HOMEGROWN: ANG DATING DON JUAN
Gone are the days when distance and geography work against musicians who are hungry and dedicated enough to make things happen –it’s really not much of a challenge to find great talent and good music in various corners of the archipelago.
Take for example pop-punk collective ANG DATING DON JUAN: these gentlemen – hailing from picturesque Albay – have been focused and driven in their quest to produce slick recordings and deliver incendiary live performances since their official start last year, and seem to be on a steady trajectory of covering more ground this 2023, especially with the release of their latest single “Kahit Hangin Ako Sa Yo,” an energetic, radio-ready single that’s so good that it’s pretty hard to ignore.
Listen here:
Comprised of vocalist Yuwi Grey, guitarists Remus Jesus Relato, Jovan Madrilejos and Mathew Jadie, bassist Albert Ascutia and drummer Jay Emmanuel Salamat, ADDJ is currently leading the charge of a movement in their region, and consistently taking things to the next level, as heard on the singles they’ve been releasing since last year. Their March 2022 debut “Parang Langit Na,” already showcased a solid sonic appeal both music and production-wise, with a clear and meaty overall mix and catchy-as-hell choruses and guitar lines.
By September of the same year, the band immediately followed-up with “Tayo Lang,” which had an even more obvious fine-tuning and know-how for production. For the remainder of the year, the band beefed-up its live performances, and even ventured to Manila’s shores, playing anywhere and everywhere audiences would have them, literally roughing-it-out in various venues and clubs, playing alongside bands like CHELSEA ALLEY ultimately launching the music video for their second single with MAYONNAISE and CHICOSCI by October 2022.
Needless to say, AADJ is as every bit as determined to keep the goods coming, and PULP was able to chat with the band about its beginnings and future.
PULP: Do give us a basic history/background of Ang Dating Don Juan… when, how and why was the band formed, and what the general motive/goal was since day one.
Yuwi: The band was actually formed in December of 2021 – Jay, Crok, Jovan and I were already in an alternative band named Don Juan… But then we decided to change our sound to pop-punk, and that was when RJ and Mathew came on board as our additional guitarists… and well, it made sense to change the band’s name to what it is now. But ever since, the goal has been to get our music out to as many ears as possible, and to play our hearts out in front of huge crowds – to make ‘em go wild and sing along.
PULP: Do tell us about your hometown/provincial scene, and the great things about it and the challenges as well.
Jay: The scene in Albay has grown now more than ever! Lots of organizations are creating so many events, that are all focused on helping local musicians grow and reach larger audiences; though there are still some people in the local scene who find it hard to adapt to the changes in both music and the ethic of getting music out, the younger generation of musicians and music fans in Albay are very supportive.
PULP: Talk to us about the new single “Kahit Hangin Ako Sa Yo,” how it was created, written and recorded. Seeing it’s the third, how does it different from your two previous releases?
Yuwi: I first wrote the music and the basic instrument parts, then I worked on the lyrics and the melodies… I usually create a draft and record a demo for the rest of the band to add things here and there, but for this particular track, they barely made any changes – and it was recorded in Jay’s Salamat Music Studio.
I think this particular song is more punk than pop, which is sort of the opposite as far as our two previous singles are concerned… and we’ve incorporated samples and beats in the intro, which is something we previously hadn’t explored.
PULP: The releases of the band have a sonic consistency and nice polish to them… They sound superb!
RJ: All our tracks were recorded at Jay’s studio… Jay is our sound musician!
PULP: Is there more material we can expect to be released?
Mathew: This is just the third track off our upcoming debut album, so yeah – expect a LOT more to come!
PULP: What are the immediate plans for the future behind these releases?
Jovan: Another music video is in the works, and we’re also planning to release the next singles every three months or so: we want to release the singles separately so that each song has its own time in the spotlight, before we embark on a tour in support of the entire album, hopefully by early next year. PULP
If you like what you’ve heard, you can support Ang Dating Don Juan by following them on their pages:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ADDJph
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/447HEcvGupdh8p9gDkPW3S?si=uwbmvgwRQByaFicSS3wxVg
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@addjph
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/addjph
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ADDJph
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@addjph
