Keeping the “Truefaith” (Part 2 of 2)
Words: Roldan A. Ancajas
Interview: Annie E. Medina
Q: What are your other interests aside from music?
MED: I want to make movies. I wish I had more time to get into it. I am passionate for movies. I also have undying love for books.
JAKE: Well I have it written already in papers or guide and inspire yourself with beautiful things in mind.
BIMBO: Cars and cold weather.
ALLAN: Other interests? Nowadays, I have basically surrounded myself with music but I would like to get back into some sports (i.e. basketball, tennis, swimming, and running) including riding the BMX again. Likewise, I wish I would have more time to learn and practice graphic designing and photography.
EUGENE: People watching.
BENEDICT: I recently finished bible school and would like to pursue it further in the future.
Q: What music do you enjoy listening to these days, and what are some of your all-time favorites?
MED: I am currently obsessed with this relatively new band out of England called Wild Beasts. Galing nila! I also love Coldplay – I’ve seen them twice na. I also am into Kasabian, Amy Winehouse, Goldfrapp, etc. My all-time favorites are Everything But The Girl, Prefab Sprout, R.E.M., Depeche Mode, Sade, Radiohead, Madonna, etc.
JAKE: I still like acid jazz and contemporary but of course alternative music, new wave music.
BIMBO: These days I listen to Pat Metheny, Imogen Heap, Andre Sobota, Proff, and all sorts of house-club music, mostly guitar driven albums are my all-time favorites, Eric Johnson, Guthrie Govan, and the like.
ALLAN: I pretty much still listen to a lot of past and current artists largely influenced by the soundscape of new wave artists from the 80’s like Vega 4, Elefant, Minus The Bear, Bloc Party, Ash, Popsicle, and Mute Math to name a few. Some of my all-time favorites include The Smiths, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Joy Division/New Order and early U2.
EUGENE: Anything that catches my fancy. Everything But The Girl is my all-time favorite group.
BENEDICT: Now, I enjoy listening to Israel and New Breed.
Q: For Medwin, how does this new album reflects your personality now in terms of singing?
MED: I like how I sing now compared to when we started. I think and feel I am more confident now as a singer. I sometimes listen to our old stuff and I go, “Why did I sing that way?” Some artists may logically perceive that as age marches on, the voice deteriorates, pero sa akin parang mas nagiging OK boses ko ngayon kesa dati. I think kasi mas nagiging mas confident and secure akong tao.
Q: Other things that you guys would want to accomplish musically?
MED: I want to do a side project that is part-electronic, part-folky, part-Lady Gaga with dark themes. My alter-ego perhaps. Gusto ko din gumawa ng musical or do a movie na ako din ang gagawa ng songs – parang yung movie na Juno. I also want Truefaith to crossover abroad.
JAKE: Get inside the international music scene.
BIMBO: Musical scoring for a film would be nice and a dance track that would turn the club scene inside out is definitely what I want to accomplish.
ALLAN: To write more songs for Truefaith and other artists as well. To write songs that could be licensed for international films or TV series. To have an international audience for our songs.
EUGENE: International acclaim.
BENEDICT: Have a sold out concert and be known internationally.
Q: Individually, can you tell us your favorite song from your new album and why?
MED: I already mentioned earlier, Strangeflower. Pero the other one could be Hurray or Tonight kasi they are such fun songs. Cheerful and upbeat. Love Parade really is quite a positive record.
JAKE: All songs in the album, “Mountain Wind.”
BIMBO: I like “Yun Lang” because of its jumpy new wave vibe. “Lihim” and “Run” for its arrangement.
ALLAN: My favorite would be “Pangako”, being the song I wrote for this album. The song is very personal to me and it is the very first self-written song I’ve recorded with Truefaith.
EUGENE: Sorry, I can’t choose just one. All of them are brilliant and I treat them like my children. No favoritism.
Q: For Medwin, when you take a look over Truefaith’s extensive back catalogue of records and all the years of touring, how proud are you of all that you’ve achieved with the band?
MED: We’ve made certainly a lot of failures in the past. But that comes with the whole process. You can never get to where you want to be without the misses. I am proud of those low points because we have survived and learnt from them. I’m much prouder of our achievements. But I’m most proud with both the hits and misses all lumped together. The totality of it all springs us to move forward to the next challenge.
Q: What’s the most important thing “experience” has taught you?
MED: You are not alive when you don’t experience life – both the good and the bad. When we go through hardships, we feel that they are tragic. But what is most tragic is when we go through tough times trying to numb ourselves of the pain and not learn anything at all. We should feel the experience to achieve fulfillment.
JAKE: Based on my experience, is how to become professional and taught me how to be humble, keep your feet on the ground.
BIMBO: I guess sometimes, along the way, you really make mistakes, but through experiencing those mistakes, eventually, you’ll know what to do and how to correct them.
EUGENE: You think you know everything but you really don’t. Everyday is a school day.
Q: Do you consider Truefaith a band who is in constant state of reinventing itself?
MED: It is a continuous process of reinvention. Love Parade is a testament to this. If we don’t evolve naturally, then there is no point in moving on. Stagnation is as good as not breathing.
JAKE: Yes, to become better and more creative in this business.
BIMBO: Yes!
ALLAN: Truefaith’s music has always remained relevant in Filipino society.
EUGENE: Yes. Reinvention is one of the key factors that has made the band survive all these years.
Q: Did you have an idea of what direction you wanted this new album to go in or did you just jump in and see what happens?
MED: We consciously wanted to mine our influences in music for inspiration and perhaps direction. With that in mind, we jumped in and just let everything run the course as natural and as organic as possible.
Q: Individually, what’s your vision for the band in the future?
MED: Love Parade is an album with a purpose – it inspires and gives hope. I want us to make more music on this level but probably with more direct motives and specific intentions. I want Truefaith to reach an international audience and gain prominence abroad.
JAKE: My vision is to make more albums and good music in the future and become a legend hehe.
BIMBO: I guess we’ll be trying out more and newer arrangements for the songs that we’ll come up with. We will experiment with what would or wouldn’t work, but definitely it will retain the Truefaith sound for years to come.
ALLAN: To develop a regional and an international audience for Truefaith’s music.
BENEDICT: To be number 1 in the industry.
Source: Pinoy: Your OPM Music Authority (May-June 2010)