Gentle soul that’s got the game in a chokehold — and Thee Marloes aren’t loosening their grip anytime soon. Fresh off wrapping summer in the silken sway of “I’d Be Lost,” the Indonesian trio return with “What’s On Your Mind,” a smoky, slow-burning confession that drips with late-night glamour. It’s the sound of flickering candles, cracked vinyl warmth, and hearts caught somewhere between ache and adoration — a reminder that nobody does longing quite like Thee Marloes.
When you first hear Thee Marloes, the sound feels familiar: heavy drums, a crooning guitar, and a voice that aches with the weight of love. But there’s something else—something unmistakably different. That’s when you realize this isn’t coming from Detroit or Memphis. It’s from Surabaya, Indonesia.
The trio—Natassya Sianturi on vocals and keys, Sinatrya “Raka” Dharaka on guitar, and Tommy Satwick on drums—craft a style of soul that’s both timeless and distinctly their own. Raka, raised on hip-hop and alternative rock, began writing songs after work with no clear plan. When he met Tommy, the two started playing wherever they could, DJing and sitting in with bands across Southeast Asia. Then, one night in 2019, they heard Natassya sing.
She’d grown up in a church choir, steeped in The Jackson 5 and Erykah Badu. Her voice carried both discipline and ease—the missing piece of their sound. Soon, the three were recording together in a home studio that became their sanctuary. With no template for Indonesian soul, they built one.
Their debut album, Perak, named for their Surabaya neighborhood, moves between languages and moods with rare fluidity. The single “Midnight Hotline” is a bright, danceable groove; “Beri Cinta Waktu,” sung in Indonesian, slows things to a soulful confession. The songs that follow—“I Know,” “Not Today,” “True Love”—reveal a band in full bloom.
When Big Crown Records reached out, the group was stunned. “We couldn’t believe it,” Natassya says. “It felt like a dream.”
What makes Thee Marloes special isn’t just where they’re from, but how they sound—warm, unhurried, and full of heart. Their music carries the rhythm of Surabaya but speaks a language everyone can understand.
