AIYANA: The Bloom That Refused to Wilt
Some bands are born in garages. Some in the flicker of a dream. And others, like Aiyana, were born in a haze of riffs, bar gigs, and quiet conviction — somewhere in the cool air of Tagaytay, where the fog never fully lifts but the music finds a way to rise. Formed in 2021, Aiyana […]
From JS Proms to Dream Stages: The Heartbeat Behind LunarLights
When you’re young, playing at your college prom feels like the peak of the dream. You set up, strum a few chords, the crowd yells, and for one brief, glorious moment—you’re somebody. But for LunarLights, that moment didn’t end when the lights dimmed and the decorations came down. It was just the start of a decade-long ride […]
ELEYN: From Studio Tambays to Stage Takeovers
“Hoy grabe, baka isulat ni Issa ‘yan!” Elaine blurts out in the middle of laughter, her voice half-laughing, half-hysterical. The rest of the band howls, trying (and failing) to keep a straight face over Zoom. You know you’re not just talking to a band—you’re catching up with a barkada na walang filter, walang arte, and […]
Breē: Dreamy Soundscapes, Midnight Drives, and Songs That Feel Like Shelter
In a local indie scene that’s as restless as it is noisy, Breē offers something else entirely—an ambient, slow-burning sanctuary of sound. Their music doesn’t scream for attention. It waits. Patiently. Like a friend in the passenger seat of a quiet drive home. And when you finally listen—really listen—it’s like finding a letter you forgot […]
Freddie Aguilar: OPM Icon,Now at Rest
Today, the Philippines mourns the loss of one of its most iconic voices. Freddie Aguilar, known affectionately as “Ka Freddie,” passed away at the age of 72 at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City. His death marks the end of an era for Original Pilipino Music (OPM), but his legacy will continue to resonate through […]
FIGVRA: Songs Made of Scars, Stories, and Shared Chaos
Some bands are born in garages. Others form in the haze of drunken parties or from the disbanding of earlier dreams. FIGVRA began at home—literally. The name “FIGVRA” (pronounced as “figura”) came out of a casual discussion at home between Josh and his partner Zab. They were kicking around ideas with their original bandmates, searching […]
Meet LEM and the Part-Time Lovers: Manila’s Newest Indie Soul-Rock Collective Built on Chemistry and Chance
If you’ve ever stumbled into a live gig in Manila’s indie scene—maybe a dimly lit bar in Saguijo, or a tucked-away stage in QC—you might’ve already heard that voice. Soulful. Storytelling. Unshakably sincere. That’s LEM David, the singer-songwriter who quietly built a following with acoustic sets that hit harder than they should. But these days, […]
Freefall: The Art of Letting Go, and Letting It Rock
There’s something magical about a band that started “just for fun” and stuck around because it felt like breathing. Meet Freefall, a three-piece alternative pop-punk band from San Rafael, Bulacan—composed of Kevin David on vocals and guitars, Kiko Guanzon on drums, and Chic Muñoz on bass. More than a decade in, they still carry that […]
The Origins of ŌJO: A Filipino Rock Band Born in Pampanga
“Back in 2016, Pepperbones pa pangalan namin—meme band lang talaga kami.” Robi laughs as he says it, the kind of laugh that tells you he’s told this story more than once, but it never gets old. Across from him, Aadritch leans back, already chuckling before he even adds, “Nagpa-practice lang kami noon. Cover ng Franco, […]
YUGEN: From Campus Contenders to Emo Pop Punk Torchbearers
It started with four names—Judy, Kyne, David, and Jonathan—representing their school in the Cluster Finals of a Battle of the Bands. What began as a one-time school gig quickly grew into something more. After the competition, the group realized they shared the same fiery passion for music. The spark was too strong to ignore, and […]