GMA Playlist continues to pave the way for more local bands to showcase their talents to a wider audience.

During the "Playlist Sessions Lokal" hosted by Bridgify Studio in partnership with MEJO Bar, several indie bands took center stage to perform their original songs.

Among them is Butuan native Hans Kaiser, a singer-songwriter who began his musical journey performing at open mic nights.

"We did our first-ever open mics in Mejo in 2024. I think it was July or something like that. Tapos na open mic ako. After that, they offered me to do a whole set. And that was my first ever gig," Hans shared.

Taking a leap of faith, Hans admitted he experienced a bit of culture shock when he moved to Manila.

"Music is everywhere—every place has its own small music scene. But when I got here, it felt like the center of music to me. I got to experience it alongside so many people, and the first gig I ever watched was at a Takeover show, so it was a huge culture shock for me."

"What really stood out was the tight-knit scene—everyone seemed to know each other. I was amazed by how many people showed up and how much value they placed on live music. That was something really special to see," he shared.

From doing cover songs to building the courage to write his own, Hans weaves English, Bisaya, and Tagalog in his tunes as part of an effort to connect places he calls home.

Though still early in his journey, Hans hopes to widen his musical horizons and eventually collaborate with established artists like Ben&Ben.

"You can never really tell in this industry. But if I’m being optimistic about my goals, I hope to have more songs out, maybe even a couple of albums, and to be playing at more venues. Most of all, I hope I’m still doing this and that everything continues to grow—the music, the venues, and the crowd," he said.

Aside from Hans, the event also featured The Thinkers, a rock trio, who are now also making noise on international radio.

Originally formed in October 2022, Troy, Anthony, and Yanna are seasoned figures in the Philippine underground music scene. They describe their songs as direct, simple, and rock-driven.

Their single "Hey! Wait!" already made a mark across the UK, Latin America, and Central America.

"Nung na-conceptualize ko yung The Thinkers, international talaga yung naisip ko kaya lahat ng songs naman ay English. When the three of us released the songs we had recorded, our manager also came on board. She worked hard to pitch our music overseas, and fortunately, we received positive responses. Some stations even gave our songs radio airplay," Troy mentioned.

Gaining fans and listeners from the other side of the world was a surreal moment for the group.

"Sa totoo lang, it's still surreal, it's been two years nung nagkaroon kami ng interviews sa ibang bansa. Parang hindi pa rin kami makapaniwala na dati ang goal lang namin is marinig yung songs namin dito sa Manila, but the fact that US college radios are playing our songs is surreal," Anthony shared.

The Thinkers are aiming to build on that and achieve more global hits in the near future.

"Of course, our goal is gusto namin makapagheadline ng isang major show dito, local and of course international. And syempre makapag-release kami ng EP or even an album," Yanna shared.