There's a catchy tune that's been steadily gaining traction on social media over the past week.
With its viral release barely over a week ago, Nakakotse seems to be a promising debut for the newly-minted OPM band, Last Song Bea.
By now, the three-word refrain has given its listeners a severe case of LSS (Last Song Syndrome), as they inadvertently catch themselves humming the melody, or injecting their own lyrics to give it a playful twist.
The tune has become an anthem for the lovelorn, a "carless whisper" of sorts for most guys who had to grapple with validity issues during their teen years in their quest for love, or what seemed like it.
After all, in the race to any girl's heart, who hasn't experienced the heartbreak of losing to the
richer guy with the fancy car?
Believe it or not, the song was actually inspired by a true story, which imbues the song with a tinge of bittersweet realism.
Last Song Bea bandleader/lead vocalist Richard Parcia narrates, "It's a classic story of unrequited love that happened nearly two decades ago. A friend of ours lost his girl to someone with a Porsche. We ended up consoling him that same night and getting drunk with just two bottles of Ginebra and water, since we were broke and jobless then."
He adds, "Despite taking more than two decades for the song to finish, the core of the song was done during that fateful night of excess libation. However, the final version was only made on the week of the recording schedule. Everyone pitched their ideas. A significant contribution came from our producer, Robert Javier. It was Robert who 'painted' it. It's obviously a homage to our musical roots, a tribute to our early years. Someone told me that it sounded very '90s."
Buoyed by the positive feedback from fellow musicians and friends, Richard was also surprised by some listeners' reactions. He expounds, "One interesting comment though was that they were able to get its deeper meaning. The lyrics might be something pedestrian as unrequited affection but it can also be a song of acceptance and an appeal to continue living. As the French would often say, either in tragedy or triumph, c’est-la-vie."
The nostalgia factor also adds to the song's easy-listening vibe. Keen OPM aficionados can hear the clear reference to some '90s tunes—then popularized by such guitar-driven bands as the Eraserheads and True Faith, whose lyrics strongly echo the Pinoy psyche—the same kind of songs that would be a perfect staple for any barkada's after-hours jam or drinking spree.
With Richard at the frontline, Last Song Bea is also comprised of seasoned musicians from diverse fields, including Xyrus Judan (bass), Donie Dico (lead guitar), Mark Bambico (drums), Nimrod Lacquian (keyboards/guitar), and Erwin Dimaculangan (guitar/vocals).
Asked to define the band's tonal template, Richard elaborates, "We’re a product of different genres and generations, and that broad mix will dictate our sound. When Xyrus and I were still conceptualizing, we were sure that we wanted it to be a band that would perform onstage and relate to the audience. We want a sound that any listener can connect to. That philosophy, if I can call it that, is the basis of us not having a template. The consensus, though, is that our sound is on the easy listening side. But true to the philosophy, it will not be surprising if we do something loud or extremely saccharine."
Even the lingering pandemic hasn't doused the band's musical ambitions. Despite temporary setbacks in the recording process, Richard and his cohorts are inspired by their collective vision.
He admits, "While the band and our music is a deliberate effort, the consequences of restriction gave it a big push. It's a conscious decision though. I mean I can decide to just watch Netflix all the time. Or I can do the researching, listening, studying, and preparing for our next steps."
For their short-term goals, Richard shares, "We intend to finish the 4 other songs as part of the EP collection with Nakakotse. God-willing, live gigs will be allowed again and with that, we can be given a chance to share our music live."
Check out Nakakotse via Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Instagram/Facebook, TikTok/Resso, YouTube Music, Amazon, Soundtrack by Twitch, Pandora, Deezer, Tidal, iHeartRadio, ClaroMusica, Saavn, Boomplay, Anghami, KKBox, NetEase, Tencent, Triller (beta), Yandex Music (beta), MediaNet, Snapchat and Shazam. (Tinnie P. Esguerra)