Sponge Cola believes OPM will always help us understand ourselves and our world
As one of the most popular rock bands in the Philippines, Sponge Cola knows a thing or two about the enduring impact of OPM.
The band, formed in 2002, has always centered its storytelling on emotion. Frontman Yael Yuzon often shares that his being an empath lends an additional emotional depth to the music they make—like having an extra wild emotional imagination.
This ability to understand and tap into a wider range of feelings is part of why we resonate with their music. In their creative urge to express their truths, Sponge Cola has given generations of Filipinos a language to understand their own.
For The STAR’s anniversary special, we spoke with Yael Yuzon, Gosh Dilay, Armo Armovit, and Tedmark Cruz about their personal truths, writing honest music, and the role of artists in a changing world.
THE PHILIPPINE STAR: With more than two decades in the industry, kumusta? How has OPM changed over those decades?
ARMO: It's been an incredible experience to witness the growth of a diverse culture of music. Technology has made it more accessible for artists of any genre to write and record their own songs and release them into a wider global audience. We're all looking forward to where the industry is heading.
GOSH: The Philippines is now much better represented in every imaginable genre there is. Beautiful music always speaks for itself no matter the current trend.
YAEL: Kids are so good today. A lot of them come in sounding like seasoned veterans. Information is easy to access. It’s also so much easier to buy gear now. You don’t really need labels anymore. You usually explode to a niche crowd (then) a label comes in. Funny, that’s how we actually started.
I feel that musicians are more valued and celebrated now. It’s like actors act, and musicians “musish.” I guess social media allowed our society to value core competence by providing a more heterogeneous experience of the arts.
Music is language in itself. You don't necessarily need to learn it to understand it—just feel it and let it move you.
How does it feel like to be part of the personal histories of multiple generations of Filipinos, to discover that your music means a lot of things to a lot of people?
YAEL: It’s a great feeling, to be part of a person’s journey in generational terms. It’s more evident during live shows. We see parents and their kids singing pretty much the same songs. Universal truths are universal, that’s the enduring power of music. It brings us all together.
Why is music such a powerful way to connect us? Why does it make us feel so seen and understood?
ARMO: We believe that music makes our stories meaningful by sharing them through the songs we sing. They are reminders that through every painful heartbreak and hard-fought triumph, we are never alone.
GOSH: Music is language in itself. You don't necessarily need to learn it to understand it—just feel it and let it move you.
YAEL: We are a collection of moments, kind of like a play. When we look back, we add a bit of lighting (and) scoring. Music can transport us from scene to scene. When there’s conflict, music can take us back to our coming-of-age moment for strength or comfort, depending on what is needed.
Can you recall a moment when music helped you discover or understand a personal truth?
ARMO: Every time we go onstage to play, I'm reminded that life, like music, is impermanent and fleeting; so while we still can, we should play our best and leave nothing unsaid.
TED: Growing up in a home with a big family—six boys (and my) parents—has its ups and downs. Before I got my hands on my own Sony Walkman cassette player, I had to wait until no one was using the Kenwood component (sound system) so I could listen to the radio or the cassettes I had. I was introduced to the different types of music played at home: classical, jazz, disco, ballads, classic rock, hip-hop, and of course, OPM. These were the ingredients to the soundtrack of this young boy.
A specific moment would probably be my first ever gig as the drummer of our family band when I was 10 years old. I’ve been lucky enough to discover my love for music, which eventually led to having a career as a full-time musician. Music was and is a huge part of molding who I am today.
GOSH: Songs can have several perspectives: of the hero, of a villain, or the “other” person in a love triangle. Artists and songwriters can be creative in painting situations not necessarily with the classic “romcom” partners in their own process of falling in love.
YAEL: I understood and embraced our summer heat after listening to BINI’s Pantropiko. Fun love stories can happen in the heat of this island paradise.
You’re not one to shy away from complex feelings and inconvenient truths in your songs. Why do you think you’re so drawn to these complicated feelings that we don’t always want to admit?
ARMO: Music can help us navigate through the complexities of our own feelings and confront difficult truths. When we write and sing, we're able to let go of emotions that are weighing us down or holding us back.
What role do artists play in our changing world? How can they help us better understand ourselves and our world?
ARMO: Artists have the unique ability to bring the darkness into light. By understanding ourselves and our place in the world, we are empowered to affect change within our own lives and the lives of others.
GOSH: Be the medium for those who can't express or have a hard time expressing their truth with whatever they are experiencing in life.
YAEL: We’re the cathartic experience you can repeat endlessly through recorded sound. Even without the recorded sound, we sit there in your memory as an experience, hoping to subdue pain or amplify strength, to douse the fire or celebrate a hug, to further a cause, or to fuel your fight.
Outside the theoretical and more towards the basic and concrete, we’re playing live somewhere for a get-together if ever you’re lonely!
We’re seeing rapid technological developments, especially in the arts. As a band that’s been making music for years, how do you think this will change the industry and our relationship with music, both as artists and audiences?
ARMO: Technology makes it easier and faster for artists to learn and develop their craft; to find their audience and to sustain themselves with music. We can expect more collaborations, the creation of new musical styles, and access to a wide variety of songs. We're looking forward to a future made better by creative artists and daring musicians.
YAEL: Avenues and tools might change, but universal truths stay the same. We love life, we love music, and we’ll just keep doing what we do because this is who we are and this is what we do.