Ely Buendia and director-producer Maria Diane Ventura join fans in celebrating a milestone debut

From left to right: Byron Atienza, Creative Director of Live Nation; Hilarion Banks, one of the film editors and DOP; Maria Diane Ventura, filmmaker, writer and executive producer; Ely Buendia; and Winston Emano one of the film producers

After a string of sold-out advance screenings in select cities across the United States and Canada, Eraserheads: Combo On The Run has made history as the Filipino documentary with the widest theatrical rollout in North America.

The award-winning film premiered in over 100 cinemas on April 24, 2026. To mark the occasion, Eraserheads frontman Ely Buendia and director-producer Maria Diane Ventura made special appearances in select theaters in California, where they celebrated the film’s growing success with audiences.

Ventura expressed gratitude for the overwhelming reception received by the film in its first few days of release. “It’s incredibly humbling. I feel a deep sense of gratitude to the audiences, to the critics, and to Abramorama for believing in the film and helping bring it to a wider audience.”

She adds, “What’s been most meaningful, though, is the way people have responded on a personal level. I’ve had people come up to me and share that they found a sense of healing in watching it or that it made them feel proud to be Filipino. Hearing that makes all the hard work and exhaustion worth it. That, to me, is the greatest reward.

To see a Filipino story resonate beyond our borders, and to feel that sense of identity and pride reflected back, reminds me why I do this. This film is a love letter to the Filipinos.

And I think it’s arriving at a time when people are searching for connection. We’re living in a period of division, but the film suggests that even then, there is still a way back to each other, through music, art and through storytelling, one of the few things we still all understand regardless of where we come from.”

ElyBuendia and Maria Diane Ventura

Ely Buendia also thanked everyone who supported the film’s debut in North America. “To be embraced by the fans is proof that the film did something right. We didn’t want to let them down because this is their story too. And of course, to have the approval of the critics is icing on the cake. They have different standards and are not as subjective as the fans, so for them to think it was a good film, and a documentary at that, is quite amazing.”

Distributed in North America by Abramorama and produced by DVent Pictures, Eraserheads: Combo On The Run tells the story of the Philippines’ most influential band, tracing their meteoric rise from their formation in UP Diliman to becoming a defining voice of a generation, their painful breakup, and their eventual resurgence years later.

Framed by the Philippines’ evolving socio-political climate, the film places the band’s journey within a nation facing deep political divides, highlighting how their music and story became part of the country’s cultural memory.

Eraserheads: Combo On The Run also earned recognition at a special panel in Austin last month, with Esquire Magazine naming it one of  “The 5 Best Things We Saw at SXSW 2026.”

Eraserheads: Combo On The Run is now screening across North America. For updates, announcements, and ticket details, visit eraserheadsfilm.com.

His debut single “Training Wheels” reflects on distance, identity, and starting over abroad

Photo credit: Džesika Devic

Iggy San Pablo, best known for his work with Filipino alt-rock band Rusty Machines, returns with simple socks, a solo music project navigating the complexities of adult life and self-discovery through the lens of a migrant. Distinct from San Pablo’s earlier bedroom outing thenils, which represented an exploratory creative phase from his younger years, simple socks is a more assured artistic voice informed by his renewed commitment to storytelling.

“Being an immigrant is a challenge in itself, and that’s an experience I look forward to diving into further as a musician,” shares San Pablo. “Being 34 and having this new solo project, there’s a mixed feeling of a fresh beginning and familiarity all at once. I’m excited to channel that unique energy as I find my footing within the Toronto music scene.”

Now based in Toronto, Canada, San Pablo explores themes of domestic routines, career transitions, and the challenges of making connections in a new environment through simple socks, unlearning some of his habits shaped by the comfort of his upbringing.

On the heels of San Pablo’s new music project is the release of his debut single, “Training Wheels,” an indie rock track that captures the courage of stepping beyond his comfort zone. Written across several years and completed after his relocation to a new, unfamiliar country, the song reflects the emotional weight of distance from family and the determination to build a life independently.

“It was mainly [about] being apart from my family and friends and the anxiety of not knowing when I’ll be seeing them again,” San Pablo explains. “But at the same time, I felt determined to experience a different life far from my safety net. Those were the emotions that I explored while writing Training Wheels. It’s about reassurance, hoping that the special people you left behind back home would eventually be proud of your decisions as an adult.”

Musically, the song leans toward indie rock influences with a sprinkling of Midwest emo sensibilities, citing notable albums such as Death Cab for Cutie’s The Photo Album, Into It. Over It.’s Proper, and susquatch’s In This World as major songwriting inspirations.

“There’s a certain chill that runs through these songs; you can sense that they were written during the winter months. Now that I’m based in Toronto, I understand the feeling on a personal level. It reminds me of Ben Gibbard’s lyrics about finding comfort in the cold, particularly the lines, ‘I don’t mind the weather, I’ve got scarves, and caps, and sweaters…’ I’m living in the same environment, and these records somehow shaped the sound and mood of my latest release.”

Subtle production elements, including sonic references to bicycles, mirror his journey of self-discovery, reinforcing the sense of motion, risk, and progression embedded in the track. San Pablo recounts his fascination with the sound of bike chains and bike bells and his intention to integrate the experience of learning how to ride a bike in his production and arrangement choices.

“I remember sharing an early version of it with a few friends,” San Pablo shares. “It was Howard (Oh, Flamingo!) who pointed out how the song felt like a journey, and I appreciated his feedback because that’s what I wanted to achieve. It was a lot of fun working on this track because I wasn’t overthinking my recording decisions, especially with the guitar parts after the first chorus. I also had to rent a bass guitar from the music store just to record the bass lines and I created a makeshift vocal booth in our bedroom closet just to record my vocals. All of this happened while we were renting a basement unit.”

simple socks’ “Training Wheels” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide.

The March 31 release of Lifetime (Reimagined) triggers a resurgence in streams for the band’s 2020 hit

The band, alongside the haunting image of longing and what-ifs as articulated in “Lifetime (Reimagined),” the extended version of “Lifetime”

Multi-awarded folk-pop group Ben&Ben continues to break new ground in their career as their 2020 hit “Lifetime” surged to No. 1 on both the IFPI Official Philippines Chart and the Billboard Philippines Hot 100, less than a month after releasing its extended version, Lifetime (Reimagined).

For the chart week of April 10 to 16, “Lifetime” climbed one spot to secure the top position on IFPI’s Official Philippines Chart. The rankings, introduced in February 2025, are part of the Official Southeast Asia Charts—an International Federation of the Phonographic Industry initiative that highlights music across the region, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, on the Billboard Philippines Hot 100 chart for the week of April 25, the song climbed four spots from the previous week’s No. 5 finish, fueled by consistently strong streaming numbers across various platforms. This marks the band’s first ever No. 1 Billboard Philippines chart ranking, and their third time to break into the charts, following Sa Susunod na Habang Buhay in the 2025 Year-End Charts and Kathang Isip in the October 2025 Hot 100 list.

According to the band, they did not expect the song to have this kind of impact on listeners, both the casual ones and those from their Liwanag fan community.

“Hindi po namin inasahang magkakaroon ng ganitong impact ‘yung Lifetime sa mga makikinig, sa Liwanag. Na-observe naming kahit papano, natutulungan ng kanta ‘yung mga taong bumalik panandalian sa nakaraan, para harapin ang mga ‘what-ifs’ nila, upang humilom para sa kasalukuyan. Sobrang grateful kaming maging bahagi ng prosesong ito sa pamamagitan ng kantang ito,” Ben&Ben said.

The song’s message resonates among listeners because of the realness of it – articulating deep feelings of longing, of yearning, of loving despite the risks.

“Na-observe din naming may kakaiba talaga sa abilidad ng mga Pilipino na maramdaman ang emosyon na ‘longing,’ o pagkakaroon ng ‘di mamatay na pagkagusto para sa isang tao o bagay na maaaring ‘di maabot. Totoo kasing nae-experience ng marami ‘yung longing. At siguro, patunay ito ng abilidad nating magmahal at magtiis para sa mga mahal natin. Siguro, to love is to endure,” the band related.

Beyond its latest chart-topping milestones, Lifetime (Reimagined) by Ben&Ben also climbed to No. 1 on the YouTube Trending list last week, reached No. 9 on the Spotify Global Daily Viral Chart, secured the top spot on the Spotify Philippines Daily Viral Chart, and landed at No. 2 on both the Spotify Weekly Top 200 and Spotify Daily Top 200 rankings.

Lifetime (Reimagined) is now available here for streaming across all major digital platforms. Fans can also look forward to the upcoming release of its performance video, while the lyric video is already out.