Rusty Machines’ Iggy San Pablo Launches New Project, simple socks, To Drop Debut Single, “Training Wheels”

Iggy San Pablo, the frontman and guitarist of Filipino indie rock band Rusty Machines, launches his new solo music project called simple socks, along with the release of his debut single, “Training Wheels.”

Rusty Machines was formed in 2012, with San Pablo together with Joshua Andres on guitars, Leandro Fabregas on bass, and Miko Miso on drums.

The band released their debut extended play (EP), City Lights, in 2014. Since then, they released songs like “Forget You,” “Can’t Hardly Wait,” and “Trying Too Hard.” In 2019, they released their 11-track debut album, Making Friends, with their most recent single, “Not so Fond,” released in 2023.

In 2022, he moved to Toronto, Canada with his wife Joyce — an experience he cited that he has grown up a lot, unlearning the habits shaped by his upbringing back home. This includes taking on new responsibilities and being exposed to life skills essential in real life. Living in Toronto with Joyce has been a fruitful journey filled with learning, opportunities, and growth.

This eventually shaped the musical identity of his latest project, not just in terms of sound but also with the songwriting process. When working on the songs on the EP, San Pablo listened heavily to Death Cab for Cutie’s The Photo Album, Into It. Over It’s PROPER, and susquatch’s In This World.

“Lahat sila may certain sense of lamig na alam mong sinulat ‘yung albums during the colder seasons of the year, and dahil malamig sa Toronto, mas gets ko na ‘yung sinasabi ni Ben Gibbard na ‘I don’t mind the weather, I’ve got scarves, and caps, and sweaters. I’ve got long johns under slacks for blustery days,’ kasi ramdam ko yung lamig na yun in real time,” San Pablo says in a roundtable interview conducted by Ian Emmanuel Urrutia.

(“They all have a certain sense of coldness, you know, the albums were written during the colder seasons of the year, and because it’s cold in Toronto, I get it more when Ben Gibbard says, ‘I don’t mind the weather, I’ve got scarves, caps, and sweaters. I’ve got long johns under slacks for blustery days,’ because I can feel that coldness in real time.”)

“Training Wheels” talks about leaving behind what feels safe and familiar — exploring his life after moving away and leaving home, navigating adulthood, and venturing into unfamiliar spaces and uncertainties.

The song takes huge inspiration from being away from his family and friends, riddled with the anxiety of feeling uncertain when he’ll ever get to see them again. However, there’s the determination for him to experience life ahead, with the song acting like a love letter to his family, saying that he’s alright.

In a nutshell, simple socks “is an exploration of my inner fears, mortality, vulnerability, and insecurities as I navigate adulthood,” he says. It’s also his way of talking about his daily frustrations of adulthood — dealing with chores, paying taxes, forming friendships in your thirties, or applying for a new job.

In addition to that, there’s also his experiences as an immigrant in a different country, which he says he looks forward to heading on as a musician. In a way, the project is kind of like starting over again and exploring a new kind of energy in the Toronto music scene.

With “Training Wheels,” San Pablo was inspired to learn to ride a bike in February 2021, which was a New Year’s resolution he wanted to learn before turning 30. “It was a lot of fun working on this track because I wasn’t overthinking my recording decisions, especially with the guitar parts after the first chorus. I also had to rent a bass guitar from the music store just to record the bass lines, and I created a makeshift vocal booth in our bedroom closet just to record my vocals. All of this happened while we were renting a basement unit,” he shares.

Teasing the track and setting the tone for the project, he adds, “It’s an invitation to ride along with me and get to know more about where my headspace was during my first year of starting a new life in a new country.”

“Training Wheels” is the first track of simple socks’ forthcoming debut extended play (EP), Joanna Drive. The song will be released first on Bandcamp on April 24, 2026, and on streaming platforms on April 27.