How ONE CLICK STRAIGHT Are Doing It Their Way

It’s been a stellar year for ONE CLICK STRAIGHT.

The pop-rock band — composed of guitarist/songwriter Sam Marquez, his brothers vocalist/bassist Toffer and drummer/songwriter Tim, and their “brother from another mother,” guitarist Joel Cartera — released their second, self-titled album in early 2023, and the album has outshone many other local releases that followed to make it one of the year’s best albums.

They’ve also gigged relentlessly, having played such shows as Sandwich’s Grip Stand Throw vinyl launch last November, and a successful Ayala Malls tour with Zild. They’ve also been booked to play at the upcoming Bobapalooza Festival on February 24, 2024.

But things didn’t come easy for them at the start. Before becoming a mainstay at gigs, the band started out “just jamming” in school between 2009 and 2010. “Nothing serious,” Sam recalls. “We were just kids in school those days. We officially decided to do ONE CLICK STRAIGHT around 2014. That was when we started to write and produce our own music. This was also the time we tried learning how to make our own gigs.”

“We started by really playing underground shows and gigs,” he continues. “Our formation years were a tough array of strange gigs. Some shows where only two people came to see us and some good ones where we got to meet artists and productions in the scene. Most of our energy went into making our own shows also. DIY shows are what kept us hungry and alive back then and is still our bloodline to this day.”

Through the years, the one thing that offered clarity and guidance was the group’s musical identity. Tim actually considers ONE CLICK STRAIGHT as a so-called DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) band. “For those that don’t know, when we write our music, we don’t really jam it out. Instead, Sam and I usually sit down and figure out each detail on our computers. Sam is on Logic and I would be on Reason. Some might think that process loses the magic, as bands would recommend the usual ways, but I disagree. I think both have their own magic. We just write where we feel most comfortable and that’s how I think it’s easier to find new ideas.”

Their instantly recognizable blend of melodic pop, indie rock, and synth pop combined with “excellence, respect, and a lot of hard work” is what would bring the band to success in and outside Manila: performing shows in Cebu, Bacolod, Los Baños, and others, and even Singapore’s Music Matters festival in 2019.

With a well-loved record and a reputation for giving engaging live performances, ONE CLICK STRAIGHT are poised to reach greater heights in years to come. But at the core of it all, they’re just a tight-knit band of three biological brothers and one honorary one, and that brotherhood has helped them get to where they are now. 

“I think the pros of being in a band with brothers and a friend from fetus-hood can also be the con, ironically. There’s no more sugar coating. We can say it how it is, no holds barred, fight if we fight, live with the results,” Tim tells Billboard Philippines. “But I think that really helped us get to where we are now. The trust we’ve built with honesty, I think it really shows in our work ethic and our music. At the end of the day, we always just want what’s best for the band and each other.”

A version of this story appeared on Billboard Philippines’ Rock Issue, dated December 15.