Written by the Stars Drops New Single and MV
Words by Joey Dizon
“We really decided to get out of our comfort zone with this one,” says Cromwell Reyes, drummer and one-sixth of the fast-rising emo rock outfit Written by the Stars. The band—which has been hard at work post-pandemic—recently released their latest single “Minuto,” which is likely to be a crowd favorite in the coming months, with its fiery musical dynamics, soaring melodies, and painfully honest lyricism.
Listen to “Minuto” here.
“When we started the band, we were most comfortable writing songs in English. [Vocalist] Robert [Calingo] always thought that his Tagalog writing lacked depth. So this was definitely a welcome challenge, made extra special because our bassist Justin [Nudalo] and road manager Maritoni [Soriano] helped out with the lyrics, so it really became a group effort.”
Formed in 2017, the band—Calingo, Reyes, and Nudalo, alongside guitarists Fer Adia and Jefrey Gutierrez and keyboardist AJ Basiño—rose from being a regular fixture in the independent music scene, playing bars and simple prods to playing universities and festivals. They were even invited to open for The Maine when PULP Live World brought the American rock band to Manila, building a strong following in the process. Citing influences such as All Time Low, My Chemical Romance, We The Kings, and Sleeping With Sirens as their primary influences, the group makes no secret that they are bent on bringing back the emo rock sound from the past decade.
That same vibe and sound is still captured in the music video for “Minuto,” which was directed by Niokz Arcega, and can be viewed here.
Though fans and loyal followers of the band may consider “Minuto” to be the start of the band’s “comeback,” the group considers its current frame of mind as a fresh start, as they are dead-set on releasing more music in 2024.
“This is just the start,” says Calingo. “You’ll definitely be seeing and hearing from us a lot more.” PULP
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