Robin Nievera knows all too well that he’s not the most “sellable” person and that his voice and music isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. He’s “totally cool” with that. And while he had, at times, thought of drastically changing his sound to cater to everyone’s taste, he decided to stick to his guns in crafting his new album, “Dare.”
The eight-track record (Homeworkz), like his previous efforts, still exudes Robin’s passion for rock music, albeit more focused this time around.
“When I tried to shake things up, they just sounded bad. I was always at odds with what I wanted to write and what I thought would work,” he told the Inquirer in a recent interview.
“But for this album, I calmed myself and just wrote what came to mind,” he added.
In terms of promotion, Robin came up with a strategy relatively new in the local industry: Instead of dropping all eight songs at the same time, the singer-songwriter and son of Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez will be releasing one song monthly, each one with an accompanying music video.
The first single, titled, “No More Light,” was released online last February. “You don’t have to go looking for the right sound—sometimes, you just have to make it your own,” he said.
ROBIN Nievera
Excerpts from the interview:
Are all the songs finished, or will you work on them as you go along?
The first four are already finished; the other four need a little tweaking. But they’re all essentially finished. I’ll just have to work on the music videos.
What’s the sound like?
I love Coldplay, U2, John Mayer, Dave Matthews…and I draw inspiration from them and incorporate (that) into my own. In terms of lyrics, the words aren’t grand, but they’re not stupid either.
Your previous albums were heavy on the guitar.
Honestly, I was trying to show off. I guess I wanted to make a point, create a nice impression—a good first handshake, if you will. But I’ve matured since then. I’ve realized that it was wrong. Now, I’m more focused on how I write and sing the songs. I just play.
Do you feel like this is a make -or-break project for you?
I have nothing to lose, nothing much to break. I have to make something for myself. And if it doesn’t work, then I’ll just have to try again.
E-mail apolicarpio@inquirer.com.ph