Advice for the aspiring creative dreaming of making it in the music scene. 

Go out and play your music. To anyone and any place who’d let you. Find a venue. Find a corner and play. Perform in front of people. It’s called busking, and It works. Just ask Dana Paulene.

I first saw Dana playing at Uptown Mall in BGC. Playing solo, an acoustic guitar strapped to her shoulder plugged into an amp, and her mic, singing E-heads. And I thought, “She’s good.” I noticed the degree of panache in which she sang other people’s songs. So I came up to her after she finished her set. It’s the record label man in me, you see? If you work in a music label, you do these things (and it's not weird that I just walk up to people and chat them up).

Anyway, it was a quick one in which I said: “hey, you do those songs nice. Do you have a demo or YT channel that I can check you performing?” And sure enough, Dana – a nice, polite young lady in her freshman year at Ateneo – had her YT channel and was good with her socials stocked with gig videos from all over. Dana was pretty much a busking pro at this point. This leads me to another pro tip: have your YT channel and socials running for anyone who wants to see you. You’ll be glad you have one if you come across these label types. Besides, who doesn’t have their channel these days

That encounter with Dana Paulene in one of her busking gigs eventually led to her signing up for Viva Records. It hasn’t taken long since that first meeting, but she’s released her debut single titled “Uod Love Story.” True to her busking roots, this mid-tempo song is built on her voice and acoustic guitar. A lilting, waltz-time ballad with a tinge of neo-folk and a smidgen of alt-pop attitude for flavor. A sample lyric goes: “huwag mong sasabihin / Na hindi kita mamahalin / kahit anong anyo ka man / ikaw pa rin ang pipiliin / kahit di pilitin.” Further description says it’s “a poignant tale of love’s complexities” that “resonates with anyone who’s navigated the heartache and hope that comes with romance.” In plain speak, it’s a good tune as far as new music debut goes. Especially considering that Dana Paulene went from playing sets in odd corners in malls and gigged her way to her first-ever release as a bonafide music act. Busking works, and chance favors the prepared mind.  

A long way from her K-pop stanning days is singer-songwriter rhodessa who’s just released her first EP titled “kiss.” rhodessa is still very much known as the girl behind the left-of-center hit “kisame.” Still, her EP hopes to show a tad more variety in style and substance when it comes to rhodessa, the music act. Tracks such as “Hoy ang manhid mo” and “Kiss” are miles away from the stark acoustic arrangements of previous releases but nevertheless see Rhodessa in good form. It’s a pop record, and an easy favorite is bouncy and alt-pop flavored “Ano ba talaga tayo?”  Meanwhile, “in the head” sees Rhodessa going non-Tagalog. It feels jarring at first, but her ruminating sentiments eventually connect like a newly broken-in sweater. Those looking for a “kisame” repeat might incline towards “jeep” but with a bit of a twist. In all, the “kiss” EP is rhodessa for her act two. Oh, and it’s always “rhodessa” with a small “r.”