Photo by Dorota Miko After serving in the IDF, many young Israelis embark on extended trips around the world before enrolling in university, starting a job and settling down. This is how Roy Bartal and Noi Agam met while traveling in Mexico. They became a couple and quickly discovered they shared a similar taste in music and a love for singing.
After returning from Mexico, Bartal proposed starting a band. While Agam was initially hesitant, Bartal’s enthusiasm won her over. “We love the same music, but when he first suggested it, I was a little scared,” Agam said. “But he persuaded me.”
Calling themselves RGB, they released an EP, “In Sight,” in 2020, but realized they needed something to fill out their sound. I knew Alon Kenett from high school and immediately thought of him”
Kenett, who spent two years as the keyboard players for Israeli pop star Omer Adam, not only expanded RGB’s musical palette, but he brought his experiences as a professional musician. With Kenett on keyboardsand producing and Agam and Bartal as singers and songwriters, they invested all their time, effort and money into their band and this month, they released their second album, “A Place For Lovers.” The album’s themes of resilience and emotional exploration gain even deeper meaning in the wake of the violence and upheaval following Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza.
Agam explained that “RGB has always been about offering comfort and hope. We all face hardships in life and love, but we believe things will eventually be okay. The three of us — Roy, Alon and I— are committed to making music that feels like a warm embrace, something that leaves listeners feeling better after they hear it.”
“The three of us — Roy, Alon and I — are committed to making music that feels like a warm embrace, something that leaves listeners feeling better after they hear it.” – Noi Agam
While “A Place for Lovers” has a breezy, lightly syncopated pop sound, Agam explained that it was inspired by a difficult year in her relationship with Bartal. “Life isn’t always what you thought it would be and our message is to hold on to light and love. We are all on a journey from night to day and in the end, we find the sun.”
Although the songs were written before Oct. 7, they resonate even more deeply now. “Since Oct. 7, I feel more and more how these songs relate to what’s happening today,” Bartal said in a Zoom interview with The Journal. “There are lyrics in the song ‘Parties’ that really strike a chord — it connects to the hostages and wanting to see them out in the sun.”
“A Place For Lovers,” includes the previously released singles “Parties,” “Write About You,” “iCare” and “Unhappy,” alongside their latest single, “Green.”
The songs form a continuous narrative, charting the emotional highs and lows of Bartal and Agam’s personal love story. The trio introduced the album earlier in the year with “Unhappy,” infectious track whose jaunty melody and danceable groove contrasts with its narrative of struggling to escape sadness. “iCare” is an edgy, percussive critique of the world’s numbness toward others’ suffering.
The upbeat “Write About You” celebrates life, passion and love, while “Parties” tells the story of feeling lonely amid others’ joy. The latest single, “Green,” is a moody, soulful ballad about battling inner toxicity and recognizing that depression can eventually lead to growth, much like the change of seasons.
On GTV (Green TV), which can be seen on YouTube, RGB creates whimsical, dreamlike videos that reflect the playful side of their work. The describe it as evoking “the feeling of falling asleep in front of a TV, where dreams blend with the images onscreen.” The trio has also made performance videos for their singles, including visuals further exploring the themes of their songs.
Even though all three members are Israeli, they write and sing their songs in English. “Most of our audience is actually abroad, not in Israel,” said Kenett. “I checked Spotify and we have 3,000 listeners in Mexico, along with some in Brazil, the U.S., Japan and other parts of the world. It’s great to see our music reaching so many people in different corners of the world.”
Even with the success they’ve found, RGB still has to work day jobs to make ends meet. Agam works at the Israeli equivalent of DoorDash, and Bartal works at a startup, but both pour their energy into the band outside of work hours. “I get up at 7 a.m., work until 6 or 7 p.m., then spend the rest of the time on the band,” Bartal shared. “I hardly sleep —sometimes only three hours a night — but it’s fine, I enjoy what we are doing.” Kenett works on a different schedule. ’“My day job performing with Israeli artists happens to be at night,” he said. “In contrast to Noi and Roy schedule, who work during the day, but we make it work, this is our passion in life and this band is what drives me.”
On Tuesday, October 1, RGB will perform at Hotel Ziggy (8462 W. Sunset Blvd) and on Thursday, October 3 at Bar Lubitsch (7702 Santa Monica Blvd) as part of the “We Found New Music” showcase series.
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