SEAToday.com, Jakarta-Yogyakarta-based band Sheila on 7's plan to hold the "Tunggu Aku Di" concert was met with enthusiasm. The band, consisting of Duta (vocalist), Eross (guitarist), and Adam (bassist), will grace the stages in Samarinda, Makassar, Pekanbaru, Medan, and Bandung.

The enthusiasm seemed normal as Sheila on 7's fans are from multiple generations. However, such success wasn't achieved easily, as they struggled to be recognized in Indonesian music. Here's the story.

School kids like to do their hobby and have fun. Adam and Sakti, who went to different schools, feltthe same way. They didn't want their times at school in Yogyakarta went without anything special.

The desire to jump into the Yogyakarta school band scene emerged. The two asked Duta to tag along, as Adam and Duta used to participate in the Independence Day celebration in their housing complex as W.H.Y. Gank.

The songs they performed were those of world famous bands, Bon Jovi, Guns N' Roses, Oasis, and U2. The search of other personnel continued until they met Eross and Anton.

They agreed to rename the band to Sheila Gank, then Sheila on 7. Sheila was the name of Adam, Eross, and Duta's friend at school, while the number "7" represented the musical scale. The pop band was formed on May 6, 1996.

"One year after W.H.Y. Gank stopped performing, they met Eross (who became their lead guitarist later on). They decided to form a new band. Then, they met Anton the drummer that Eross introduced to them when they first practiced at a studio. After this first practice, they decided to name the band Sheilagank," as written on Sheilaon7.com.

Sheila on 7's Road to Success

Sheila on 7's existence at music festivals by performing other artists' songs didn't get into their heads. They started preparing songs of their own, such as "Kita", "Tertatih", "First Love", and "Dan" that were distributed to local radios in Yogyakarta.

Their effort paid off. "Kita" was popular among the people of Yogyakarta. Geronimo Radio revealed that the song "Kita" was very big, wowing producer and Sony Music Indonesia A&R Director Jan Djuhana.

He started showing interest in the band, asking Geronimo Radio to tell Sheila on 7 to send their demo to Sony Music Indonesia.

Eross and Adam went to Jakarta straight away with two economy seats on the train, due to their tight funds. The tickets were bought with the money they made with their performances as a band.

"I was impressed with their spirit and attitude. They were idealistic and were willing to struggle. They took the train, economy, with the money they made as a band," said Jan Djuhana as written by Frans Sartono in the book "Di Balik Bintang" (2022).

The two handed the demo consisting of six songs, "Kita", "Tertatih". "J.A.P", "For Awhile", "First Love", and "Sandra". Sony Music Indonesia was thrilled. They asked Sheila on 7 to give them more. Then, they asked all band members to go to Jakarta.

Duta, Adam, Eross, Sakti, and Anton were asked to record 17 new songs live, bringing the total to 21 songs. Jan gave them pocket money while they were in town.

Jan said, the Sheila on 7 personnel lived in Eross' relative's house in Rawamangun. They lived in one room together. Their struggle paid off, as Sony was interested in signing them.

"As the Sony Music Indonesia A&R Director, I felt sure with Sheila on 7. I wanted to sign them. We asked the band members to come to Jakarta to sign the contract and record. They were ecstatic, so was Sony Music," said Jan.

Out of the 21 songs they recorded, 10 made the cut. The 10 were "Kita", "Tertatih", "J.A.P", "Anugerah Terindah yang Pernah Kumiliki", "Pe De", "Dan", "Terlintas Dua Kata", "Berai", "Bobrok", and "Perhatikan, Rani!".

The 10 were compiled into the album "Sheila on 7" which was released in 1999. Sony didn't think much of the cover. They were sure that the songs themselves would sell.

At first, the marketing of the album didn't give back much. However, popularity and sales were achieved when the song "Kita" became a soundtrack for the film "Lupus Milenia" (1999). "Kita" then opened Sheila on 7's road to success.

Other Sheila on 7 songs were enjoyed throughout the country, such as "Anugerah Terindah yang Pernah Kumiliki" (The Most Beautiful Gift I've Ever Had) and "Dan". They continued proving that just like the song, they were indeed the best blessing that Indonesia has ever had.

Their songs blew up everywhere. The impact was huge. Their next albums were highly anticipated. "Kisah Klasik Untuk Masa Depan" (2000), "07 Des" (2002), "Pejantan Tangguh" (2004), "507" (2006), and others.