Imago On Returning On Their Own Terms And Their Own Time

After nearly a decade since their last full-length release, Imago‘s return arrives with no declaration of a new era and no calculated attempt to chase what’s current. Instead, their new EP Pasimple leans into something less flashy, but far more enduring: instinct shaped by time.

The iconic OPM band has outlasted waves of Filipino alternative rock, surviving lineup changes, industry shifts, and long gaps between releases. From their early, world music-leaning track “Rainsong” to their melodic hits “Akap” and “Sundo,” the band has continuously built itself on their own terms.

Formed in 1997, there is a certain ease to how the members move — something that comes from decades of knowing exactly who they are. Backstage at UP Fair 2026, minutes before their set, the current lineup sits together in the holding area, unhurried. Throughout the conversation, Imago repeat in different ways how they have always worked best when they let things happen as they will.

“Siguro ang (Perhaps the) recurring theme is we do what comes naturally,” says guitarist Tim Cacho, the band’s lone remaining founding member. “Walang (There’s no) forcing of anything.”

It’s a philosophy that has carried them through every release, from their 2001 debut Probably Not, But Most Definitely to the 2004 independent reset Take 2 after parting ways with their original label, to the more mainstream-facing era of Blush (2007) and Effect Desired None (2010). That same mindset anchors Pasimple, a five-track EP arriving more than a decade after their 2015 album, Kapit. There was no ticking clock, no industry pressure dictating when they had to return. 

“Wala naman kaming timetable na sinusundan (We’re not following a set timetable),” Cacho explains. “Whatever comes naturally to us. Walang (There’s no) sense of super crazy na, ‘By 2026, we have to come up with an album.’”

The new release is staged like a seamless continuation. It unfolded naturally for the OPM band with a shift in lineup, with Kharren “Kurei” Granada joining as a vocalist in 2022.

“Una sa lahat (First of all), Kurei came into the scene,” Cacho recalls. “Of course, we had to come up with new songs. Luckily enough, meron siyang mga baon (she had a few ready). Then, we worked on [them].”

Over the years, the band has seen multiple transitions — from the departure of original vocalist Aia de Leon in 2013 to the arrival of successive frontwomen — but according to them, the songwriting process remains familiar. Ideas brought in, passed around, and reshaped collectively. Longtime collaborators (and Eraserheads members) Raymund Marasigan and Buddy Zabala were also part of making Pasimple, grounding the sessions in their shared history.

Of course, integrating a new member into a long-running group can be difficult, but for Imago, the process seems to have been remarkably fluid because of their go-with-the-flow mindset.

“Well, advice naman nila sa ‘kin (their advice to me) is to be yourself. Do what comes naturally to you,” says Granada, who participated majorly in the songwriting. “As in no pressure naman, kung magustuhan nila or hindi. Kung mapu-push or hindi. Gusto ko lang din mag-contribute sa mga songs. Luckily, na-push through naman. Wala naman siyang pressure. Very magaan lahat ‘yung process.”

(“I felt no pressure, whether or not they liked my songs, if the band would push them or not. I just wanted to contribute to the songwriting. Luckily, we pushed through with them. There was no pressure. The process was very light.”)

The result is a collection of songs that orbit around love in its many stages: crushes, confusion, hope, heartbreak — the full emotional arc that defines relationships. Granada simply wanted the direction and concept to reflect something universal.

“I just wanted it to be relatable. Lahat naman tayo (All of us), we experienced those stages. We start with having crushes, then almost always naman, ang experience ng (the experience of a) relationship ends in heartbreak,” she says. “I think it’s a reality of being in a relationship, and it’s something relatable to Filipinos.”

There’s no singular moment of inspiration she can point to. No dramatic story behind the lyrics. “Parang biglaan lang (They weren’t calculated),” she adds. “I’m just thinking of different situations and then, starting from that. I think it’s all very random.”

Imago allows their material to emerge organically. Even the decision to release an EP instead of a full-length album for Pasimple made sense in the moment. The shorter format, as the band explains, isn’t about doing less — it’s about focusing more. Fewer songs mean each one gets its moment.

“The input is the same, whether you’re working on five songs or ten songs,” says bassist Myrene “Maps” Academia, who joined the rock band in 2003 during a pivotal transition period. “It’s just the length of time you’re recording or prepping for it.”

The band collectively decided that the format felt right. “We all agreed that if we came up with an album and you have ten songs, then you have to release only three. Maluluma yung mga kanta (The songs get dated),” Cacho adds. “It’s better to release it na kaunti lang muna (a few songs at a time). Focus on all of that. Because by the time we come up with a couple more songs, iba na ‘yung direction or sound (the direction or sound would have changed).”

It’s a perspective that can only be understood through experience — not just as artists, but as participants in an industry that has changed dramatically since their first release. Yet, despite all the changes, Imago’s core process remains intact: everything is collective.

“Marunong kaming makisama (We get along well) with each other. You listen to your band members. Whoever comes up with an idea, let’s work on it together. Then, it becomes an Imago song,” Cacho emphasizes.

The rule, ultimately, is: follow what the song demands.

“Kung ano talaga ‘yung hinihingi ng (Whatever is needed by the) song,” Granada says. “Play based on the song,” Cacho echoes. The method prioritizes intuition — an approach honed over decades of playing together. Ideas are tested quickly, and discarded just as quickly if they don’t work.

“If panget (it’s not working). let’s do something else. Next!” Academia says with a laugh.

For all their history — five albums, multiple lineups, and a catalog that spans from “Taralets” to “Gulong-gulo” — Imago’s motivation remains unchanged. They have always just wanted to play. Cacho says, “We’re lucky enough to be able to do this and make a career out of it. We just like coming up with songs, playing out the songs, and hopefully, the people like it.”

“Bonus nalang ‘pag nagkaroon ng (when we achieve a) hit,” adds drummer Mervin Panganiban. More than hits, what matters to the band is whether they believe in what they’re making.

“Dapat masaya kami sa ginagawa namin (What we do should make us happy),” Cacho says. “We have to satisfy ourselves first. This is something we’re proud of, let’s play it out. Parinig natin sa mga tao (Let’s make everyone hear it).”

It’s a mindset that has insulated them from industry pressures that might push other bands to chase trends. When asked if they’ve ever felt compelled to adjust their sound to fit what’s popular, the answer is immediate and unanimous.

“Never.”

If there’s anything Imago hopes for their newest release, it’s not for hits, trends, or charts, but for fans to remember the fact of their existence. Cacho emphasizes, “We’re still around. We’re still coming out with new music.”

Backstage, the noise from the fair swells louder. The band is minutes away from stepping out, from translating these songs into the live energy that has sustained them for decades. For Imago, that remains the ultimate test of any track.

“I think the challenge for us when we’re making a song is more of, ‘Can we pull this song [off] live?'” Cacho says. “We have to be able to play it live.”

It’s also the heart of what comes next for Imago. The alternative rock band is gearing up for their Pasimple Bar Tour this April, an extension of what they hope listeners will feel when they hear the EP for the first time.

“We hope that when they listen to it, they want to come out and see us play it live. And then, we’ll meet there,” Academia says.

Because for Imago, nearly three decades in, the real measure of a song is still how they feel when it is played, loud and immediate, in front of people. It’s whether the band enjoys what they put out and what they’re doing. Everything else has always been secondary.