebenarnya cerita tentang apa sih? judulnya aneh….haha
K : Tentang betapa kita terbudakkan oleh TV. Jadi kita selalu melihat tv meniru tv akhirnya kita seperti menjilat tv. seperti itulah

Kenapa sekarang pake TV sebagai salah satu property panggung?
Awalnya kita pingin ada TV di panggung yang gambarnya kaya “semut” itu. Jadi ketika melihat Hi Mom!, jadi kaya melihat TV ber-semut itu, terpaku. Jadi kita ga berharap yang nonton Hi Mom! yang goyang, moshing, gitu enggak. udah cukup terhipnotis sama permainan kita aja. Aplaus juga ga berharap terlalu banyak. ketika orang lihat bisa menikmati ya udah. Selain itu Imaging hi mom juga, karakter. kita pake 2 tv, satunya untuk visual yang lain, satunya ya semut tadi.

Kenapa Hi Mom! kok begitu concern sama lingkungan?
Kalo kita hanya bermain musik tanpa ada arti khusus, percuma. Kalo kita lihat acara musik terus selesai udah, ga dapet apa-apa, cuma musiknya aja. Ketika ada pesan yang disampaikan, harapannya ada yang tergugah disitu. Inginnya seperti itu

Berarti kalian percaya kalo musik bisa mengubah dunia?
Sangat sangat percaya. For sure.

Mana yang menurut kalian lebih penting dan esensial, sering manggung atau bikin rilisan? Kenapa?
Saling menunjang sih… Keduanya penting. tapi kalo menurutku rilisan, setelah itu bonusnya manggung. Untuk bisa punya rilisan ya harus bikin lagu dulu. jadi karya dulu, baru rilis baru panggung.

Menurut saya, Band Surabaya seharusnya lebih berani bikin rilisan dengan kualitas yang bertanggung jawab. Menurut kalian?
Kurang berani apa kurang modal itu? hahaha..

Misal dibanding kota lain kan disini kurang produktif juga…
So : Surabaya terlalu luas sih, komunitasnya cenderung mencar. Masih ada sikut-sikutan. kalo kota lain bisa lebih support.
Lauretha : Dan itulah gunanya Mederline. saling support satu sama lain. karena disini kita pake azas kekeluargaan, kita bantu-bantu The Nobodies, Kick Larry, Papa Onta… (Mederline adalah sebuah management project, tempat Hi Mom! dkk bernaung, cek Myspace-nya disini)

Yang mana yang paling sesuai dengan Hi Mom!, band yang suka memandu penonton untuk bertepuk tangan dan menyuruh penonton ikut menyanyi, atau band yang cenderung menikmati permainan sendiri di panggung? Kenapa?
Enjoy dulu. Karena kalo kita ga enjoy penonton pasti juga enggak. tepukan penonton tuh bonus buat aku. Ga harus

K menjadi featured vocal di salah satu lagunya Vox, Hi Mom! sendiri apakah akan ada featuring ke depannya, kalo iya dengan siapa? atau pinginnya sama siapa?
Ada sih, salah satunya vega vox, temenku, Karjo dia bikin trip hop gitulah. Terus ini yang jual arumanis itu pake alat apa itu ya… Vintage Biola hahaha. Monostring…. Amir Smellstreet juga, Lala The Karyawan udah pernah.

Beberapa band (Koil, Naif) udah rilis album yang digratiskan. Apa pendapat kalian tentang hal tersebut? Apa kalian akan mungkin menggratiskan album juga? Langkah putus asa? Inovasi?
Inovasi ya enggak, karena sebelumnya udah pernah ada. sebenarnya karena mereka udah punya duit dan udah punya nama. Dapat duit dari manggung. Kalo kita sih masih ga bisa seperti itu. Tapi mau gak mau, kalo kita rilis single, pasti kita bolehin dibajak. Sebenarnya kita butuh duitnya, tapi karena kita hidup di indo ya susah. Kita juga ga rely on band untuk menghidupi diri, tapi kita yang menghidupi band kita.

Dilihat dari Myspace-nya Hi Mom! udah ada merchandise nih, bisa didapet dimana sih?
Bisa pesen di contact person Fitterhappier (031 60221504) atau Lauretha (0856 45157766). Limited edition, siapa cepat dia dapat, tiap edisi pasti ada yang special. Sekarang kita ada pin, stiker dan mini cd untuk 5 pembeli pertama.

Siapa band sepermainan kalian yang menurut kalian bagus, dan orang-orang harus mendengarkan lagu mereka?
K : Sebenarnya aku pingin bilang Sheila on 7 tapi ga sepermainan. Ya Vox, The Morning After, The Karyawan, Smell Street, The Nobodies, Ok Karaoke, Friday, The Illusion.

Seberapa jauh internet bisa membantu kalian membangun Hi Mom!?
Sangat sangat jauh membantu. internet adaah media publikasi yang murah, worldwide dan bisa bangun jaringan juga.

Apa yang diperlukan scene musik Surabaya agar bisa lebih maju?
So : Kerja sama. support each other. yang sudah berhasil membantu yang belum. batasan berhasil ya tau sendirilah..

Siapa contoh yang udah berhasil?
So : Blingsatan, NES, Devadata, Vox, Friday, kalo bisa saling membantu jadi regenerasi Surabaya kan ga mandek.

Kenapa orang harus mendengarkan Hi Mom!?
Kalo kita bilang Hi Mom! berbeda, kan klise banget ya. kita ga memaksa orang mendengarkan sih, cuman kita mau berbagi aja tentang musik kita. Karena Hi Mom! punya misi diluar musik juga, kita punya message untuk semua penduduk bumi. kita sudah going concern kenapa kalian tidak. Bukan bermaksud menggurui, atau mengkhotbahi tapi paling nggak bisa jadi menginspirasi. Jadi orang melihat kita concern sama sesuatu hal, harapannya yang melihat bisa berpikir juga untuk ikut concern.

Alfan : Kenapa tiap manggung selalu ada televisi?
Wes mari ccoookk… huahahahahaha kon nangdi ae ket mau…

Udah punya pacar semua?
Mery : Katanya si vokalis banyak digandrungi para lelaki. hahahahaha… jadi dia tuh banyak fans anak sma cowok cowok gitu, minta tanda tangan. hahahahaha…

Apakah orientasimu sudah berubah?
K : gak blass!!! (gak sama sekali!!!)

Kenapa kalian merekrut Mery?
Karena cewek. Kita mau menyampaikan kesetaraan gender, bahwa cewek juga bisa rockin. Akhirnya kita tanya ke teman-teman, ada cewek bisa main gitar apa enggak? Akhirnya kita ketemu Mery, Dia mau main bas, mau belajar yaudah. Akhirnya kita ngajarin Mery juga, pelan pelan banget. paling gak dia udah punya bakat, temponya konstan. Awalnya kita sempat stuck karena skillnya Mery gak berkembang, Sempat menghakimi Mery, dan sempat cari bassis baru juga, gak taunya pas nyoba lagi, kemampuan Mery udah banyak berkembang.

Berarti titik nadir juga ya waktu stuck itu..?
Sebenarnya iya. Sumpek juga waktu itu. Mery gak berkembang, ga bisa ngikutin permainan kita, padahal kita udah suruh latian seminggu 2 kali. Bas nya Mery itu kan basnya Drain, udah dia relain untuk di bawa Mery. Jadi sebenarnya Mery itu baru aja masuk ke dunia seperti ini. Waktu itu masih jaman jaman Matta band, dia suka senandung “kamu ketauan”, jadi kita melihat bahwa Mery sepertinya butuh banyak referensi. Akhirnya ada Placebo, Smashing Pumpkins yang dia bisa terima, ya udah enak. Pertama kali manggung, kostumnya Mery tuh udah, wah ancurlah, gilo kamu ngeliatnya mungkin. Sekarang idola laki-laki nih si Mery. Metamorfosa.

Okay, apa ekspektasi ke depan kalian tentang Hi Mom!?
Bisa diterima secara luas, dan semoga Hi Mom! semakin baik dari hari ke hari.

Thanks Hi Mom!
Sukses buat Mellon, kami dukung Mellon...
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Hi mom is the new hope that is popping from Surabaya music scene. It’s name start to rose and being talked since they gave away their Turning Point demo, to their friends and some local media. And being talked more after their recent gigs, that’s showing exciting live performance, with their gloomy rock-alternative approach. They begin their musical journey with Mew, and start to step in their own musical way now, while spreading messages for better environment earth. Here is K (vokal, gitar), So hard so suck (drum), Drain (gitar) dan Mery (bas), for Mellon Zine in the corner of the street at the midnight. Just right after their show in a college, where their drummer just broke a snare drum. Haha.. Here is Hi Mom!

How was Hi Mom! formed in the beginning?
At the first time, So hard so suck (So) and Drain just want to jamming in a band, then we start to look for vocalist. Then we met K, an old friend, but I knew he is one of the best. Finally I ask him to join, and he agreed. And then we look for a bassist, we met Mery, that have such a great talent for us, finally here is Hi Mom! right after Mery join us.

Why the name is Hi Mom!?
K : We have a set of name-list for our band, several names, and at that time, my mom is in a deep sick, I thought why we not make something dedicated to mother. Hi Mom! is popping right there. At the first time, So wasn’t agreed with the name.

Why won’t you agree?
So : I don’t know, just my feeling
K : And, there is a band who has the same name before, we knew this lately. But we still use the name, indeed.

What is Hi Mom! recent project at this time? Album? Record?
We start recording again, re-take previous songs. We would work for a single then released it.

Are you ever released a single before?
The last Turning Point demo was played by radio. Actually we don’t expect that to be played on the radio, because it low quality, we just want to spread it out so peoples know us. But, it was played. It made the sound so distinct with other bands, the level is not match. Actually, we are happy that our songs are played. But, it just not ready with such low-quality recording.

Which bands or musicians that you think its music sounds-like Hi Mom!?
So : This is my personal thought, its not that similar, but I just feels that those band like Hi Mom!, it’s Vincent Vega and The Morning After. Instead is not that same if you listen and compare the songs, but I don’t know I just thought it’s has similarity.

Mostly, what are you telling about in your lyrics?
Many things. Mostly about environment, love that turned, sighted from different angle. You could connect it with social or natural theme. Some more is protests about natural environment, but not that advanced, we don’t want teach anybody, only remind them.

Lick the TV, what is this song tell about?
It’s about, how slave-like we are by the TV. We always watch TV, follow them then we just like lick the TV. Like that.

Why are you use TV as one of your stage property?
K : At the first time we want a TV at our stage that show you a noise picture (just like TV picture that don’t catch any signals). So when you see Hi Mom!, you are numb with that noisy TV. We don’t expect our audiences to dance, moshing, not like that. Just hypnotized by our performance it’s enough. We don’t expect too much applause too, it’s a bonus for me, if audiences could enjoy our performance, then it’s enough.
So : It’s a part of Hi Mom! imagery to. We brought 2 TVs, the one is for visualization, the other is for that noisy TV.

Why are you so concern with natural environment issue?
If we just play music without any meanings, it’s wasteful. If you come to a musical show, then that’s it, you wont get anything. Only its music. If you have messages to spread, we hope we could make others to concern too.

Then you believe that music could change the world?
Strongly believe! For sure.

Which one that you think is more important and essensial, set show often or make releases? Why?
It’s help each others… Both is important. But I think is releases, then the bonus is gigs. But, to have a release you must made songs. So, song came first, then release then show.

In my opinion, bands in Surabaya should have more courage to made releases with good quality. What do you think?
They have less courage or less money? hahaha..

Compared to other cities, Surabaya is less productive right?
So : Surabaya just too big, so the community is spread widely. Then there is less supportive here.
Lauretha : So, that’s Mederline for. Support each other. Because we use a family-hood here, we help many bands like The Nobodies, Kick Larry, Papa Onta…. (Mederline is a management project, with some bands including Hi Mom! as the artists check their Myspace here)

Which one is match with Hi Mom!, guide audiences to clap and tell them to sing, or band that tend to enjoy its own performance in stage? Why?
K : Enjoy our self come first. Because if not, audiences wouldn’t enjoy us. Audiences applause is a bonus for me.

K is being featured vocal in one of Vox's song, in the future, will Hi Mom! set its own featured player? If yes, with who?
There is some plan, one of it is Vega of Vox, then friends of mine, Karjo, he made trip Hop music. Amir of Smellstreet, Lala of The Karyawan.

Some bands (Koil, Naif) released an album for free. What do you thought of this step? Desperate step? Innovation?
That’s not an innovation, there is some bands did it before. Actually they have the money and fame before. So, they got income from gigs. We couldn’t make such step. But, if we released a single, its okay if you re-distribute it freely. Actually we need the money, but is hard, because we live in such country. We not rely on this band to make a living, we live our band.

I look on your Myspace, there is merchandises set to sell, where can we get it?
Lauretha : You could call the contact person. It’s limited edition. Now we have pins, stickers and mini CD for first 5 buyers.

How far internet could help you build Hi Mom!?
Very helpful. Internet is low-cost and worldwide publication media, we can make network too.

What is needed by Surabaya music scene to move forward?
So : Teamwork. Support each other. The one who is been succeed help the others. The succeed line, you know it.

Who have been succeed?
So : Blingsatan, NES, Devadata, Vox, Friday, could helps each others, so the regeneration in Surabaya is not stopping.

Why peoples must listen to Hi Mom!?
It would be very cliché if we said Hi Mom! is different. We don’t push peoples to listen to us, we just want to share our music to peoples. Otherwise, Hi Mom! have a mission beside its music, we have messages to earth citizens. We are going concern, why you not? Not mention to teach everybody, but at least we could be an inspiration. So peoples see that Hi Mom! is going concern about some issue, we expect peoples who see us could think the same way.

Alfan : why is there televisions on your stage?
It’s been asked before. hahahahahaha… where have you been?

Do you guys have spouse?
Mery : Somehow the vocalist is much liked by men. hahahahahaha… He has much fans, high-school kids- boys, ask for autograph. naaahahahahaha…

K, is your sex orientation have been changed?
K : Not at all!!!!

Why you guys pick Mery as bassist?
Because she is a girl. We would like to mention about same gender-level, that girls could rockin too. Then we asked our friends, is there any girl could play guitar? Finally we met Mery, she willing to play bass, willing to learn. Then we told Mery to learn, slowly. At least she have the talent, she have constant tempo. Previously we ever stuck, because Mery’s skill is not growing, we told Mery, how was it, we set too seek another bassist, then we try again, and it’s work. Mery’s skill was going up and up.

It’s been a hard situation at that time?
Actually yes. Mery couldn’t stick to our play, instead we told her to practice twice a week. Mery’s bass is Drain’s property, he willing to hand the bass to Mery’s place. Mery been just in this bands and musical-scene-world very recently. That time, is where Matta band show up, she likes to humming on Matta bands song, so we thought she needs much references. Finally she has Placebo, Smashing Pumpkins, she accepts that, then it’s cool. At our first gig, Mery’s costume was very awful, you would disgusted to see it. But now she is an idol for those boys. Metamorphosis.

Okay, what is your future expectation on Hi Mom!?
Could be accepted widely. We hope Hi Mom! could be better form day to day.

Thanks Hi Mom! please if you have some words to make….
Success for Mellon, we support you..


*Interview by : Jay & Reno
*Words and translate by : Jay