Band chooses to inspire

AVALON Beyond

WHILE many young listeners these days gravitate toward songs of heartbreak and angst—or, in their own parlance, “hugot”—Avalon Beyond, a newly launched local pop-rock group, would rather create music that spurs people to look at the glass half-full, rather than half-empty.

“We want to inspire our audience by putting out something that’s positive and focuses on goodness,” Ian Sison, the group’s frontman and chief songwriter, said at the recent launch of the band’s debut album, aptly titled “Inspire.”

The band’s lead single “You’re Beautiful,” for instance, is a sweet, laid-back tune that insists that, no matter how underappreciated you feel, there would always be someone somewhere who would make you feel special.

“Inspire,” an 11-track, all-original album, swings from mellow, pleading ballads (“Night Sky,” “Lay Me Down”) to more robust, uplifting anthems (“Fly Away,” “Hiwaga”)—all sung in Sison’s bright, yet sturdy vocals.

“We all go through tough times, and we hope that listening to our tunes will make them feel better—and hopeful,” Sison said, adding that he and his bandmates—bassist Yumi Melad, guitarist Benji Juni and drummer Dani Pajarillo—put a premium on putting out their own music.

Avalon Beyond, which has been around for more than a year, is beginning to make its way into the live-performance circuit, and is set to shoot a new music video soon. “As far as expectations go, we don’t want to look too far ahead,” Juni said. “What’s important is that we enjoy ourselves!”

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