Aside
from churning out modern rock classics that carve a special place in our
collective consciousness, Sponge Cola has always been adept in capturing
the divine feeling of romantic high, the cautionary tale that comes after, and
the journey caught in between the respective timelines.
The
“Siguro Nga” hitmakers have mastered the art of helming the soundtrack of our
lives with universal appeal, and this time, they are putting a uniquely
captivating but relatable spin on the ‘love song’ format with the release of
their new single “Labis-labis” via Sony Music
Philippines.
According
to guitarist Erwin "Armo" Armovit, their latest single is all about
the “overflowing, overwhelming joy of being fully yourself with someone,” and
was written from a sincere, heartwarming place. “Love is an inexhaustible
source of inspiration that takes countless forms; and songs are stories set to
music. Every person experiences love differently, but every person experiences
love.”
Having
redefined stories about romance and defeat from varying lenses, Sponge Cola
refuses to pin down their songwriting sensibilities with a one-dimensional
approach. As bassist Gosh Dilay puts it, “With love songs, there is always a
new angle/new dimension to explore.”
True
to its core, “Labis-labis” works because beyond its gloriously cinematic chorus
and inescapable verses, the song is specifically made to describe a
moment—fleeting, short, but resonant to the experiences of the people around
us, most especially those that chose to accept and reciprocate love in various
shapes and forms, regardless of its possible consequences. Dilay perfectly sums
up this emotional retreat into words, “it’s the gleeful feeling of excitement
upon seeing someone you love, after being away for so long. Or even just after
a brief period. That’s the magic of the song.”
Recording
“Labis-labis” turned out to be fun and exciting for Sponge Cola, even if it has
undergone the most transformations out of any songs that they’ve previously
worked on. “The song started as a mid-tempo, all acoustic ballad and
continuously evolved into its current state as we played it together as a band
and incorporated modern arrangement ideas from our producer, Joey Santos.”
Armovit said, “We had to play the song repeatedly and listen to really figure
out what it needed and where it wanted to go.”
The
track brought their funk on, albeit in a subtle way, while retaining the
unapologetic pop smarts infused in the arrangement. The arrangements also took
a more interesting direction music-wise, making it little more rocking and
special.
Sponge
Cola’s “Labis-labis” is out now on all digital
platforms worldwide via Sony Music Philippines.
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