Something to crow about

Early this year, my brother lent me a demo CD of a band I had not heard of until then. Soon after, that CD was already skipping and jumping because I had overplayed it. Somehow, I immediately fell in love with the band and its original music.

I became even more interested when I found out the vocalist was also the drummer of the band. Being an official music lover, I found myself listening to the CD day in and day out, 24/7. One time, my friends and I were on our way to see a movie, (Shallow Hal, I remember) they literally wanted to throw me out of the car because I insisted on playing the CD from Quezon City to Rockwell and back — non stop.

The band is called A Murder of Crows. Creepy and morbid, huh? Nah. "Murder" is actually the collective noun used for crows. Yes, just like a school of fish or flock of sheep. Murder of Crows may seem like just another band.

It isn’t.

I first saw and met the band middle of March of this year and scheduled an interview with them.

Happily, the members are as simple and unpretentious as a pair of jeans and sneakers. They are just out to make music.

Jonjon Jose, Sherwin Reyes, Ian dela Paz and Ria Bautista are a bunch of brilliant artists; a talented breed of down-to-earth musicians who are good friends as well.

You see, I manage a band called Only on Sundays, and in the short time that I have held this post, I can say that it isn’t easy. Conflicts will arise here and there. Friends will turn into villains and villains into friends. It’s one big hell of a rollercoaster ride. Keeping your head above the water isn’t the easiest thing to do. And keeping the friendship is another thing.

The members of A Murder of Crows (AMOC) had their own bands prior to AMOC’s birth in 1999.

After the disbanding of their former projects, the four future Crows got together with no intentions of forming a new band. They just hung around together and jammed from time to time. After some time, they came up with the idea of taking their jamming sessions to a higher level — translate to a new band. They ditched the suggested name Conspiracy of Ravens, to one presented by a friend: A Murder of Crows.

YoungSTAR: Was it intentional on your part to have Ria play the drums and sing at the same time although she could play any other instrument?

Jonjon: No. Hindi yun ang intention namin. Hinintay namin yung cousin niya, supposedly siya dapat yung vocalist.

Ria: Kasi, ayoko talaga kumanta.

Jonjon: Gusto lang niya mag-drums. Habang wala pa pinsan niya, siya na muna yung kumakanta.

Ria: Kahit masama sa loob ko (smiles).

Jonjon: Ngayon, hindi na masama sa loob niya.

Ria: Masama pa din ha! O sige, Konti na lang ngayon (giggles).

Jonjon: We tried one more vocalist, pero hindi pa din, kaya siya na.

Since you weren’t intending to seriously put up a band, how did you get your gigs?

AMOC: We were invited to jam sa Mayric’s. Through old friends lang, kasi we had bands before. We started with covers also. We just played for the love of it. May time wala talaga kaming gig, when we were starting. Isa or dalawa lang in a month. Nag-pick up lang mga 2001 siguro. Bago lang.

What were your covers before?

AMOC: Garbage, Kula Shaker, Siouxsie and the Banshees

Sherwin: Aqua’s Barbie Girl (everyone laughs).

How many originals do you have now?

AMOC: Roughly 12.

Who writes the songs?

Jonjon: All of us.

Ria: Hindi. Ikaw eh. Ikaw naman talaga eh! Totoo talaga. Siya nagsusulat ng lahat.

Jonjon: Hindi, lahat. Lahat kami nagsusulat.

Ria: Mostly, kay Jon. Out of the five songs in the demo, Hurricane, Like a Place and Unseen ang lyrics and music kay Jon. Not My Day, music ko, lyrics ni Jon. Happy, kay Sherwin.

What are the bloopers that you guys have had?

AMOC: Bands should take care when choosing a name. Ours has been mangled so many times — Murder of Crows, Murder of Cows, A Murder Growth, A Murder of Roses, A Thunder of Claws. Okay, di ba?

Advise those who want to have a band?

Jonjon: Practice nang mabuti. Kailangan gusto nila yung ginagawa nila. Discipline. Punta sa practice, walang absent. Be ready din, may samaan ng loob diyan. Madalas. That’s it.

Ian: You have to be really, really inspired. You should have the drive na gawin talaga.

Ria: Sabihin mo yun sa sarili mo, Ian (laughs)!

Ian: Oo nga e, ito na!

Sherwin: Just play. It’s just playing, nothing too serious. And if you want something bad enough, sige. If you want to play so bad , go ahead and play. Enjoy it.

Ria: Persistence pays.

Would you say what you’re going through right now is hard?

AMOC: Mahirap. Kaya every time may gig kami, sinasabi namin, "Suportahan niyo mga local bands." Every gig talaga — lalo na yung mga gumagawa ng originals. Good luck sa ating lahat na may mga banda. Dapat may scene din tayo. Kaya we encourage yung mga tao na makinig ng mga bagong music from new artists. And sana mag-unite yung mga local na banda na originals ang tugtugin.

So you don’t really encourage covers?

AMOC: No, kasi papano ka?

Jonjon: Makikilala ka sa kanta ng iba, hindi dahil sa kanta mo.

Ria: And I don’t know, I might be speaking for myself here. But you don’t any get satisfaction singing songs of other people. Iba talaga pag original na pinaghirapan mo. Appreciated ng tao pag naririnig, papalakpakan ka nila. Matutuwa ka talaga.

Sherwin: Pathetic pa yung nag-cover ka tapos hindi pa pinalakpakan. Sakit nun.

Where do you see yourselves years from now?

Jonjon: Dito pa din sa studio (chuckles). Just joking. Ikaw, Sherwin?

Sherwin: Sana hindi na dito (laughs loudly). Well, I read this somewhere once, The future doesn’t exist, so why worry about it?

Will the band still be intact?

AMOC: Oo naman. Kahit mag-disband pa kami, magkakasama pa din kami.

Would you say you’re fulfilled as a band?

Jonjon and Ria: Oo.

Ian: Hmm. Ako siguro kasi I know I have more to give. We have more to accomplish.

Sherwin: Fulfilled. Not just the band kasi. Ito, kami, the friendship.

So, you can say you’re not friends just because your bandmates?

AMOC: Oo. That’s why kahit mawala na ang A Murder of Crows, barkada pa din.

Aside from the band, what else keeps you guys together? Any drinking sessions or the like?

AMOC: Wala, tambay lang talaga. Ay yung mga dogs namin.

Jonjon: Yung Rottweiler namin magkapatid. Kay Ria yung lalaki, sa akin yung babae. Si Sherwin, may Cocker Spaniel.

Ria: Si Donald. Donald Dog (everyone laughs).

Any vices?

AMOC: No drugs. Two of us are drivers, so no drinking na din for Ian and Sherwin.

Any conflict when it comes to musical tastes and the like?

AMOC: Iba-iba talaga eh. Matt Monroe, Marilyn Manson, Madonna!

Sherwin: It doesn’t mean naman na yung musical influences mo kailangan ganoon din tunog or style mo eh. Not all are my musical influences. Most of them are those who just inspired me to play. If they could do it, bakit hindi ako?

Ria: Like us, gusto namin lahat si Madonna, pero hindi kami pareho ng style.

Sherwin: Actually, may bra ako sa bahay. Yung cone din (laughs).

Ria, Isn’t it hard to sing and play the drums at the same time?

Ria: Mahirap. At tinututukan nila talaga ako e.

Sherwin: Actually, we discuss that always. Kasi people tell us butas kami on stage. People always end up looking for the vocalist.

But isn’t that a plus? That’s something.

Sherwin: But, not all people are like you. Sana ganoon, but no.

Jonjon: If they like the originals dahil doon, nabibilib sila, e di good. But, pakinggan din nila.

AMOC: Yun pa, dangerous din yun. Kasi we’re avoiding yung novelty lang. That people will say, "Yan yung bandang kumakanta ang drummer."

For you, novelty is a disadvantage?

AMOC: Of course. It will always be. It will never last. Ngayon lang uso, tomorrow hindi na. Short term. Yung originals ang important. That’s why we play our music. Mangangarap ka na lang, short term pa? Novelty is fleeting.

You would want to see yourself as big as...

AMOC: Metallica. Gusto namin parang Madonna. Timeless. Dapat nage-evolve kami. Every album may bago, may iba. Imagine, ’80s pa siya, up to now, hit na hit pa rin siya. Nakikipagsabayan kay Britney Spears!

Ria: (Points at Jonjon) Dapat ikaw, material girl!

Sherwin: Ako, like a virgin!

Are your parents supportive?

Sherwin: Ako, nung unang sinabi ko sa mama kong magbabanda ako, tinanong niya ako kung galit ba daw talaga ako sa kanya. Pero ngayon, pag naririnig niya sa radio kanta namin, tuwang-tuwa siya. Isang time may lumapit sa akin sa gasoline station, nakasabay namin yata sa gig o nakanood at nakilala ako. Proud siya.

Ria: Dati yung daddy ko, nanood siya first time, hindi talaga ngumingiti. Frowning talaga, pero ngayon sinasabihan ako nga "Anak, maganda pala boses mo," Kaya okay na. Nakikita naman niya kasi may pinupuntahan din naman. My banda din kasi siya dati.

Ian: Ganoon lang naman sila kasi siyempre yung mga combo dati associated sa drugs.

Jonjon: At napakaraming banda. Hindi nila alam kung ano yung pinapasukan ng anak nila. Mahirap kasi ang gagawin, hindi nila alam anong pupuntahan.