For December Avenue, music making the ‘indie way’ can be just as productive, lucrative

December Avenue

For December Avenue, the road to mainstream success was a long one.

The local group isn’t the overnight sensation some people think it is. Lead vocalist Zel Bautista, guitarist Jem Manuel, bassist Don Gregorio and drummer Jet Danao banded together back in 2008 and have been playing gigs, mostly underground, since 2010.

December Avenue has always had modest, but nonetheless solid following. But in 2016, the four musicians (together with new recruit Gelo Cruz) saw their fan base rapidly growing with the release of “Sa Ngalan ng Pag-Ibig”—a sweepingly emotive soft rock ballad that would come to define the band’s current sound.

“I think it was a combination of timing, patience and luck,” Zel told the Inquirer, moments before the band took the stage at the recent soundtrack launch of TBA Studio’s upcoming romantic drama, “Tayo sa Huling Buwan ng Taon,” which opens on May 8.

“We just wanted to play and perform. We kept on writing songs,” he said.

One of the things that greatly contributed to the group’s steady rise in popularity the past three years, he pointed out, was the group’s decision to record more Tagalog material.

Prior to “Sa Ngalan,” the band had only recorded two songs in the vernacular—“Dahan” and “Eroplanong Papel,” which made it into the band’s predominantly English, self-titled album.

“At one point, we thought, ‘Why don’t we write more songs in Tagalog? Then, ‘Sa Ngalan’ happened … People loved it, so we stuck to it. We kept on releasing Tagalog songs,” Zel related. “Once the opportunity came our way, we made sure to grab it.”

“At first, you’re bound to express yourself artistically; it was for self-fulfillment. That’s how it was before we broke into the mainstream market,” the frontman added. “But now we’re more aware of the people’s pulse.”

Since “Sa Ngalan,” December Avenue has released seven more Tagalog singles, including “Kung ’Di Rin Lang Ikaw,” the band’s hit collaboration with singer Moira dela Torre that has so far garnered almost 70 million streams on Spotify and 120 million on YouTube.

Curiously, December Avenue and Moira are two of 2018’s most streamed local artists on Spotify.

“It’s overwhelming. We have never had backing from a major label; we’re currently signed with Tower of Doom, which is an indie outfit. Our music isn’t distributed as easily. We don’t have much television or radio [exposure] … All we have is the internet,” Zel pointed out. “But we persevered and believed in our music.”

For the official soundtrack of “Tayo”—which also includes songs by Elle Sebastian and Gabby Alibe—Zel composed a new song titled “Huling Sandali,” which he intends to include in the all-Tagalog album he has been working on.

“When director Nestor Abrogena Jr. contacted and gave us the movie’s title, there was this instant lightbulb moment, and I just started writing drafts,” he said of composing the main theme for “Tayo,” which features Nicco Manalo, Anna Luna, Emmanuelle Vera and Alex Medina.

“It’s a privilege and an honor to write a song for a movie. But there’s pressure,” he admitted. “I finished the song in just two weeks last December, because we were busy with gigs. But thankfully, it turned out well.”