“Pleasantly surprised” was how Pupil frontman Ely Buendia described the other band members’ reaction upon learning that they had been tapped to play in arguably the biggest Asian music festival to date.

 

Buendia, guitarist Jerome Velasco, bassist Dok Sergio and drummer Wendell Garcia are set to represent the Philippines at the annual Skechers Sundown Festival 2014, to be held on Nov. 22 at the F1 Pit Building, Marina Promenade in Singapore.

 

The first Filipino artists to join the festival lineup last year were Rico Blanco and Rocksteddy.

 

Now on its sixth year, the Sundown Festival is mounted by Red Spade Entertainment and gathers some of the best and brightest musicians from all over Asia. The lineup has expanded to include artists from Malaysia, India and Singapore.

 

Joining Pupil on this year’s roster of artists are pop DJ/singer Regina from the People’s Republic of China; TVB actress Kate Tsui, Hong Kong; Punjabi singer Kanika Kapoor, India; all-female idol group S.O.S., Indonesia; piano rock band Weaver, Japan; all-male idol group Cross Gene, South Korea; singer-songwriter Shila Amzah, Malaysia; rock musician Chang Chen-yue and acoustic crooner James Yang, Taiwan; hardcore outfit Big Ass, Thailand; and singer-actress Olivia Ong, YouTube star Jeremy Teng, rapper ShiGGa Shay and rock quartet Farrago, Singapore.

 

Updates

 

Pupil recently sat down with Inquirer Super and other members of the media at the Raffles Long Bar in Makati, where they also shared some updates on the band’s recent and upcoming activities.

 

Listening to the band members’ easy, impish banter about pre-show rituals and idol groups, one could tell that they are genuinely curious about what kind of reception they will get at the festival, and what type of music the other artists on the lineup will bring to the table.

 

“We’re not exactly well-known. We’re more of a cult band,” said Buendia. “That’s why we try to make it up with a good show.”

 

Pupil will be preparing a five-song set that includes its latest single “Out of Control” from its fourth album “Zilch” which band manager Day Cabuhat says will be released on Jan. 17.

 

Buendia and Garcia also discussed the possibility of throwing in one crowd-pleaser from the Eraserheads repertoire.

 

“We make it a point to have fun with our songs. I think everyone has a good time with our Eheads covers… At saka pang-emergency lang ’yun,” Buendia quipped, drawing laughter.

 

Does it bother him that people still ask Pupil to play good old Eheads classics? “We have a small following, but you also have to recognize the fact that people will connect the dots. Dati may problem ako with that, but now I’ve come to just accept it.”

 

Garcia added: “We’re just gonna do our sh-t. We are just going to be ourselves, man. Wala naman kaming kailangang patunayan. If the four of us enjoy [playing], mararamdaman nila ’yun.”

 

‘Back-to-basics’

 

The band also talked about a “back-to-basics” approach to its current sound. “Parang back to zero kami—clean slate, kasi bago na yung gitarista namin. That changes the whole game,” Buendia said, referring to the return of longtime Pupil collaborator Velasco as guitarist.

 

Asked whether the grittier sound of “Out of Control” reflects Pupil’s musical direction in “Zilch,” Buendia said the band is simply intent on utilizing the strengths of its members.

 

To recreate the “massive drum sound” that echoes Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, Garcia recorded 10 tracks in a marathon 15-hour session in a makeshift studio surrounded by foam and mattresses.

 

Buendia called bassist Sergio the “geek and catalyst” for more experimentation and recording techniques, because “he spent a lifetime looking at YouTube videos… Marami siyang na-pick up na gusto naming subukan in a recording setting.”

 

Garcia continued: “It’s like getting out of your comfort zone… Hindi commercial, it’s for rock fans.”

 

“A ‘band’ album,” added Buendia.

 

“Songwriting is still the key to good music,” Sergio said, recounting how he would often ask Buendia to critique his compositions.

 

“Your lyrics are just fine,” Buendia assured him.

 

“Maganda mga composition ni Wendell,” the soft-spoken Velasco piped in, to which Garcia added, “Pero si Ely nagsulat ng lyrics.”

 

Mixed feelings

 

The conversation shifted to Taylor Swift’s pulling out her entire music catalogue from a streaming service. Pupil’s members have mixed feelings about songs being readily available for free on social media or music streaming apps, but added it’s all part of evolution.

 

“Personally, I like seeing my catalog on Spotify, including the old ones,” said Buendia. “Sa sobrang liit din ng royalties na binibigay nila, why bother thinking about it? It’s a double-edged sword. So we just want to focus on the fact that a lot of people get to hear the music and then, hopefully, it translates to commercial stuff and money on the side. Every musician is passionate about his music, his art, and I think that’s what will sustain us in the end.”

 

All of Pupil’s members have been making music since the ’90s—Buendia with Eheads, Sergio and Velasco with The Teeth, and Garcia with Triaxis and Barbie’s Cradle—and they could certainly teach the younger generation a thing or two about surviving in the business. For a band with, in Buendia’s words, “one foot in the past, one foot in the present, and both eyes dead set on the future,” experience is still the best teacher. “The good thing about being a ‘veteran’ is that somehow, you’ve learned a lot from these experiences.”

 

Buendia mused: “Magsasawa ba kami? Definitely not. There’s always something new to try. It may work, it may not work, but the most important thing is you tried. You gave it a shot.”

 

Added Sergio: “You don’t stop learning.”

 

Skechers Sundown Festival 2014 tickets are available online via sistic.com.sg and Singapore ticketing agencies. Log on to www.sundownfestival.sg for more information.