Louise Gem

Her soulful voice and the intensity of her emotions will definitely leave anyone speechless. Louise Gem is a California-based Filipina singer, and 2023 is shaping up to be a busy year for her. She is set to win the hearts of everyone with her debut single entitled “Lost for Words” under V81 Music. “It’s a love song. A song about moving on," Louise Gem shared. “Based ito sa journey ng composer na isinulat niya back then.” A song that will surely tug at your heartstrings, “Lost for Words” is about letting go of the person you thought you loved, and it conveys the indescribable feeling when that person has broken your heart. The song was composed by her good friend, Dada Lampitoc, also known as Tomboyce Avenue, a Filipina singer-songwriter who is also based in California. “Sabi niya sa akin… feeling ko this song is for you.”, she stated. “Kasi meron din similarities sa situation ko that recently happened. So, nakaka-relate ako. Louise Gem also revealed that it was her composer friend who encouraged her to go back to music and try to make her name out there in the United States. “Siya ang nagpush sa akin na maging active kumanta. Siya ang unang sumuporta sa akin na bumalik sa industry,'' she said. “Noong nag-offer sa akin ang V81 about the management and that I will release a single, sinabi ko agad sa kanya ang good news,'' she continued. “She offered the song to me. I asked her if she was willing because hindi pa siya nagsusulat or nagbibigay ng kanta para sa ibang artist. So, debut din niya ito. Ito ang pinaka-first song na binigay niya sa isang artist kaya I’m so honored.” She expressed her gratitude towards everyone who educated her and gave her the opportunity to be very hands-on in the recording experience. She reflected on the comprehensive nature of her involvement, stating, “I would say may phases pala ang ganito and it gave me the opportunity to at least work on my full potential not just by being an artist na mag-a-appear na lang sa recording room or aakyat na lang sa stage all set and ready to perform my debut single, but there’s absolutely more to it than that.”
The talented artist also highlighted the significance of her music degree and project management skills, enabling her to work effectively despite her limited experience in such endeavors. She explained, “My skill in performing is just one thing, but my degree in music did play a huge part, and my competence in project management gave me the ability to work in a structured manner kahit na this is my very first time to handle such projects like this.” “Prior recording, ito ‘yung nag-set ng meetings, timeframes, and milestones with the music producer,” she shared. “Ito rin ‘yung pinagawa ako ng reference playlist for the single para sa feel and I noted every single thing na I foresee para sa kanta.” She said that she wasn’t able to contain her excitement when she received the rough draft of the song. “Ito na-feel ko na gusto ko upuan lang ‘yung kanta ko kasi of course, this is the rough na I have been dreaming of hearing from scratch. The feel is basically different pero it was a dream come true.” Louise Gem also elaborated on the challenges and creative decisions she faced during the recording. “I did trial and error and end ko. I was practicing out of a recording ng boses ko to see what fits and ano ‘yung hindi okay. That said, I came up to a conclusion na mahirap pala ‘yung way na ‘yun. Haha! So, what I did is I utilized the GarageBand application sa computer kasi marunong naman ako mag-navigate ng basics ng digital audio workstation. ‘Yun lang, hindi lang ganoon ka in-depth. I was also able to finalize my creative ideas with the help of the songwriter, Tomboyce Avenue.” Reflecting on the recording experience, Louise Gem shared a heartwarming moment, “During the recording, I am stoked to be able to record with one respected artist ng reggae scene (Sensi Trails; Kaya Hall – K Skunk Productions) na very good friend ng composer ng ‘Lost for Words’ song (Tomboyce Avenue). So, ‘yung mga nakikinig sa akin na mga puti, noong una nasa labas sila ng studio. Tapos halfway through, pumasok sila. Gusto manood kasi gandang-ganda sila sa gawi ng song. Sabi nila wala pa raw mix ‘yung boses ko pero ibang-iba raw dating kaya naman nakakataba ng puso.”
The recording session lasted approximately four hours, during which they produced 30 stems/tracks with various variations for her final vocals as requested by the music producer. The experience was demanding but rewarding, as Louise Gem witnessed the enjoyment of everyone involved. “After ng recording, nakakatuwang marinig na ‘yung mga puti, they support the music na I am working on. It was very rewarding kasi at the end of the day, my only wish is na ‘yung debut single ko may have the ability to cater to all — regardless if anong market ito — whether it is Filipinos or not,'' she added. Offering her unique take on the recording process, Louise Gem shared her perspective. “Sa conclusion ko, it’s definitely easier to perform live than to record! Haha! Pero it’s one of the best experiences I ever had sa buhay ko. May this mark the first of many, pero my heart is full for having the experience in 360 cycles kasi ang dami kong natutunan and ang dami kong key takeaways. Itong kuwentong ito is just the recording experience itself, there’s more to it pa na falls concurrently along with this project, and I am grateful to be able to share ‘yung kaunting section lang na ito with everyone.” She said that she feels truly touched by all the love and encouragement that her supporters have been showering her throughout her music career. “I feel grateful kasi noong sinabi ko sa kanila iyong tungkol sa single, sobrang saya nila. Sabi nila… we support you, tiwala lang,'' she shared. “Nakakagaan sa pakiramdam na minsan may uncertainties ako na natatakot ako na baka walang pumansin, na baka walang makinig sa akin. Pero kapag naririnig mo na may mga taong sobrang excited para sa iyo na maglabas ka ng single … nakaka-inspire. I just hope that they will never ever change and that we will all grow stronger as we move forward.” Lost for Words is out now on all digital music streaming platforms under V81 Music.