The New Romantic

Manila, Philippines - Miguel Escueta is the kind of guy you want to dirty up. He has this squeakyclean Sunday persona on Party Pilipinas that puts any boy-next-door to shame. He’s got the looks, the silent swagger, the talent, and as a bonus, he’s completely scandal-free. He’s rarely spotted in the party scene, is hardly ever out except for gigs, and seldom makes a blip on the local tabloids. Come to think of it, his personal life is much of a mystery. The guy is such a private person that even I was surprised he let me intrude into his media-free bubble.

He drove up to the studio in a white van and stepped out decked in a jacket and jean ensemble that made him look like a spiffy billboard model. He was tall, dark, and had his signature do hidden under a beanie. He made his way to the control room and found a spot on the couch to sink into. His band was playing their cover of the Cranberries’ Linger in the other room when he turned to me and said point-blank, “I’m not a very good singer.”

The hard work has paid off. Some of Miguel’s songs are in the process of being shopped around US networks.

It takes a whole lot of guts to utter something like that, especially when you sing for a living. Before his regular TV stint, Miguel was already in the limelight after placing 2nd in Magic 89.9’s Acoustic Break back in 2003. He covered the Beatles’ Let It Be. Now though he claimed that his vocal chops were below par, it was obviously good enough for him to get signed to a major record label right after graduation.

“I remember I wasn’t really excited about doing that… music was really for fun. I was a basketball player throughout my entire student life. In Ateneo I was part of the Team B… medyo na-crush yung dreams ko nung hindi ako nakapasok sa UAAP. If I had made it, I would have gone all out. But things happen for a reason, and I’m extremely happy with what I’m doing now.”

He excused himself for a moment to check on the guys. Aside from his band mates, he had quite a posse of roadies, technicians, and even his own band photographer. Most of them had tattoos covering their skin and had rings in special places. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think I was in an episode of Miami Ink. But they were pretty cool. Angie, his main roadie, even jested that they hung around to rough up his “good boy” image.

“People see me differently on [Party Pilipinas]… They have this big misconception that when you’re on a variety show, magpapa-cute ka lang at kakanta then okay ka na, but they have to realize that a lot of hard work is put into it every week… People who know me know how passionate I am about my music, my dreams and what I want to accomplish, and I don’t think I come across that way on TV.”

A lot of artists throw around the word “passion” a lot, but Miguel’s is more than just lip service. For almost three years, he peddled his demos during his back and forth visits with his two sisters in the US. Fortunately, his efforts paid off late last year, when the former musical director of CBS took his original tracks, You and Now It Starts, and offered to shop them around for a feature on shows like Gossip Girl and the like. “I don’t want to preempt anything, but the ball’s rolling.”

“Now It Starts,” that’s his second full-length album since the release of “I AM M.E.” in 2007. The album boasts 13 tracks that are a varied mix of originals, covers, and ambient waves—an addition inspired by Miguel’s trips to the beach. His sound is quite different now. It’s a lot less acoustic, but there are still strong hints from his favorite bands in his original tracks. Musical echoes from the earlier Lifehouse lineup and Dashboard Confessional are noticeable in his originals, giving them a more alternative edge. As for the covers, Miguel confessed that they threw him for a loop. “Of course, as an artist you want your album to be all original, but I guess that since I was doing covers on TV, my management and I thought it would be good to showcase them on the album.” The cover choices are quite peculiar, but he’s able to pull them off.

“If you listen to my music, it doesn’t have that much of a mass appeal, so I’m trying my luck… but what’s happened these past couple of years renewed the passion in me. I just want keep pushing to gain more ground.”

Truth be told, I found no speck of dust on this guy, not that I was looking for it. He was and still is, squeaky-clean. Miguel is as optimistic and as nice as they get. And though they say that nice guys finish last, it isn’t always the case.