Filipino alternative rock icons Sandwich look back on their three albums that defined changes in their career — and more — on this week’s episode of Billboard Philippines Volumes.
With more than 25 years under their belt, a band like Sandwich has surely racked up tons of experiences in their journey to becoming one of the most highly regarded and genre-defining Filipino rock bands of today. Over the years, their music has been a solid testament to this, with some of their albums ultimately serving as milestones that define pivotal moments in their continuously flourishing career.
One such album is 2003’s Thanks to the Moon’s Gravitational Pull, which, as drummer Mike Dizon shares, signified the band going the indie route after being dropped by a major record label. Frontman Raymund Marasigan recalls it was due to them not wanting to change nor compromise their sound in order to appeal to the mainstream at that time — something their then-label wanted them to do. Ultimately, the band went on ahead and recorded the album, resulting in two of their biggest hits to this day: “Two-Trick Pony” and “Masilungan.”
Marasigan mentions 2006’s Five on the Floor, stating how it signified the “new sound of Sandwich” at that time, both “live and in the studio.” To this, guitarist Mong Alcaraz commented on the side, “New singer,” referring to Marasigan’s transition into the frontman role. This elicited a laugh from Marasigan, who quickly quipped back, “New guitarist!” referring to the album as being Alcaraz’s first official recording following his entry into the band.
Lastly, guitarist Diego Castillo mentions their 2015 full-length Debris, describing his affinity for the sound of the guitars on the album, with Alcaraz — who also engineered Castillo’s parts — remembering how it felt like when Castillo realized that “this is what I wanted my guitar to sound like in the first album.” Castillo shares how the album just “sonically” sounds fun for him, with Alcaraz noting how, during its creation, the band was also focused on gear acquisition over a span of three to four years in order to achieve the sound that they wanted.
In addition to this, the band also discussed their intricate songwriting processes, the kinds of music — such as afrobeat — that they want to incorporate into their own songs, how “Morena” — their “love song to the Philippines” — was created, and more.
Sandwich are one of the cover stars of Billboard Philippines‘ Indie and Alternative Issue, alongside Lola Amour. Get a copy via SariSari Shopping here.
Watch the full episode of Billboard Philippines Volumes featuring Sandwich below: