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.
