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Fifteen years after releasing its debut album in 2009, New Jersey native Indie rock band Real Estate is still going stronger than ever.
This year, in particular, is quite special. The band recently released its sixth studio album, Daniel, and will grace the stage of Joyland Festival 2024 in Jakarta on Nov. 22-24, marking its first-ever performance in Indonesia.
What's the secret to its enduring success?
Speaking with The Jakarta Post, the band’s lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Martin Courtney, shared his thoughts on Real Estate’s decorated career.
“Our bassist, Alex Bleeker, and I started in middle school. That friendship sort of grew with the other guys in the band. Our shared appreciation for the same kind of music became the foundation of our bond as a team.”
Even with their success, Martin emphasizes that they continue to enjoy jamming and having fun with the band.
“We always keep going. We find ways to make our dream job work. I’ve always wanted us to be the type of band that has lots of records and a long career, and I look up to artists like that.”
When things get difficult, all the members share a collective drive never to throw in the towel.
A change in ways
Over the course of Real Estate’s career, the music industry changed significantly with the rise of streaming platforms like Spotify and YouTube, which democratized distribution.
“We started in 2008. It was during the transitional phase when sharing MP3s like Napster had already passed. The idea of paying for music, like physical records, was already alien to many youths, and we understood this.”
Real Estate has gained a strong foothold because of digital distribution. If the band started at a different time, it arguably might not have been as successful.
“It’s been made even more accessible now, and it's easier to get an audience, which is great. But at the same time, it’s definitely harder to make money now,” Martin explains.
Describing his thoughts as ambivalent, Martin notes that there is a disconnect between the metrics shown on platforms like Spotify and the revenue that independent bands receive.
“Our numbers are pretty good on streaming. But musicians should see it as a tool to get their music out there. Buying a band’s merch and watching them live on tour is still the best way to support musicians. In that sense, the music industry hasn’t changed much for us.”
The sixth wonder of an album
Real Estate’s latest album, Daniel, a light collection of pop songs, was released in February this year.
“We wanted to make a record that reminds us of our favorite albums in middle school. We wanted to tap into that feeling of buying a CD at the record store during the 90s,” Martin explains.
The songs are fun for them to play and fun for their audience to watch live.
“That’s sort of the idea of the album. It's not too serious, you know? Calling the album Daniel was part of that concept; we thought it would be kind of funny to name it like a person. It felt right.”
Playing in Joyland
Making their debut performance on the opposite side of the world, Martin shares his excitement.
“We’ve been lucky enough to visit Australia. We’ve been to Japan a few times, but never Indonesia. I remember being really surprised initially. It's crazy to think that there are people so far away who have heard of my band and like our music!”
With different cultures, the Real Estate crowds across the roster of countries are certainly diverse, but they are always united in tune.
“Some crowds are quieter while we're playing because they’re really listening. In some other cities, crowds are loud and they sing along,” Martin says.
“They’re all great! But whenever we finish our set, we get off stage and start talking to some of the crowd members, signing CDs and whatnot, we see that everybody’s just similarly excited about our music. We're just happy to see that there are passionate music lovers everywhere.”
Aqraa Sagir is a writer for The Jakarta Post's Creative Desk. He’s chronically online in the hope it will be a useful asset for the job.
