Ashley’s Kryptonite’s
First Own EP Launch and Own Gig, and Struggles as an Indie Band
by Elija Y. Torre
It was raining in the evening
of July 26. Apart from the uneasiness that you would feel from getting partly
wet, the traffic jam along Tandang Sora Ave. would also add up to your stress.
All these hassles were all endured by the people who went to the Celebrity
Sports Club that night. Inside the studio bar of the sports plaza was where
they all gathered. As you approach that room, you can already hear the plucking
of the electric guitar, the strumming of the lower frequency of the bass, the
rhythm that the drummer makes as he landed his sticks on the drums, and the
punky voice of the vocalist. Of course, the crowd, some were sitting but most
were standing, made their presence felt through their enthusiastic cheers. They
were all there in that bar to support one of the would-be-most-important nights
for the Ashley's Kryptonite.
But wait. What is Ashley's
Kryptonite?
It is actually a band name of
an independent band consisting of Sage Ilagan (lead vocal/guitarist), Red
Dimaano (bassist), Cholo Ledesma (drummer), and Josh Jimenez (guitarist).
According to Sage, "We started as friends. It was in our club, Ateneo
Children’s Theater that we discovered our musical talents and decided to
jam." However, he said that it was in high school that they formally
called themselves as Ashley's Kryptonite, thus becoming a band.
You may also ask, what was so
special in that evening. That night, the band actually launched their first EP
(a collection of some of their original songs). And that was also their first
own production as a band.
Independently Produced
Gig
According to Sage, they have
already performed in many gigs, presumably to some school concerts and band
contests as well as benefit concerts. But this time, they were not only one of
the performers, they were also the organizers.
“The launch was the culmination
of the three years of hard work and experiences we've gone through”, Sage noted
about the importance of the event to them. “It tested our skills not only as
musicians but as organizers too.” The event also became their application
ground of their skills in production management as former members of a theater
organization. “It was very challenging, but we pushed through to make the event
successful”, he said.
Their efforts paid off through
the sold out copies of their EP at the end of the event. The band promised to
release another set of copies should
someone request for it.
The Guest Performers
 |
| Pauline Rana singing acoustic songs with her guitar. |
Even though the event was
organized for the celebration of the success of Ashleys' Kryptonite, it also
showcased other independent musicians that are friends with the band members.
The guest performers composed of two bands namely, Chairman Mouse and Yurei,
and solo artists such as Emil Apostol and Pauline Rana.
The four walls of the bar
reverberated "punk rock" songs of the bands Chairman Mouse and Yurei.
It was Chairman Mouse which initialized the rock scene to the event. However,
it was Yurei which made the younger crowd to get up from the comfort of their
chairs and started jumping, while waving their hands up. Yurei’s lead vocalist,
Itos Ledesma, with his "punkish" yet smooth vocalization was what
gained the cheers even from the much older audience.
Since the event was organized
by a rock band, "Is it going to
be a mini-rock concert?”. But it was not. Ashley's Kryptonite managed to invite
other musicians that brought another kind of music. Emil Apostol, a
saxophonist, throw backed through covering some oldies with his sax. When he
played his version of "Careless Whisper", the "wooh"-ing of
the crowd got louder. But it was the last of the guest performers that let the
audience taste music that just a right mix with the cold weather. The combination
of Pauline Rana's mellow strumming of her acoustic guitar, her voice, and her
love songs quite created a soothing atmosphere inside the bar. We rested our
ears from the loud music earlier through the jazzy and acoustic sounds of Emil
and Pauline.
 |
| Emil Apostol with his sax |
The “Kryptonite” of the Stage
 |
| Ashley's Kryptonite. From the left: Red, Sage, and Josh |
When the Ashley’s Kryptonite
finally came to the stage, the audience became more excited. The cheering got
louder when the tune of a familiar OPM song, “Tadhana” by Up Dharma Down, was
used as a soundcheck. Even though it was already 10 in the evening, the people
inside the bar were very lively. The crowd, especially those that are standing
near the stage, started singing with Sage. It was like they knew every song the
band performed.
They performed their original
songs, three of which may be found on their EP: "Number One Fan",
"Clara", and their more famous one, "Katrina", in which the
cheering and the singing of the crowd was the loudest. The others were the
songs they frequently used in their gigs like "Disco Ball",
"Prom" and the like. "Discoball" was actually performed as
a mashup with four other known foreign songs: "Latch" and "F for
You, "Disclosure", "Levels", "Treasure", and
"Let It Go". Cholo, the drummer, had a vocal part on
"Latch", while Emil was blowing his sax throughout the medley.
“Their different renditions of
their more popular songs like ‘Discoball’ and ‘Amnesia’ really made almost 90+
[of the audience] sing along and even tear up from the back”, said Gab Orlina,
a friend of the band members. “Overall, the band was excellent in their 7-8
song set, and they didn’t disappoint the almost 100+ people who went to their
EP Launch.”
Compared to the other
performances in the event, the band mixed their genre from punk rock to pop and
acoustic. Sage's voice was a little bit less punky, and instead, he focused on
reaching high notes. They also opted to perform acoustic version of their songs
with slow beating of drums and keyboards instead of guitars. Through this, the
band was able to combine the opposing mood of rock and mellow music, as if
their performance was a synthesis of the earlier numbers.
 |
| Sage singing one of their songs. |
“They were incredible and full
of energy, as usual. The night went on and one would expect that they would lose their energy, even just a
little bit, but their performance proved that they are consistent and that they
could also level with, to some extent, even exceed, the crowd’s enthusiasm”,
remarked Ms. Ace Marra, high school teacher of Sage, Red, and Cholo.
The Struggle of the Indie Music Scene
It is true that despite their
remarkable talents, indie bands like Ashley’s Kryptonite are having a hard time
reaching out to a greater audience to share their music. As an indie band
member, Sage noted that one reason for this struggle is that local radio
stations, which have the big part in the promotions through the airplay of the
songs, fail to feature songs created by indie bands. “[As a] result, the lack
of exposure for these bands means less people [appreciating] and [supporting]
them and their music”, Sage said.
Ms. Ace Marra, who is
coincidentally a fan of OPM and Pinoy indie bands, also remarked the same
problems of the local radio. “They focus on foreign artists or Pinoy novelty
singers instead”. Moreover, she noted the other problem, which is the
capitalization of big record companies on fame: “They [record companies] could
record dozens of albums for famous actors and actresses who try to enter the
music industry, but they wouldn’t risk their capital for a budding talented
band.”
one might ask, "Is it going to be a mini-rock concert?”.
But it was not. Ashley's Kryptonite managed to invite other musicians that
brought another kind of music. Emil Apostol, a saxophonist, throw backed
through covering some oldies with his sax. When he played his version of
"Careless Whisper", the "wooh"-ing of the crowd got louder.
But it was the last of the guest performers that let the audience
taste music
that just a right mix with the cold weather. The combination of Pauline Rana's
mellow strumming of her acoustic guitar, her voice, and her love songs quite
created a soothing atmosphere inside the bar. We rested our ears from the loud
music earlier through the jazzy and acoustic sounds of Emil and Pauline.
Despite the
small crowd that cheered them in one of the special events for them as a band,
what matters to them is that they know that still, there are people who support
their music, the indie bands, and the OPM. Sage said, “It is important to
support independent bands for them to keep making music. Producing music costs
a lot of money, and without enough resources to produce music, these bands
would cease to create what we enjoy listening to now. Supporting them in ways
like going to their gigs or buying their EPs is already a big help for them and
the whole music scene as well”.
As a constant listener of OPM
and some less recognized bands in the Philippines, Ms. Marra gave some advice
to indie bands: “There is no assurance that everyone would like the indie
scene, but having it present and accessible to the common Filipino listener
would at least give them the option and opportunity to hear and enjoy new
music.”
While it is
true that there are some people who are really fans of independent bands, it
can’t be denied that these bands are still struggling with the fact that only a
small number of people appreciate the kind of music that they offer. As Ms.
Marra suggests, these indie bands should reach out to the people, but when
these bands did, would the people do their part?
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