The Itchyworms Celebrates 25th Anniversary with New Song and Talk Show on Spotify
The
Itchyworms celebrate their era-defining legacy with the
release of their new single “Eto Na (Ang Maliligayang Araw)”
and the six-part series, Worms Upon
A Time: An Itchyworms Podcast as
part of the band’s continued 25th anniversary celebration.
The
year-long musical treat follows the success of Waiting For The End To Start,
which was pressed on vinyl and immediately sold out upon its release, and the
launch of “The
Life I Know,” the first of its kind in the Philippine stop-motion animation
music video, which garnered critical acclaim across the board.
25th
Anniversary single
Returning
to their brand of melodic pop-rock sensibilities with sharp hooks, bluesy
guitar lines, and timeless lyrics, the multi-awarded Filipino band has dropped
a call-and-response anthem about hurdling through the difficult times with a
more hopeful mindset in life.
According
to drummer and lead vocalist Jazz Nicolas, the song documents the feeling of
being stuck in a challenging phase for a very long period, while hoping that
everything will be fine. “You’re not quite there yet, but you feel that things
are moving up a bit,” he emphasizes. “Kel and I call this the dark ages; it’s
when all areas of your life seemed very bleak, and you always feel like there's
no way out. In this song, you’re not out yet, but you have a feeling that you
will be.”
Even
before the pandemic happened, The Itchyworms have always wanted to produce a
jam song that would make for a strong album opener. Most of their newer tracks
gravitate toward the uncertainty of the future or the long-simmering anxiety
brought by the lockdown. “Eto Na (Ang Maliligayang Araw),” however, confronts
the situation that we’re in with the healing power of a catchy, upbeat
guitar-pop tune. It’s a perfect fit for what a 25th anniversary should be: a commitment
to represent the band’s music and the history held within it.
When the
lockdown slightly eased, the band regrouped into the legendary Big Baby
Studios, where some of the alt-rock quartet’s most notable hits were born. “Big
Baby was always home to The Itchyworms, especially to Jazz, because this was
his father’s original studio in their ancestral home,” lead vocalist and
multi-instrumentalist Jugs Jugueta shares in a statement. “I remember recording
the first few demos of The Itchyworms there. I also remember Tito Sonny showing
us all of his guitars, and Chino and I were just in awe. Now, it has come full
circle: Jazz and Peavey and the worms continue Tito Sonny’s legacy, and the
fact that we recorded our 25th Anniversary single there means so much to us.”
The
Itchyworms reworked the early version of the track by adding lyrics that pay
homage to their story together as a group, and even referenced some of their
old songs in the material. Mixed and mastered by Jazz’s brother Peavy Nicolas,
“Eto Na (Ang Maliligayang Araw)” finds the band experimenting with a Moog
Little Phatty analog synth and a Yamaha Reface YC, bringing a unique twist on
their classic sound. “It's good that we finally got to go into the studio for
this,” Nicolas shares the process behind the recording. “We all recorded our
instruments live in the studio. and all four of us sang on it.” The Itchyworms’
guitarist Chino Singson adds, “Plus the outro or coda is totally unrelated to
the tonal center of the song, but it adds a Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour
vibe.”
Worms Upon A Time: An Itchyworms Show
To
celebrate the release of their 25th anniversary single, the band launched Worms Upon
A Time: An Itchyworms Podcast, a
six-part series that explores the long-lasting appeal and impact of their
albums in their 25 years of existence as a band. Produced by The Itchyworms and
Sony Music Philippines, the show leverages Spotify’s latest format Music + Talk
format, a new type of audio experience that brings together music tracks and
spoken commentary, wrapped up into one immersive and interactive listening
experience.
“I guess
this is our version of the Beatles’ Anthology series,” Jugueta reveals.
“Because that was the Beatles’ story as told by the Beatles. This show is our
story, our history, our legacy as told by The Itchyworms ourselves. Look
forward to stories that have never been shared before!”
The Itchyworms will have important guests who
will be joining them on the show. Jugueta explains, “This project is very close
to our hearts, and we would like to thank Sony Music Philippines for producing
it and to Wincy Ong for directing it and to Peavey Nicolas for recording and
mixing it.”
The
Itchyworms are also set to release a mockumentary that chronicles their 25
years in the music industry and a music video of their self-titled track
“Waiting For The End To Start,” whose visual narrative serves as an artistic
take on the ‘dystopian future post-pandemic’ life in the Philippines.
The
Itchyworms’ new single “Eto Na (Ang Maliligayang Araw)”
is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Philippines.
Worms Upon
A Time: An Itchyworms Podcast is also
available on Spotify.
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