Filipino rock bands played a huge role in the lives of people who grew up in the ‘90s, and up until now, people still enjoy their music.
These bands created songs in which each and every Filipino can relate to, whether it is about love, family, friends, and even our country.
Itchyworms -- the band behind the iconic songs “Akin Ka Na Lang,” “Beer,” and “Gusto Ko Lamang Sa Buhay” -- proved that their music still lives inside the hearts of Filipinos in this new generation of Original Pinoy Music after the success of the movie “Sid and Aya,” in which the soundtrack “Di Na Muli” sang by the band became another hit.
Chino Singson, the band’s lead guitarist, told the Manila Bulletin that it is a struggle in the age of social media to get people to be aware of their music and to notice their brand.
“For some people we're a nostalgia band, but I think ‘Di Na Muli’ has shown that we can still make music that everyone can relate to,” said Singson.
Meanwhile, the lead vocalist, drummer, piano, keyboards, and keytar player of the band Jazz Nicolas expressed that it is still a challenge for them to release new music since most of the people only wanted to hear their old hits.
“I sympathize when I watch a band I love and people just wait for them to sing their hits, and don't really care much for their new stuff,” he stated. “I guess it happens to a lot of artists. It can get a bit frustrating.”
“But it's a blessing that some of our true fans still know and appreciate the new stuff. And those are the people I love to play for,” Nicolas added.
For Jugs Jugueta, the band’s co-lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, percussion, and keyboards player, it is because of their passion to make music that made them determined to overcome challenges in the recording industry.
When asked about what keeps their passion for music burning throughout the years, Kelvin Yu, the bass guitarist of the band, shared that they never tire of music.
“Listening to it, creating it, and sharing it,” Yu explained. “It helps too that I absolutely love the people I work with -- my bandmates and our manager. If you love what you do and who you work with, you'll never get tired.”
Concurrently, Singson described creating music as “fun.”
“If making music were no longer fun, I think we wouldn't be doing it anymore. It's fun to make music, especially with people who have been your friends for a long time,” Singson expressed.
While for Nicolas, the experimentation in the studio and playing live with his bandmates may be always fun, it is the thirst for making better songs that kept him going.
Knowing that it is a struggle for a band to remain intact after 22 years, Jugueta spilled that the secret to their long-term relationship is starting out as friends then growing into a family.
“The Itchyworms is the best excuse I have to hang out with my friends. I mean, how often do you still see your college friends? Maybe twice or thrice a year? I see these guys maybe two to five times a week!” he shared.
Additionally, Singson enumerated the things and activities that they all enjoy together as a group.
“We watch movies and concerts together,” said Singson. “In 2008, we went to Singapore to watch the Police reunion tour. This October, some of us are going to Japan to watch Paul McCartney!”
“Most importantly, we eat together. They say that if a band can't eat together at the same table, there's something fundamentally wrong,” he continued.
“We're basically a family. We work to make our bonds stronger,” Singson added.
Yu supported what his co-member stated, saying that their “common love for eat-all-you-can hot pot buffets” is the reason for their unbreakable bond.
Furthermore, Nicolas explained that being together for a long time made them understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
“Nobody's perfect yet we respect each other. And we do what we do with a lot of love,” he expressed.
For their music, Nicolas and Singson mentioned that their songwriting became more mature over the years. In terms of arrangements, Jugueta shared that they made it fuller and more complex.
“We’ve incorporated keyboards, a sampler, and drum pads to our live sound, so the overall sound is thicker,” said Jugueta.
“We're still trying out different sounds and arrangements that we haven't done before. We each have a wide range of musical tastes that we still want to incorporate to our songs,” Nicolas added.
Today, Itchyworms is still touring the country and doing corporate shows, as well as school and bar gigs.
“We have a couple of new projects coming up -- one is a collab. More details soon!” Jugueta also revealed.
Moreover, Jugueta expressed that Itchyworms is “very happy and very thankful” knowing that the Filipinos have been enjoying their songs throughout the years.
“It's still an amazing feeling. I'm very thankful. It's a huge blessing that our music is still relevant to a lot of Filipinos, even the younger ones,” Nicolas continued.
“It's an absolute honor to give joy to our listeners. We're extremely happy to be purveyors of enjoyment through music,” Singson added.
“We are truly grateful and humbled by everyone's love and support for the band throughout the years. It's been quite a ride so far. We look forward to making more music for everyone to enjoy.” Yu concluded.
