It’s hard to sit infront of a band whose members’ popularity ranges from high school and college giddy girls to aspiring teenage rock stars.
The songs titled Bitiw, Puso, and Crazy for You have become an anthem of the youth’s psyche. Tracing their roots from the Ateneo de Manila University, Spongecola is no longer just a college band.
MetroPost had a chance to talk with Yael, Gosh, Ted and Armo hours before their performance on July 2 at the Silliman University Acquaintance Party — an event sponsored by Smart Communications.
Get to know more of them and their plans, upcoming album, and whereabouts in this exclusive interview:
MetroPost: A lot of fans are curious, how did you guys come up with your band name?
Yael: It started from a book called Mr. Sponge’s Sporting Tour. Do’n namin nakuha yung “Sponge” and then we used that, and competed sa Battle of the Bands. And then we won but meron na palang gano’ng name ng band sa Detroit so we added another word para lang maiba. So we had “Cola”. We had other options like dog, cat, mat, rat, any random word. It could have been anything. But we ended up with Cola.
MP: But is it true that you did theater before?
Yael: Yup. We were with a theater org before. Gosh and I were classmates in high school before but we were also in a theater group. So I think most of the people in theater are also into music; they’re all connected naman.
MP: What were your courses back in college?
Yael: English Literature
Armo: Interdisciplinary Studies
Gosh: Information Design
Ted: Communications Technology Management
MP: When was the last time you released an album?
Yael: The last time was in September 2008. So it’s been a long time.
MP: Do you have any upcoming projects?
Yael: We’re recording our fourth album in our own studio.
MP: When will it be released?
Yael: Hopefully by September if we’re able to finish it cause with these things, it takes a lot of time talaga.
MP: Who writes your songs?
Yael: Ako and si Gosh ang nagsusulat madalas; si Armo nagpapaingay, o ‘kaya naman nagpapatahimik; tapos si Ted nagpapasarap. (laughs)
MP: How many tracks are included in your upcoming album?
Yael: It depends on how many songs are good, and how many songs are okay.
Gosh: We’re still doing the song.
Yael: Yeah, we’re still writing.
MP: Are these original songs?
Gosh: Syempre! Ayaw namin magbayad ng rights.
MP: How is this different from your previous album?
Yael: For one, we have our new drummer, Ted.
Gosh: We’ll show them naman yung talent niya.
Yael: He has a hip-hop vibe when he plays his drums.
MP: Do you have any tentative name for your upcoming album?
Yael: We’ve thrown a lot of random names like Iyakan is the New Clubbing or All I See is Road, but a lot of these things are just jokes. We really don’t have a name for the album yet. I’m pretty sure though, we are joking about it right now but eventually, we will have nothing. And then scamper something silly, and then come up with something good.
MP: Who are your influences while doing the album?
Yael: Ako U2, Smashing Pumpkins, Dashboard, Jason Mraz, random YouTube videos, Deftones.
Armo: Tsaka mga OPM, Tonight we Sleep…
Ted: Our goal is to get that sound of Sponge Cola during its first album.
Yael: We want to go back to the simpler times of life when we just write what we feel. It’s when you don’t drink your drinks, and you don’t let your drinks drink you.
MP: What’s your favorite Sponge Cola song?
Armo: Ako, ayokong sabihin kasi baka magselos yung ibang songs (Laughs).
MP: How many times have you been here in Dumaguete?
Yael: I think around six times. Nakakadalawang birthdays na ako dito. Nagkakataon lang kasi ang birthday ko is Nov. 23. I remember eating crispy pata after playing.
MP: So how are your fans in Manila different from the ones in the Visayas?
Yael: No offense to Manila people, I think mas masaya dito. Kasi before, even if we were just starting out, we weren’t as confident pa because we were just a bunch of kids. Tapos parang maski wala naman kaming ginagawa, nakaka-wow talaga; dito parang mas bibong bibo ang crowd. They were singing along with the songs, even those na hindi pa nare-release or anything. Ang sarap kasi ng feeling kapag nasa banda ka, tapos yung mga hindi naririnig na kanta ang hinahanap or kinakanta. It means a lot.
MP: Any advice for college bands out there who are aspiring to make it big in the music industry?
Yael and Armo: Stay in school!
Yael: Magbawas ng hang-outs, tumigil magyosi, huwag uminom masyado, huwag magdrop-out sa school dahil lang sa music.
Ted: For your groupmates, know who to pick.
Yael: Kasi sa buhay, hindi ka dapat nagte-take ng shortcuts. Kasi eventually, kahit anong mangyari, kakagatin ka niyang pabalik; pagtranslated, it will bite you in the ass one day. Kakagatin ka sa pwet isang araw.
