Meet Aubrey Situmorang | Bass Player

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aubrey Situmorang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aubrey, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Balancing work and life, especially when you are an artist and musician, is real tough. Music, while being my life passion, is also the main source of my income. There were times when I feel burnt out and disconnected from my passion but still had to make music. Even though it was hard, I kept going and gave my best as a professional. Over time, I realized that in order to have a good quality in music and keep being passionate in it, I have to find happiness and be passionate in other things in life besides music. I love to spend time with friends, explore new local places, read books, enjoy sunsets, and the list goes on. Having a happy life outside of music helps me remember that I am a whole person first before a musician, and that makes it easier for me to have a balanced life and work.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m an Indonesian bass player living in Los Angeles, California. Growing up in Indonesia, I have been immersed in the western and eastern music cultures throughout my life, which helps me grow into being an intuitive musician full of creativity and great attention to detail. Since 2023, I have the honor of playing for notable artists such as Bipolar Sunshine, chlothegod, and SASAMI around the US. My recent performances with them included opening for Yeah Yeah Yeahs at the Huntington Bank Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois, opening for Soccer Mommy at Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco, California, and opening for TOKiMONSTA at Northern Nights Music Festival in Piercy, California. I am currently touring North America with The Life and Music of George Michael which I have been a part of since 2022, selling out theaters with capacity up to 3000 people. Beyond my live performances, I also released my debut album “One Point One” in 2021 which received a nomination for Best Jazz Album at Indonesia’s highest music awards Anugerah Musik Indonesia 2022.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take them to Downtown LA by Metro to check out The Last Bookstore, Grand Central Market, The Broad, and hopefully catch a show at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. We can also go to Echo Park where we can go to this cafe-bookstore called Stories or go see live music in many of Echo Park venues. Since we also have great Indonesian food in LA area, I would go to Borneo Eatery in San Gabriel Valley and Martabak Cafe in West Covina for the famous Indonesian sweet pancake.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a shoutout to my motherland Indonesia. I am proud to be an Indonesian bass player who is active in Los Angeles and US music scene. Being a young Asian woman in the industry means having the power to inspire people of minority out there that they can do what they put their minds into.

Website: https://www.aubreysitumorang.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aubreyplaysbass/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aubreyplaysbass

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/aubreysitumorang99

Image Credits
Alley Rutzel Nick Zinner Owen Nathanael Oscar De Leon