Reality Club On Vulnerability, The Key To Longevity As Band, And The Creation Of Their 4th Album

If there’s one thing you need to know about Reality Club, it’s that they’re musicians who are unafraid to do things on their own terms.

For more than nine years and counting, the Jakarta-hailing indie pop hitmakers — consisting of vocalist and keyboardist Fathia “Chia” Izzati, drummer Era Patigo, vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter Faiz Novascotia Saripudin, and bassist Nugi Wicaksono — have steadily made a name for themselves, both within their local music scene in Indonesia and beyond.

Coupling the most emotive and deeply personal of lyrics with inclinations of reinventing and refining their sound, the band has always committed to being true to themselves, remaining steadfast in their beliefs while embracing growth and vulnerability as artists and as people. Ultimately, there’s no denying that they are living proof that staying true to who you are will naturally resonate with others. In the award-winning band’s case, it’s with millions of people across the world and counting, each one relating to their songs in the most unique, often unexpected and most beautiful of ways.

Now, as they are nearing their tenth year together, the band shows no sign of slowing down as they are set to release their fourth studio album Who Knows Where Life Will Take You? this August 27, 2025. Consisting of 13 unique tracks, the brand new record is the result of Reality Club pushing their artistic horizons further than ever before while simultaneously taking in and basking in the bliss of where their incredible journey has taken them so far.

Ahead of the album’s release, Billboard Philippines caught up with Reality Club during the band’s recent media trip to Manila last July. There, we dove into their process of creating Who Knows Where Life Will Take You?, as well as discussing the experience of being vulnerable with one’s music, their advice for younger acts just starting out, the key to longevity as a band, and more.

Billboard Philippines: First and foremost, welcome back to Manila!

It’s no secret that, outside of Indonesia, the Philippines is one of your biggest audiences overseas. You’ve even performed in Manila on two separate occasions already. How does it feel knowing that, through the years, more and more Filipinos are discovering your music?

Faiz: It’s very very touching. We always love coming back here. And you’re right! The Philippines is actually no. 2 in [terms of the number of] listeners we have in the world, statistically. 

And every time we come here, it’s not just about the statistics but the quality of the crowd, it’s always so lit. It’s always so fun! 

Chia: It’s always very energetic and very supportive. 

Faiz: Yes, and very welcoming!

Chia: We’re very happy that the Philippines has the second most listeners for us outside of Indonesia. 

2025 marks Reality Club’s ninth year together. Looking back on nearly 10 years together, what would you say is the most important lesson the band has learned that you believe new or younger artists should know about?

Chia: I think, over the years, we’ve really realized that each of us have different goals in life but, as a band, we need to have a strong goal together that we all believe in. 

Also, just like any relationship, communication is key. Like, those nine years, it doesn’t mean we haven’t fought or anything but we just know how to solve our issues well by now with understanding and trust. For instance, when I was pregnant and couldn’t do any gigs, these boys had to cover for me and when Faiz had to do his masters, we covered for him. So, it’s just trust and understanding of each other.

Nugi: Also, we came up with solutions that work well with the band. Like, what can we do? It’s a matter of thinking about solving the problem first.

Chia: Yes! 

Also, I think, for new bands, we realized that it could be quite hard because a lot of new bands and artists are coming out and debuting everyday, especially in this  digital age. But it’s also like a pro-and-con thing. Now, maybe they have it easier than back then but there’s also a lot of new artists. But, at the end of the day, if you really believe in your dream, you have to be ready for all the failures and not just the successes. We definitely went through a lot of hardships but also a lot of success as well. So, for new bands, just believe in your dream and stick with it!

Faiz: Consistency is important too. I think that’s what kills many bands — it’s when an artist isn’t consistent and the momentum drops. 

Also, I think that there’s a market for any kind of sound. So if you really like the stuff that you make, just keep believing in it and keep pursuing it. You don’t have to sound like “the next Reality Club.” You can sound like the band you’re gonna create. 

Era: You also have to understand the non-musical stuff. All the business and the marketing. Because, from a certain point-of-view, [being in a band] is kind of like being in a start-up company and our products are our music. So, how do we sell it? 

Nugi: Yeah! Definitely the what some people might call the “boring” part of music — the paperworks and whatnot. It’s just as important as the music itself. 

If you just wanna create music, that’s fine. But if you wanna go and continue into the market, those are the things that you have to be concerned about.

In terms of your journey together, the band has achieved a number of milestones through the years, including winning two AMI Awards, a number of albums, and multiple hit songs under your name. 

As you look towards your tenth anniversary as a band, what would you say is one goal that you would like to achieve together in the coming year?

Chia: For me, I definitely want to be able to play at an internationally renowned festival. It’s a big dream (chuckles) but maybe Glastonbury? Or Reading? Or Governors Ball? I wanna headline an international festival!

Faiz: I mean, winning a Grammy would be really cool. I think that would be the big cherry on top of the cake for a ten-year career so far.

Nugi: I want something big. I want something like, maybe we can turn our songs into a musical for our tenth year anniversary. Or maybe just a celebration concert for the tenth year of our career. I think that would be pretty awesome and we can do a lot of things for it. 

Era: Probably the same as everyone else. But for me, [it’s to] play with these guys until I physically can’t!

Speaking of albums, you’re releasing your fourth album at the end of August.

What was it like writing and recording this album? In particular, what did you learn from creating your third album Reality Club Presents… that you believe helped you in making this new one?

Chia: That’s a good question!

Faiz: This album is the coolest thing we’ve done so far in terms of production, for real. Because we recorded it in Bangkok for a whole month. It was live tracking for the first time so we got to see each other perform the songs in a big studio.

Chia: That’s why we completed it in Bangkok because that studio accommodates live tracking.

Faiz: Yeah, and we had amazing engineers and the studio was amazing as well. And then, we had collaborators as well. We flew in a guy from LA. We flew in two additional instrumentalists from Indonesia who frequently come along with us. We brought our producer from albums 2 and 3 along. So it was like we wanted to create a team where everyone can just collaborate and it was very free. Like, “Here’s song ideas and let’s play them together.” 

Also, we actually recorded the demos in Bali. We booked out a villa and we made a makeshift home studio and we just recorded the demos there. The whole process kinda took us out of our daily lives so we could focus on creating these songs. 

In terms of what we learned from album 3, so many!

I like to think of album 1 was just us being ourselves — just bedroom musicians with no knowledge of the industry, connections, no nothing. Just trying to make music, very DIY-like so it was kind of raw.

And then, for the second album, we wanted to be cool and edgy and sexy. So we had this dark rock sound. Then, for the third album, we wanted to flex our musical muscles. We tried to experiment with all these different genres and instruments. We had an orchestra for the first time. 

Now this album, our upcoming fourth album, we feel like we don’t wanna prove anything anymore. There’s nothing left to prove. Maybe because we won those awards. Maybe because we toured different countries. I mean, we still have big dreams but we were like, “Let’s get rid of the imposter syndrome. Let’s claim all these achievements that we have and just create!”

I think one thing I learned is that I kinda leveled up my storytelling in terms of lyricism. 

Oh, one big thing I think we learned as a band is more trust in each other. ‘Cause I felt like when we were doing the recordings, we barely had any notes for each other. We did have some ideas but it was different compared to album 2 and 3, where each of us would be more hands-on, like, “do this” or “do that.” But this time, it’s like, “go have fun! Do your thing! We know you’re really good at this.” It was a very natural progression.

Chia: I think also ‘cause we have different producers now. For the first three albums we only worked with one guy, Tama. This time around, we still have him but we also have two new producers. And, as Faiz said, this is our first time working with a foreign producer and it took so much time getting him here (laughs).

And this time, we’re independent again, without a label, so we had to do all of the administrative stuff, like the paperwork, the royalties, and discuss them all with his manager. So at the end of the day, it’s very gratifying to know that, “Oh wow, we did this as a band with all of our own knowledge.” We’re very proud of what we did back in Bangkok!

I think what’s different with this album is that every single one of us contributed a song, whereas Faiz would usually be the main songwriter. But this time around, Nugi has his first song, Era has a song, I have a couple songs, and Faiz, obviously, has songs. It’s something very different but very exciting as well. We’re just excited for everyone to hear the new album!

In that case, would you say that this album best represents Reality Club as you are now? 

Chia: As we are now? Yes!

Faiz: Oh, yes!

Era: Yes!

Nugi: Yes, of course!

On the topic of songwriting, Reality Club are known for often exploring different stories and themes of love in your songs. Your latest single “You’ll Find Lovers Like You and Me” is a very personal one, which details the emotionally complex possibility of finding love again after the end of a relationship.

How do you feel about sharing very vulnerable and true-to-life stories like these in your music? Do you ever feel any sort of fear or hesitation in doing so?

Faiz: I think when we’re creating, it’s a closed bubble of the people that you see here. And, fortunately, for me and everyone else as well, we created such a safe environment to share and create, that I never felt fear of sharing even my deepest, darkest thoughts and lowest points. And, because we’re creating in that bubble, we never really think about the other people, so I never really get scared of that.

The weird thing for me is, throughout all these years of making songs that are — you’re right — very personal, somehow, someway, people still relate to them, even if they’re weirdly specific! 

Chia: We share the same experiences (chuckles)!

Faiz: It’s just crazy! And it happens a lot!

Sometimes, I reference something that only pertains to me at that time but then someone would be talking about how it’s about their life or “Did you write the song for me?” And I’m just like, “Oh, that’s really interesting.” 

I think that, no matter how specific your experiences are, we’re all humans and, to some extent, someone out there will go through the same things you’re going through and feel the same way that you do. And I think it’s really nice to kind of give a voice for someone who’s like that. 

How about you guys? Do you ever feel scared?

Chia: Yeah, because Faiz is always such an open book (laughs). He’s mastered that. I mean, that’s why we have the first three albums. It’s basically his whole love life. So, I think, personally, Faiz has a level of openness and also nonchalance to people figuring out his love life. ‘Cause it’s very specific, like a relationship with different religions.

Nugi: Or about a birthday!

Chia: Yeah! We have a song about a person’s birthday, “2112” — the 21st of December. So, it’s very specific!

Faiz: But then other people who have birthdays on the same date, they think it’s about them too! 

Chia: Or our song “Alexandra” and they make it their own song.

Faiz: Like, “Oh, my crush’s name is also Alexandra!”

Chia: I think we’re also learning [to be open]. And I think Era has opened up so much. He has a song that was our single called “Not Today,” which is a song about mental health awareness. 

Era: Yes. Specifically, it was about my struggle with suicidal thoughts. I’m thankful for my bandmates for being welcoming with that topic.

Chia: I think that because, since the very beginning, as Faiz said, we’ve created this environment together as a band — this openness. Hence, we follow along with being very very open and when we create a song, we don’t really think about how the audience will perceive it. It’s just like, in the moment, “Let’s just create the song and think about that later!”

Nugi: And maybe just a statement to top it all off, I think most of the great works come out from the truest of intentions, from how we express ourselves when there’s no  ulterior motives or anything. Like, “I wanna make money from this” or something like that. And because of our safe space, we never really thought about those kinds of things. We just express our thoughts and then we just enhance them by doing music arrangements and whatnot, so they can be beautiful and artistic.

Finally, aside from your upcoming fourth album, what else can we expect from Reality Club for the rest of 2025? 

Chia: I think, first of all, since we’re so proud of this new album, we’re gonna promote it as much as possible. There’s 13 tracks on the album and we wanna make sure that each one gets a spotlight ‘cause every song is different and has their own universe. So, we’re definitely gonna keep on promoting the album for the rest of 2025. 

And hopefully, we can come back to Manila! And not just in Southeast Asia but a whole Asia tour and a North America tour again. We’ve also never been to Europe before as a band and we’ve also never explored Australia that much, so we’re want to spread our music! 

Nugi: World domination!

Chia: Exactly! World domination!

While waiting for the release of Reality Club’s Who Knows Where Life Will Take You?, listen to their third album Reality Club Presents… below: