Since their debut on the scene, Over October has been making the rounds across the indie circuit of the Philippines, merely armed with trusty instruments, a sense of charisma, and innate talent.

In the years between 2014 and today, the band has gone through their fair share of memorable moments in the industry, including the core experience of hopping around various gig venues in one night, signing to a major record label, and eventually departing said label. Yet throughout all of it, they’ve managed to come out of it even stronger — and perhaps a bit wiser — given the decades-worth of experiences that gifted levels of wisdom that couldn’t be taught by anyone else.

Though they’ve managed to release a string of hit singles that have resonated deeply with their devoted fans (lovingly dubbed as “Octobears”), none have been able to amass quite the impact as much as their recent single “Ikot” has had. Now independent artists with Underdog Music, the fast-tracking success and viral reach that the band has earned with “Ikot” has eventually resulted in their first-ever entry on the Billboard Philippines Hot 100 — landing an impressive debut spot at the No. 60 position.

Speaking to Billboard Philippines, the members of Over October share how they feel at achieving such a feat all these years into their careers. “It feels surreal. It’s our first-ever song to be part of any of the major charts, and we’re entering straight into the top 60 for Billboard! This has always been a dream for the band and seeing it unfold right in front of us is definitely an experience we’ll cherish moving forward — especially since we see how hard our team and our fans, both old and new, are working and helping in making this happen,” the band shares.

over october

Photographed by Nate Bosano, Courtesy of Underdog Music

“While this is definitely a milestone to celebrate, it is also all the more reason to keep working hard and take advantage of the momentum we have now to achieve the rest of our goals and dreams,” they continue. “It’s not every day you’re given the opportunity to be this close to what you want to achieve. But on our part, the goal is still the same: to keep releasing music for our fans and to have a sustainable career off of it.”

Despite the growing success of the band, they take a moment to extend their gratitude to their fans for all the support they’ve shown for the group and their music. “We really can’t express how much we owe our success to the ‘Octobears.’ They’re always on the frontlines in terms of sharing our music, [so we’d like to say to tell them that] you make all the sacrifices worth it and we’re so lucky to have such a supportive and welcoming fanbase. Thank you for always showing up, as we’re in this dream together!”

While “Ikot” has become the defining hit for Over October, the group isn’t slowing things down anytime soon — as exemplified by the upcoming release of their new single, “Kaakit-Akit,” which drops tomorrow. “Even with everything going on, we’ll continue to work hard and release more music,” the band promises. Teasing more in the future, they coyly declare; “October’s around the corner and we always like to prepare something special for our fans during our anniversary month, so you can definitely stay tuned for what’s next.”

To check out Over October’s impressive chart entry with “Ikot,” click here to see the full list of entries in the Billboard Philippines Hot 100 charts (dated the week of July 20, 2024).

As we anticipate what lies ahead for Over October, listen to the band’s chart-climbing single “Ikot” below: