Lola Amour channels emo vibe in new song about betrayal, 'Maria'
Lola Amour is known for their upbeat, modern rock songs that's usually mixed with jazz elements. For their latest song, the band channels a more emo vibe.
On Feb. 6, the OPM band released their latest track, a collaboration with Australian pop artist Oliver Cronin titled Maria. More than exploring a new sound, the song marks a milestone as it signals the beginning of their journey to expand to the global music scene.
Lola Amour—composed of Pio Dumayas, Zoe Gonzales, Jeff Abueg, David Yuhico, Raffy Perez, Angelo Mesina, and Manu Dumayas—got the chance to work with Oliver during an eight-day songwriting camp in Malaysia. And their brainchild was this ballad about betrayal at the hands of a woman named Maria.
"Maria what should we do today? I'm dressed up, do you like the way I'm holding your hand, not sure I understand why you're standing here right next to me, but your mind's got somewhere else to be. Please hold my hand," the lyrics go.
During an intimate media conference, Pio gave a glimpse into their creative process.
“[Maria] is a name relevant to me as a Filipino, and it’s a name as relevant to Oliver as an Australian. Kahit saan ka talaga magpunta sa mundo, [hindi] mahirap makameet ng Maria,” the band’s frontman said, clarifying that “Maria” is a fictional character.
Eric Ng, who produced the song, shared that Maria initially meant to have a “punchy up-tempo” track.
“My brief for the songwriting camp was a punchy up-tempo track for the boys to dance and jump around to,” Eric said in his recent Instagram reel.
But as the guys were tired, with some of them working until 2 a.m., Eric suggested they "bang out a ballad."
He was able to come up with the main acoustic guitar riff, which can be heard at the beginning of the song.
9 years strong
In 2025, Lola Amour will mark its ninth year as a band. “I told them based on their commitment, their energy, they’re gonna last a long way,” Eric said.
Despite this, they were able to thrive by being open to compromise.
“It's hard not to have conflict in between. Siyempre hindi naman kayo ipinanganak na pare-pareho ng taste, ‘di ba? So minsan you have to fight for what you like in a song, and you have to convince others that ‘This is how it should sound,’” Pio said.
“The trick is to fight all the time, so the fight is small,” David, who serves as the band’s keyboardist, quipped. While they go through creative conflict, the band has a “democratic” way of agreeing.
Lola Amour, one of the most popular bands of their generation, is known for their tracks Fallen, Pwede Ba, Dahan-dahan, and Raining in Manila.
Their hit songs have reached K-pop artists like Jake and Heeseung of ENHYPEN and Chanyeol of EXO.
They also shared the stage with Coldplay during the British rock band's Bulacan concert in January 2024.
After Maria, the band teased that they have another song coming soon and they plan to release it globally.
You can listen to Maria via Spotify and YouTube Music.
