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White Shoes and the Couples Company is not just another best-selling Indonesian pop band; they are also one of the country’s most widely respected musical groups.

Having been listed in a variety of notable international publications such as Spin, Yahoo and Rolling Stone, and having performed at many famous festivals and venues in the United States, the band has almost as many admirers abroad as they do in Indonesia.

And having their records released by Minty Fresh Records from Chicago, one of the larger independent music labels, only adds to their credibility as one of the few local acts that has truly penetrated the global music scene.

This year, the six-person band will add a European tour to their already-impressive resume, which will center around a performance at the MIDEM music conference in Cannes, France.

Retro and More

Formed in 2001, White Shoes and the Couples Company quickly garnered notice through their brand of retro-inspired sensibilities.

Mixing the classic-pop touch of 1950s and 1960s Western music with legendary local artists and composers such as Margie Segers and Indra Lesmana, then topping it all off with an aesthetic straight out of vintage Indonesian films, the band touched every aspect Indonesian music fans admired. They sounded catchy and looked great.

All of the band’s members — vocalist Aprilia Apsari, guitarists Rio Farabi and Saleh Husein, bass player Ricky Surya Virgana and keyboardist Aprimela Prawidyanti — were students at the Jakarta Art Institute (IKJ), which has spawned many of the country’s cutting edge musical acts. Centered on Aprilia and Rio’s musical endeavors, which moved between alternative rock and classic pop, the band’s seeds were planted when the pair decided to focus on a musical project that paid homage to acts of yesteryear.

Still, the retro tag isn’t something the band embraces. As Rio explains, “We just play what we feel comfortable with. We’ve never called ourselves retro, vintage, or whatever. From the Jackson 5 to [iconic Indonesian singer comedian-musician] Benyamin S, they can all be a good supplement to our music.”

The then-couple asked friends to complete the lineup, including Saleh, who brought a lively sensibility to the group. The trio called themselves White Shoes and The Couple Company, and played shows around the IKJ campus.

They were later joined by another couple, Ricky, an expert bassist, and keyboardist Mella. The final White Shoes lineup was completed with the addition of John, a percussion virtuoso whose precise jazzy touch elevated the band’s songs into complete arrangements. With another couple on board, the band changed the “Couple” in their name into “Couples,” and went gigging around the independent circuit, trying to build a name.

A song in the influential compilation soundtrack album for the film “Janji Joni” (“Joni’s Promise”), was their first big break.

Getting Hot

By 2005, the hype surrounding the band had grown massive, with their early singles and music videos getting play on radio and local TV. It helped that the band’s musicality matched its flawless presentation.

The White Shoes wanted to focus on writing good lyrics, something they felt was lacking in modern Indonesian music. Band manager Indra Ameng, a renowned local artist, says that the band referred to older composers such as Ismail Marzuki and Eros Djarot to get a sense of poetic writing.

“The ability to write lyrics that elevate a song is crucial,” Indra says. White Shoes released their self-titled debut album in 2006 through Aksara Records, with distribution help from major label Universal Records.

The album was a hit, selling 15,000 copies within a few months, a notable number for an independent release. It also garnered praise from the local and international media.

An International Wave
 
By 2007, Yahoo! America crowned the White Shoes the “Most Blog Worthy Band on The Planet,” and Rolling Stone listed them as “One of the 25 best bands in Myspace.” Meanwhile, allmusic.com listed the Shoes as one of the “25 Most Crushworthy Bands of 2006.”

The surrounding hype reached Minty Fresh Records, whose clients included well-known names such as Liz Phair and The Cardigans. The label signed the band that year.

“They actually knew of us through Myspace and then read all the accolades we had been getting. They contacted our then-label Aksara, and offered us a deal,” Rio explained.

The US version of the album was essentially the same as its Indonesian counterpart, with some rearranged tracks and edits. It sold an impressive 2000 copies in four months. Minty Fresh brought the band out to tour the US, playing at the CMJ music festival in New York.

The band kept the momentum going with the release of an EP titled “Skenario Masa Muda” (“Youth Scenario”), while their latest record was 2010’s “Vakansi,” which saw them branching out with sounds influenced by bossanova and afro-pop, among others. The record was again a critical and commercial success.

Indra says that the band only received the invitation to play Cannes in early November (the festival started Saturday), which made a quick fundraising show near their old campus necessary .

White Shoes also plans on touring the Netherlands on their way to Cannes, playing a total of four shows around Europe.

Indra said the band considers the tour an opportunity to expose their act to new audiences for a potentially new chapter in the White Shoes saga.