Pusakalye: From sidewalks of Guadalupe to the studio

Pusakalye

Because they didn’t have the money to rent a studio, the members of the up-and-coming pop band Pusakalye didn’t have much of a choice but to write and arrange their earlier songs—as its name suggests—on the sidewalks of Guadalupe Viejo, near a burger shop frequented not only by customers, but also by stray cats.

“That’s also where we practiced,” rhythm guitarist Angelo Cawili said in an interview at the recent launch of the group’s new single, “Ang Ating Alaala.” “But it was one of the things that motivated us. We thought that, if we were to create music and really have the heart for it, we would find a way to do it, anyway.”

But these limitations didn’t stop the band from producing quality material. The heartrending but curiously uplifting ballad “Kulimlim,” from Pusakalye’s debut album, “Kwento ng Pag-Ibig” (2017) caught the ears of hugot-loving listeners, and helped the band gain traction online.

“It was unexpected. Perhaps it’s just that people gravitate toward songs about heartbreak, yearning or moving on these days. That’s where their hearts are. And it just so happened that we had a song that fits those things,” Angelo said, adding that he and his bandmates had to get out to introduce and promote themselves to event producers for exposure when they were starting out.

“There was a time when a school didn’t want to let us play, because the name of our band made them think we played heavy metal music,” he recounted. “Some people suggested that we change it. But when they heard the type of songs that we actually do, it all made sense to them, because they found it similar to the 1990s ‘tunog kalye’ genre.”

But thanks to their online presence and word of mouth, Pusakalye was discovered by Viva Records, which eventually signed them up. “We were surprised that they liked our stuff,” Angelo said.

Angelo and the rest of the group—Ian Mante (lead guitar), Oli Tayo (vocals), Almond Mendoza (keyboards), Lester Binoya (bass) and Ace Perez (percussion)—started out as an acoustic band, because they couldn’t afford instruments. They had to make do with what they already had—guitars and ukuleles.

But now that they have the resources, the band has decided to go for a full-band sound moving forward. The anthemic “Ang Ating Alaala,” for instance, has a more intricate arrangement than their past works.

“Our earlier songs were fairly straightforward. Now we get to play around and incorporate more elements—electric guitars, drums, bongos plus other stuff, to showcase what else we’re capable of,” related Angelo, who, like his bandmates, dreams of writing a song for a movie or television series.

To this day, Pusakalye is still unsure how to define or categorize its music. That may be a good thing.

“We all have different tastes in music, so the results are always different or sounds quite experimental,” Angelo said. “You will find bits of our influences in the songs.”