SOS talks about their evolving sound, new EP

SOS

After a decade in the local music industry, SOS is going strong with over 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. The band, which until last year was known as She’s Only Sixteen, hunkered down for two weeks to produce a five-track EP that will be launched later this month.

“It Was A Moment” includes the single “Roses” which lead vocalist Roberto Seña described as “a little more intimate than most of our songs.” Seña’s voice is easy on the ears with a slight drawl that can be heard on “Favoritism” and “Magic,” two of the band’s most streamed tracks.

The new single, however, is more upbeat, less angst-filled. “It has a feeling of lushness that I always aim for when producing songs lately. It’s rare that we write a love song free from the angst and jadedness that we have become known for,” Seña said in a statement.

More eclectic

When they were first starting out, the band emulated groups that they listened and looked up to. For example, “Amygdala” and “Dying to Meet You” in their first EP released in 2012, share a syncopated beat similar to that popularized by the American alternative indie band Vampire Weekend.

When we pointed this out to them, bassist Anjo Silvoza said he considered it a compliment. “If you’re giving us good comparisons, then that always is high praise for me,” he said.

Drummer King Puentespina said this happened a lot then, but that he doesn’t really mind. “Our older songs really came from the music we were exposed to at the time,” he said. The new single “Roses” is a new direction for SOS. Seña said the production was inspired by the 1980s and incorporates synths and guitar work from the pop-dominated decade. It’s still grounded, however, on the familiar sound fans expect and have enjoyed from SOS over the years. Rounding out the band are guitarist Andrew Panopio and Ram Alonzo on keyboards.

SOS

How would you describe the evolution of your sound as a band?

Silvoza: We’re more experimental now, and at the same time just honest with how we want to sound.

Puentespina: It grew up because of the artists and songs we’ve been listening to for the past few years. A lot of it has to do with experience and stories we want to explore as well.

Panopio: We added a new member. Ram plays keys for us. We’ve always been about bringing a fuller experience to our shows, so having Ram marks a new era for us, sound-wise.

Seña: I think we’re constantly evolving. We love to experiment with what we can do with our music. I’d like to believe that no matter what kind of genres/aesthetic choices we play with, it all still sounds like SOS in the end.

Alonzo: As someone new to the band but who has been a listener, I would say that the new material is more eclectic. It still sounds like SOS, but it’s different in terms of the choice of sonic elements, treatment and instrumentation.

Can you take us through your process of writing/composing songs?

Are the roles in the band clearly delineated or can everyone contribute lyrics or chords?Puentespina: Usually it starts with sharing demos or ideas with one another. A lot of the times we’ve recorded it straight from just jamming it out in the studio. Everyone contributes their ideas and we take the song to wherever it needs to go together.

Seña: It has changed through the years, it starts with me finishing songs on my own and showing the band and they add their flavor to it. Nowadays, we send each other tracks, or sit together in the studio and finish everything together. I mean, you can see us have our roles when we perform live, but that isn’t the case when we’re in the studio. You can catch me programming drums or King doing guitars. Sometimes, Andrew and Anjo edit my lyrics or melodies. Now with Ram in the mix, it’s just another good brain to pass the ball to.

Alonzo: Earlier this year, I spent weeks in La Union recording and jamming with Seña, King, Andrew and Anjo. I would say that there are no specific roles in the band’s creative process. Everyone just throws ideas at each other by picking up an instrument and hitting record.

“Roses” is very catchy and upbeat. Can you tell us how that song came about?

Panopio: Yeah! Happy sounding with a sad message that’s SOS for you. I think our Live energy really came out when we were making this song. That energy’s been in the backseat, production-wise, since “Whatever That Was” in 2017.

Seña: I wrote it two years ago and the demo just came back around during one of our lock-in sessions at our studio in La Union. You could say it’s a love song that also tries to be a cry for help.

SOS

Of the songs you’ve released since 2012, what are the three that capture who SOS is?

Silvoza: For me, it’s “Favoritism,” because I love seeing the crowd jump around, and that translates to the energy we have as a band and how we love interacting with the crowd; “Magic” because that song kept us afloat for the longest while; and “Roses,” our latest single, because it’s the most honest we’ve ever been with our sound!

Puentespina: “Good Company,” “Leave Me Out of It” and “Just a Bit of Rain.” They capture a lot of our collective vibe and perfectly encapsulate our experiences at the time each was made.

Panopio: “Monologue” because each instrument falls in exactly the right place; “Whatever That Was,” is super fun to play live after all these years, and it’s our first song I think that really defined our sound uniquely; and “Seryoso” because dance is very much a part of our DNA.

Seña: “Leave Me Out of It,” “Good Company” and “Seryoso.” I love performing these songs and I had a blast producing them, too.

Are these three the same songs you would suggest those unfamiliar with SOS give a listen to? Why or why not?

Silvoza: Yes! I think it’s a small SOS starter pack (laughs).

Panopio: Sure, but we have a lot of deep cuts that I truly believe showcase our sound and vibe as a whole. Listen to everything (laughs)!

Seña: I would definitely suggest everything AFTER “Whatever That Was.” I dunno, it really depends on what that person would be into. “Whatever That Was” was so raw. All the new stuff is polished. But out of my choices—yeah sure, I’d go with that.