Not your usual weatherman

Lourd de Veyra, a weatherman? The man himself couldn’t quite explain how he went from writing Palanca Award-winning literary pieces and fronting his band Radioactive Sago Project to being in the “Aksyon” newsroom, delivering daily weather updates.

It does seem like an odd career move for the 36-year-old artist, but Lourd said that he enjoys doing weather reports because it brings out the geek in him.

“There’s a lot to explore about the weather system and it’s such a volatile universe,” he told the Inquirer during a recent press con for TV5’s prime time news program, “Aksyon.”

Interaction

What makes his segment different, Lourd said, is the addition of something that he calls “human-weather interaction.” More than just interpreting what goes on in the atmosphere, he explains how weather conditions could affect daily routines and livelihoods, even the political climate.

While his “TV Patrol” counterpart Kuya Kim (Atienza) churns out random trivia in his own weather segment, Lourd has “Sabi ni Lourd,” where he serves up witty, sarcastic, easy-to-digest views on current social and political issues. “It’s like an editorial—may mga sundot,” he said, adding, “It’s very challenging; I have to produce new material every day.”

Death threats?

Has he ever gotten death threats for criticizing politicians?

“I don’t think they’ll waste their time on someone like me. I’m just a speck in their vast universe,” he said. “I actually think they’re safer targets than, say, a local police station commander. Yayariin ka talaga nu’n!”

Aside from being TV5’s resident weatherman, Lourd also cohosts the early morning show, “Sapul sa Singko,” in which his wildly popular editorial feature “Word of the Lourd” appears weekly. He’ll also be hosting “Wasak”—a talk show on the network’s round-the-clock news channel, Aksyon TV.

The best thing about his new job, Lourd said, is having coworkers and bosses who trust him and understand his “topak” (quirky) approach to his segments: “They give me full control… They don’t dictate what I should or should not write. But of course, I try not to go overboard.”

He would like to remain a TV host and also find time to do “mockumentaries” in the next several years: “The beauty of my job is, it’s not dependent on beauty or age—not that I have beauty to begin with. I can see myself continuing what I do until I go completely bald!” he said.

But Lourd considers himself a musician first. Ironically, he said, it’s the one facet of his career that suffers most, since he can’t perform in weeknight gigs anymore, as he needs to be up at 3 a.m. daily for “Sapul.”

He’s not complaining though, because he’s able to apply his music and writing skills to his TV gig. And, not to mention, TV pays well, he admitted.

New album

It’s been four years since his band released its third album, “****ina Mo Andaming Nagugutom sa Mundo Fashionista Ka Pa Rin.” But the group is making up for lost time. “We hope to finish recording our fourth album by the end of this year,” Lourd said.

The new record doesn’t have a title yet, but Lourd said he’ll most likely give it a one-word name. Like his past works, he related, it will have an eclectic mix of rock, jazz, punk and spoken words. This time though, fans can expect “shorter and louder” songs.

He added that the album is adopting a “pang-asar” theme.  Social commentaries will still be embedded in the music, but they won’t be too direct or literal, he said. “I’ve realized that when you’re too literal, the material becomes dated.”

Long marathon

Citing American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan as an example, Lourd explained: “He sang in metaphors, but was actually tackling the Vietnam War, etc.  However, because he wasn’t very specific and didn’t drop names, his songs still translate well to the current social and political climate.”

As for “Aksyon,” Lourd said that it may take time and a lot of hard work to go toe-to-toe with its rival news programs. “Ang trabahong ’to ay hindi 100-meter dash. Isa ’tong mahabang marathon,” he stressed.

“Aksyon” airs nightly at 6 p.m. on TV5, with a simulcast on Aksyon TV and Radyo Singko 92.3 News FM.