The band's name, "J-Rocks", comes from "J" representing their origin, Jakarta; and "Rockstar" because they wanted their fans to be called “Rockstars”.[4]
In 2004, J-Rocks won in a Jakarta music competition Nescafe Get Started, sponsored by record label Aquarius Musikindo.[3] Their victory enabled them to contribute in a compilation album, Nescafe Get Started. The label released their debut album, Topeng Sahabat, in 2005. They contributed two songs on the soundtrack album of the motion picture Dealova: "Serba Salah" and "Into The Silent".
The band started to gain popularity since their second album, Spirit, in 2007. They played a variety of musical styles in the album, including: rock 'n roll, waltz, symphonic metal, blues, classical music, and others. In the single "Kau Curi Lagi", they collaborated with a female guitarist, Prisa Rianzi. They also made a music video in Japan for the single "Juwita Hati". It was handled by music video director Hedy Suryawan. Some regions in Japan, including Shibuya and Harajuku were used as the shooting location. That music video has increased J-Rocks' popularity quite significantly in Indonesia.
J-Rocks were the first Indonesian band to record at Abbey Road Studios in the United Kingdom. From 12 to 16 October 2008, they recorded and mixed songs with sound engineer Chris Butler. The result was their five-song EP, Road to Abbey, released in 2009.[3] The album cover portrayed band members crossing Abbey Road's zebra cross, imitating The Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road.[7]
