ITCHYWORMS: PURE EFFORT, PURE MUSIC AND PURELY "SELF-TITLED"

They're back again for another taste of musical success. Just like any other music minded hunks scampering concert platforms, the group's effort is enshrined on their album dubbed “Self-titled.” The logic of their musicianship and industry is evident by more than just a decade of string bends and drum rolls. Self-titled is Itchyworms' fifth full-length album after they have piled up some signed and an independently released albums. Nonetheless, there are more to them than meets our auditory fibers. Being taught by experiences and a decade of existence, they exude traces of pure effort for their career growth, pure music for their releases and a purely “Self-titled” at this juncture.

Few recap of their releases since the dawn of their career. They've release five albums namely: Little Monsters Under Your Bed, And The Worm Jumped Over The Moon, Noontime Show, Repackaged Noontime Show, Self-Titled. One of which is independently released, without a major label attachment. Repackaged Noontime Show is released with commercial hit enclosure. All in different recording titles. From Viva, Neo, Univerasal and Sony-BMG.

The band is presently manned by Jugs Jugueta (on guitars and vocals), Jazz Nicolas (on drums, keyboards, percussion and vocals), Chino Singson (on guitars and vocals) and Kelvin Yu (on basses and vocals).

Their hit song “Kabataang Pinoy” was used as a backgrounder of the Teen Edition of the franchised reality show Pinoy Big Brother. And it hauls much publicity because of its obvious exposure by one of the Philippines media giants. Besides “Akin Ka Na Lang” and “Salapi” are receptive to some other companies producing major products. The songs bagged few giant companies for endorsements. Thus, they're riding rockets of fame and wealth.

Yet another digitally mastered hit are now to take Itchyworms to a level up. Let's take a few of them here as we have taken them unto hours of pictorial and interview sessions. Nonetheless as stress by Chino, the groups guitars and vocals, the recording took them a fairly six months including song jotting, arrangement, pre-production. Jugs, the bands guitars and a 12-string bender and also a vocal, seconded “before kasi sa previous album namin, yung mga songs na isinulat namin, matagal na naming tinutogtog live before namin i-record. Itong mga nangyari dito nag-record kami right after naming maisulat at mai-arrange ang kanta. So karamihan ng mga songs sa album never pa naming nala-live nung nirecord namin.” “Steady Lang Tayo” took the most time in recording because of the additional technicalities. Chino ripped-in, “kasi may string section yun, may trumpet din. Marami s'yang layer.”

Jazz, speculated with the group, “... Ito siguro yung album na satisfied kami sa over-all sound quality, sa songs.” He added, “mahirap pero masarap. Kasi kami rin yung nag-produce nung album, kaya self-titled s'ya.” A direct connection between the album's tittle and its workmanship is now being asserted.

Despite the album's English badge, the album is Tagalog in its totality. Nevertheless, it's coincidental and not a conscious effort to bring up all Tagalog hit. It's roughly Tag-lish lyrically. The Police band took part in the influences of the band, Chino states, “bago namin ni-record yun, pumunta silang tatlo sa Singapore para manood ng The Police reunion concert.” Jazz adds up, “kasi matagal na naming gusto silang mapanood. Lahat kami fans ng The Police, so, may songs din na medyo 80's yung flavor nya.”

The albums conceptual appearance that looks like the guys are on shopping spree was cleared-out by Kelvin, the groups bassist and vocals, “Kasi kung makita mo yung produkto sa supermarket, hmm, Itchyworms. Katulad ng “Self-titled” parang brand namin lahat yan.” Then Jugs butts-in, “kasi sell-out kami eh, saka, subconciously, pini-persuade namin kayo na kunin kaming endorser sa lahat ng mga produkto nyo (laughter).”

"... Ito siguro yung album na satisfied kami sa over-all sound quality, sa songs.Mahirap pero masarap. Kasi kami rin yung nag-produce nung album, kaya self-titled s'ya.”

Deals with recording were clarified as meeting both ends with them and the recording labels. “(Laughs) ano lang yun, paglipat namin from Universal to Sony-BMG, it was a niche of career move that would benefit everyone involve,” according to Chino. Kelvin asserts, “saka, one album deal lang naman talaga yung deal namin with Universal Records and both parties chose not to renew the former contract.” For Jugs, “artistic move namin yun para hindi sila maka-compile ng greatest hits, kaya pa-iba-iba yung label namin.” The band measures to stay long in Sony-BMG because of the favor the recording company endowed them.

One of the boys admits the great difference of their presentation now. Wherein, one admits that they are searing hot on their musical agility. Chino's line of thought was focused on the albums evolutionary constructiveness, the album's creative differences but the same qualitative measures. Kelvin thought, that gaps in between albums are crucial in its quality worthiness.

Jugs states, “yung unang album namin na release sya 2001. Yung “Noontime Show” 2005 sya lumabas. So parang may three to four year na pagitan. Then itong pinakabago, 2008. Medyo matagal-tagal din, pero yun nga malaking tulong sya sa musicianship sa aming lahat.” Chino explains the technical promotion of the album, “mahirap din kasi, let's say every year ka maglabas ng album. Syempre life-span ng album mo one year para i-promote yan. Mag aa-out of town ka lahat, so 'di ka rin makakasulat ng maayos kasi on the road kayo. Kasi nakapagsimula kaming makapagsulat, noong hindi na kami nagpopromote ng 'Noontime Show' eh.”

Though Jazz and Jugs were the in the main penning of most songs, the group cooperates by co-writing some of the songs.

With the group's original compositions, they do still have and enjoy the aroma of other songs while in the progress of donning theirs.

Chino admits, 'lahat ng musikiro aminin man nila sa hindi, they have their own influences.” Jugs further states, “kahit sabihin namin na original kami, may pinanggalinggan pa rin yung music namin. Saka sa akin pagnakikinig ako ng ibang artists, while in the recording takes, nakakatulong sa akin yun. Na oi, pueding peg to. Hindi mo naman gagayahin na verbatim. Puede ko syang peg somewhere in the part of this song. Parang idea lang.” Each members duly listens to different songs and music which contributes to their recording when the time comes to do so. Nonetheless, the group placed Beatles in the middle of the line.

The group virtually never met restrictions creatively or financially as Chino says, actually ito yung album na walang restriction sa amink, kasi kaming apat lang ang nagdedecide ng lahat eh. Kaya sobrang natuwa kami sa Sony-BMG kasi pinabayaan kami talaga kung ano ang gusto namin. So, kumbaga pinabayaan nila talaga kami sa playground.”


TICK TACK TALK

Each and every ones favorite tracks in Self-titled?
Jazz: Ako favorite ko yung “Steady Lang Tayo” at yung “Para Sa Pinakamatangkad Na Tao Sa Buong Mundo.” Kasi yung “Para Sa Pinakamatangkad Na Tao Sa Buong Mudo” yun yung cover song namin. Kinover namin yung Lemon Chicken sa isang obscure na band noong 80's.
Kelvin: “Pataasan Ng Weewee” saka “Freak-Out, Baby” yung favorite ko. Yeah, as in weewee. Yung expression na pataasan ng ihi. Kayabangan, parang ganun. Feeling ko siguro parang yun yung songs sa album na kakaiba yung tunog kay sa ibang albums namin in the past.
Chino: Dalawa eh. Yung “Sino Ka Nga Ba” saka yung “Freak Out, Baby” Kasi sa buong album sila yung pinaka challenging na gawa namin ng gitar parts. Yung Freak Out narealize ko kong ano yung rason kung bakit gumawa sila ng sampler, tapus kung bakit naimbinto yung sampler kasi yung Sino Ka Nga Ba yung first time na nag slide ako sa album, nag slide guitar ako.

How easy it is or difficult in doing the album?
Chino: Madali na masaya in a way, pero mahirap mag-produce dahil walang nagsasabi na, “o okay na yan.” Kasi yun yung parang job ng producer eh. “O, okey na yan, let's move on to the next song,” walang nag sasabi ng ganyan.
Jugs: Pero in fairness sa Sony-BMG, kahit na over budgeted na kami at a certain point, nagbigay pa rin sila ng pera para tapusin namin yung project.
Kelvin: Ito gusto ko lang sabihin. Kasi mag pipay-off talaga. Parang you get what you pay for. Kaya kung naglabas ka ng capital, maganda yung finished products.

Next Single to come up?
Kelvin: Freak Out, Baby.

How about melodic patterns?
Jugs: Well, hindi na namin iniisip yun eh. Nilalagay na lang namin kung ano yung magandang pakinggan.'Di na namin iniisip kung ano yung pattern.
Chino: Tinatry namin lahat ng Idea.

How do you come up with the final verdict on a song and lineup?
Jugs: Pagnauubusan na ng budget (laughs). Hindi, parang ang naging rule of thumb namin sa pag say na, sarado na yung kantang yan' is pag lahat kaming apat masaya na close na yung song na yun. Parang yung sa Steady Lang Tayo. Parang isa yan sa pinakamatagal ginawa. At a certain point sabi namin parang kulang pa. So lagyan natin ng keyboards, lagyan natin ng strings, lagyan natin ng trumpet. It might sound excessive, Pero 'pag pinakinggan n'yo yung sounds nagwowork lahat, maganda yung songs.

Which songs in the album are you proud of writing?
Jugs: Ako paborito ko yung “Tuksyude!”
Chino: Ako track twelve, “Awitin Para Sa Mga Nagmumuni-muni.”Based on experience yung kantang yan eh.
Kelvin: Ako yung track eight, “Isang Al Frescong Takip-silim Sa Cafe Francois,” Jazz: Ako “Tuksyude! Tuksyude! Tuksyude!”Kasi doon na-eexpress yung totoong feelings ko eh (laughs).

How are you challenged in this new album compared to the previous?
Jugs: Noong na release kami from Universal Records, wala kaming budget. Pero sumalang na kami, kasi feeling namin oras na namin na mag-record eh. Tapus yung unang batch ng mga songs namin na-record na. Tapus pinarinig namin sa ibang recording label. Panggalawa yung Sony-BMG sa binigyan namin.
Chino: Na challenge kami, dahil nagsimula kaming mag-record na wala kaming label. So kung nagkataon na walang nag-pickup sa amin, magiging independent kami; na isang malaking sugal.

Looking back how did you grow as friends, musicians and band mates?
Chino: 'Di kami friends eh, magkaaway talaga kami lahat eh (laughs). Nag-grow kami horizontally, tumaba kami lahat.
Jugs: Wala na kaming choice kundi magsamasama together hanggang sa mamatay kami. Kasi ninong kami nang anak nya, ninong kami ng anak nya (poiting to fellow band mates). Wala na kaming choice (laughs).
Chino: Ang sagot dyan, hindi lang kami friends, we're family (boisterous laughs).

♫♫♫