Meagan Trees

Meagan Trees has always brought an understated sense of spontaneity into her storytelling approach, leaving plenty of room for both personal awakening and introspection to take off and not miss a mark. On her latest single, “Take Me Away,” the Dumaguete-based singer-songwriter reflects on the importance of being vulnerable and taking risks—something that most of us aren’t willing to become.

Delicately produced and delivered with heart-stopping quietness, “Take Me Away” inhabits wisdom beyond years. There’s nothing messianic about it; no platitudes to feed the ego, and no gate keeping of moral ascendancy to prove a point. What makes the song truly human is that it’s willing to embrace every bit of the experience—be it good or bad, and that there’s beauty in wanting to wake up your inner child and be open to possibilities, no matter where it takes you.

According to Meagan Trees, the song was based on a late night adventure with a friend. “We went to the beach at 3am and I thought that was such a cool, wholesome, happy experience which then led me to write ‘Take Me Away’ the next day,” the folk songstress shares.

In terms of the production details, “Take Me Away” doesn’t feel like an intuitive concept or a meticulous foray into sound design. “This song was pretty much free flowing,” Meagan Trees points out. “A few good friends, Simon and Jorbas, pitched in their ideas, I explained how I wanted this song to feel, and we came up with something very simple yet euphoric. My brother then added the guitar parts which I think made the song very youthful.”

Its impulsiveness birthed an ethereal folk ballad that’s lovingly spare but filled with emotional resonance, a song that values the ‘journey’ more than the destination itself.

Meagan Trees’ “Take Me Away” is now available on all streaming and digital platforms worldwide via Lilystars Records.

PhilPop, the country’s premier songwriting competition, returns with an eclectic set of new releases from the finalists of the Visayas cluster.

The sophomore batch takes regional pride to unprecedented heights with its sterling showcase of contemporary pop songs representing authentic Visayan expressions through language, culture, and experience.

Distributed by Warner Music Philippines, the homegrown tracks are available today, October 30 (Friday) on all digital and streaming platforms worldwide. The entries include “Suyo,” composed and interpreted by Noah Alejandre and Reanne Borela also know as the duo reon; “Hinungdan,” composed by Michael Catarina and interpreted by James Gulles; and “Ayaw Na Lang,” composed by JerikaTeodorico and interpreted by Lourdes Maglinte.

Suyo: Love beyond cultural differences

Breaking cultural barriers, “Suyo” tells the story of quarreling lovers from the opposite sides of the country. Over the course of the intricately produced jam, composers Noah Alejandre and Reanne Borela exchange sweet banters to win each other back in Bisaya and Tagalog, respectively.

“This song breaks the norms of OPM songs having only one language and giving emphasis on couples who are from different parts of the country,” Alejandre explains the inspiration behinf the new tune. “Both of us never really experienced being in a relationship, yet we made the song as if we were in one and took inspiration from our imaginations. Reanne took inspiration from her friends who were in relationships and have witnessed how they would fight about the simplest things and get back together right after. They took this as an opportunity to create a playful song that resulted into the song.”

With its understated charm and infectious pop songwriting, “Suyo” stands out for putting a new spin on the classic love song template. It seamlessly blends the charm and tension points of two different languages, showcasing a pure kind of love that goes beyond cultural and geographical differences.

Hinungdan: Subtlety done right

Weaving folk-pop instrumentation with striking vulnerability, “Hinungdan” brings back earnestness and subtlety at the forefront of the songwriting process, allowing words and melodies to wander into the open space and take off.

Cebu-based composer Michael Catarina cites British singer-songwriters Ed Sheeran, Passenger, and James Bay as major influences in writing “Hinungdan”—a song about “a person who is having a hard time telling his feelings for someone.”

Catarino relates to the universal appeal of the self-penned composition, sharing how he felt the same at some point in his life: “I can’t deny but I have personally experienced this as well. Way back then, when I wrote this song, I was just embracing the moment of being frustrated by writing the things that I couldn’t say.”

Ayaw Na Lang: Sultry jam for the lovelorn

According to PhilPop finalist JerikaTeodorico, “Ayaw Na Lang” is a Bisaya phrase that translates to “never mind” in English. “The lyrics are from the perspective of a lovelorn person slowly acknowledging and accepting the fact that although her love interest seems to return even a fourth of the feeling, a romance between them just won’t do,” the Cebuana composer and songwriter reflects. “It’s a very confusing feeling to deal with, and as a songwriter and a person who has a hard time processing my thoughts and emotions, I felt compelled to make a monument out of that half-joyous, half-torturous moment. It was also me trying to assure my love interest that it was fine, and there were no hard feelings after that night.”

From a musical standpoint, there’s nothing over-the-top about “Ayaw Na Lang” in terms of production and arrangement, but its charm lies on the gritty, throwback vibe that arranger and co-producer AnjeloCalinawan brought to the mix, making it sound like an ‘old-meets-new’ kind of jam. The overall product is something that Amy Winehouse or Duffy wouldn’t mind singing their hearts out, but in the entry’s case, it’s songstress Lourdes Maglinte filling in the shoes to interpret this smoky, jazz-pop original with both sass and soul.

“Suyo,” “Hinungdan,” and “Ayaw Na Lang” are now available on streaming and digital platforms worldwide via PhilPop and Warner Music Philippines.

Hong Kong-based producer and singer-songwriter Gareth.T tackles the stinging effect of a loved one’s death on his new single “November Rain”, out on October 30, Friday via indie label Umami Records.

Writing and producing the emotional R&B track felt like getting a huge piece of stone off Gareth.T’s chest, and somehow, the recording process gave him time to mourn and find the silver lining at the end of the tunnel.

The multi-hyphenate artist shares, “My uncle passed away from cancer a decade ago. We were so close, and I wish I could see him for just a little longer. He passed in November and the day he was buried it was raining heavily, I thought November rain would be the perfect title.”

Perfectly encapsulating the experience dealing with the loss of a family member, “November Rain” holds tight to important memories before letting it go forever. There’s more to the song than its sentimental refuge. The production is divine at carving out interesting sonic spaces with ‘90s disco drum grooves and a dash of hip-hop at the helm. It’s meticulously written and arranged with a floating, languid sound in mind.

Gareth.T

“This took me 2 years to write,” Gareth.T adds. “I felt every word I sang, from ‘being afraid to put songs about him out in the past, cause it felt like I was saying goodbye’ to ‘not being used to the empty chair on my grandma’s table at Christmas’. Every word I wrote, I meant. I still cry when I listen back to this song.”

Currently based in Boston while studying at Berklee College of Music, the prolific producer has been dropping a new track every 4 weeks, and has no plans to slow down.

Listen to November Rain by Gareth.T everywhere at this link: https://www.umamirecords.sg/november-rain/

About Gareth.T

Hong Kong R&B artist Gareth.T coalesces the smooth tones of R&B and the rough edges of hip-hop music, using his diverse musical experience to tell his unique story.

Now based in Boston, Gareth.T was born and raised in Hong Kong, bringing an eastern metropolitan perspective to his music. A classically trained violinist, Gareth.T is also a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and producer, allowing him the complete creative freedom to express his own unique style.

Gareth invites you to accompany him on his journey throughout this year as he continues to craft his soulful, experimental soundscape.

Alex Bruce

It’s been a very challenging year for the music industry in general, but not to Alex Bruce, who continues to enjoy commercial and critical plaudits—thanks to her slickly produced, empowering anthems.

Her Wish 107.5 Bus performances of “Mind As A Weapon” and “Pull It Off” have garnered more than a million hits respectively, while the latter earned the young prodigy a record for the youngest female artist to have scored a top 3 on Wave 89.1’s weekly chart. To top it off, the 13-year-old rapper/songwriter has recently teamed up with global hitmaker August Rigo, whose songwriting and production credits include BTS’ “Black Swan” and Justin Bieber’s multi-platinum album, My World 2.0, for the trap banger “Go Crazy.”

With barely two months left for 2020, the feisty newcomer isn’t showing any signs of slowing down with the release of “Yakap,” an endearing love song in hip-hop/R&B form.

Intricately laced with dreamy atmospherics and infectious beats, “Yakap” finds Alex Bruce dealing with her first-hand experience on puppy love and infatuation. Her latest single plays out like a simp-worthy jam: thematically appropriate for Alex Bruce’s age, but charismatic enough to sweep listeners off their feet.

“Yakap is all about my crush,” the bubbly newcomer fondly shares the inspiration behind the urban jam. “Well, if you guys didn’t know, I’m 13 turning 14 this Christmas, and like a normal teenager, I started to experience weird things like puppy love. So for me to express my feelings, I wrote a song about this person.”

The song was a three-way collaboration with Alex Bruce, her dad, who is currently in Australia, and music producer Cursebox. The songwriting, recording, and production were done in a span of two weeks, with the involved heads brainstorming and working together though Zoom meetings to discuss matters related to the new track. Alex adds, “Sometimes it’s hard because I have online class and it’s still very different from homeschooling that I’m used to. I’m still adapting to this kind of set up, all of us are.”

For what it’s worth, “Yakap” truly has the makings of another game-changing hit. It’s another testament to Alex Bruce’s incredibly compelling talent as a rapper, singer, and lyricist—a triple-threat that will surely go to places in the many years to come.

“Yakap” is now available on all digital platforms worldwide via Sony Music Philippines.