Hilera members as composers, front and center
Published Jul 14, 2018 07:33 am
More than a decade in the music industry, rock band Hilera still uses one formula when writing songs: Teamwork.
Hilera (Photo by Kristianne Eugene Mayo/ManilaBulletin)
In an exclusive interview with Bulletin Entertainment, vocalist Chris Padilla, bassist Buddy Zabala, and drummer Bobby Padilla, said collaboration is key in everything they do; from lining up the lyrics for use and mulling over the melody of the songs they work on.
“You put words together and then hopefully it makes sense. And then there are times that there’s constraint ’cause you just come up with a four-minute song, nothing beyond that,” Buddy explained. “There’s a lot of editing involved.”
How long does it take them to write a song, we asked.
“Sometimes hours, sometimes years,” they said.
In fact their comeback single last year, “Insomnia,” which is a hook-laden song about heartbreak and sleepless nights, took a decade to complete. It took new bassist Buddy to join the group for rhyme and rhythm for that song to finally gel.
Most of their songs are based on personal experiences.
Together still, together forever
Asked to reveal the secret behind their longevity in the music business, Chris said it is passion.
“For me, you just have to find whatever gets you up in the morning and for me this (music) is what I do, this gets me up in the morning,” Buddy added.
Bobby declared he sees himself doing music until he grows old.
Recall that the brothers Chris and Bobby formed their own three-piece band with Ivan Garcia in late 2004. Then they joined the “Nescafe Soundskool Battle of the Bands” where they won the top spot and scored a recording contract with EMI Philippines. Unfortunately Ivan left the band due to personal reasons.
But since then, the band has been very active and has been nominated in various award shows such as the NU Rock Awards, Myx Music Awards, IFM Pinoy Music Awards, SOP (Pasiklaband), and other local award giving bodies.
Chris said disbanding is out of the question for them.
Bromance, quarrels
Of course, they’ve had their share of misunderstandings.
“I think that’s normal. People often say being in a band is like marriage,” Chris noted. “You need to work on your relationship, you know. Because how can you make good music when you’re not fine with each other, when you’re not talking about it (disagreements and misunderstandings)?”
Compromise is key to harmony, they pointed out.
“Of course, we don’t have the same perspective all the time. We each have our own taste in music, our individual dreams so we need to meet in the middle,” Chris related.
They shared that they do not see their band as a business that needed to sustain.
“Because this is what the band does, we love songs, we love to write song, we love to perform music,” they said.
What’s their advice to those who want to form a band?
“Practice. Work on your craft before anything else. Be serious with your profession if you want to be a professional musician,” Chris said. “So be serious, practice, and have fun.”
For Bobby, knowing what your heart really wants is important because “if you really want it, you won’t give up on it.”
Buddy added: “Make your song, indulge your passion. You should perform, and make yourself happy first and foremost. Once you love what you’re doing, chances are somebody out there would like it too.” (With report from Christelle Joyce Perez)
Hilera (Photo by Kristianne Eugene Mayo/ManilaBulletin)
In an exclusive interview with Bulletin Entertainment, vocalist Chris Padilla, bassist Buddy Zabala, and drummer Bobby Padilla, said collaboration is key in everything they do; from lining up the lyrics for use and mulling over the melody of the songs they work on.
“You put words together and then hopefully it makes sense. And then there are times that there’s constraint ’cause you just come up with a four-minute song, nothing beyond that,” Buddy explained. “There’s a lot of editing involved.”
How long does it take them to write a song, we asked.
“Sometimes hours, sometimes years,” they said.
In fact their comeback single last year, “Insomnia,” which is a hook-laden song about heartbreak and sleepless nights, took a decade to complete. It took new bassist Buddy to join the group for rhyme and rhythm for that song to finally gel.
Most of their songs are based on personal experiences.
Together still, together forever
Asked to reveal the secret behind their longevity in the music business, Chris said it is passion.
“For me, you just have to find whatever gets you up in the morning and for me this (music) is what I do, this gets me up in the morning,” Buddy added.
Bobby declared he sees himself doing music until he grows old.
Recall that the brothers Chris and Bobby formed their own three-piece band with Ivan Garcia in late 2004. Then they joined the “Nescafe Soundskool Battle of the Bands” where they won the top spot and scored a recording contract with EMI Philippines. Unfortunately Ivan left the band due to personal reasons.
But since then, the band has been very active and has been nominated in various award shows such as the NU Rock Awards, Myx Music Awards, IFM Pinoy Music Awards, SOP (Pasiklaband), and other local award giving bodies.
Chris said disbanding is out of the question for them.
Bromance, quarrels
Of course, they’ve had their share of misunderstandings.
“I think that’s normal. People often say being in a band is like marriage,” Chris noted. “You need to work on your relationship, you know. Because how can you make good music when you’re not fine with each other, when you’re not talking about it (disagreements and misunderstandings)?”
Compromise is key to harmony, they pointed out.
“Of course, we don’t have the same perspective all the time. We each have our own taste in music, our individual dreams so we need to meet in the middle,” Chris related.
They shared that they do not see their band as a business that needed to sustain.
“Because this is what the band does, we love songs, we love to write song, we love to perform music,” they said.
What’s their advice to those who want to form a band?
“Practice. Work on your craft before anything else. Be serious with your profession if you want to be a professional musician,” Chris said. “So be serious, practice, and have fun.”
For Bobby, knowing what your heart really wants is important because “if you really want it, you won’t give up on it.”
Buddy added: “Make your song, indulge your passion. You should perform, and make yourself happy first and foremost. Once you love what you’re doing, chances are somebody out there would like it too.” (With report from Christelle Joyce Perez)