Armi Millare On Revisiting “Young Again” For ‘Gitling’: “Things have pretty much changed.”

There’s both beauty and pain in looking back.

With revisiting “Young Again,” Armi Millare revives her work in from 2019 and now, for the soundtrack of the movie Gitling. Written and directed by Jopy Arnaldo, the film in itself navigates the perspective of a young Filipina translator (Gabby Padilla) who is working with a middle-aged Japanese director (Ken Yamamura) to translate his film’s subtitles. Through this course of events, the duo test the limits of language and understanding in their different cultures and upbringings.

This background sets the perfect stage for a reimagined version of Armi Millare’s “Young Again,” where she explores parts of her younger self in both re-composing the 2019 track and in her connection with Gitling‘s main character. Having worked on numerous film projects before, most notably for Gaya sa Pelikula with “Unti Unti” and Sana Dati with “Indak,” this veteran singer-songwriter is no stranger in incorporating storytelling through song.

On this note, Billboard Philippines delved into the production of Armi Millare’s “Young Again” for Gitling, and her songwriting process when working with film.

Billboard Philippines: Congratulations on the re-release of “Young Again,” this time for Gitling! How does it feel now that you’ve been able to re-explore this song with the fresh perspective of your solo career?

Armi Millare: Actually, it’s in a way kind of ironic, because being young is like a time in your life — at least if we’re to take it literally — it’s a time in your life where you can’t exactly go back to that. And at the same time, the re-recording is a way to kind of look at that, use from a perspective now that we’re more mature. Things have pretty much changed compared to when most of us were young. We would see things differently. So many questions now answered

What’s it like to revisit this part of you that’s been preserved through song?

Well, I didn’t see [that] in my field of vision at the time that the project came, but it did come at such a perfect time. Being “Young Again,” as I was saying earlier, was something I did not expect to be able to do until Gitling. You get older and you have a fresh perspective of being young. Whereas while you’re young, these things have a timeline — from when you were born to the midpoint of your life — and [when] you get a little older you could definitely see the difference between how it used to be then and how things are now. So, I guess that made me look back more intently, like from [a] more deeper aspect from a musical sense, a personal sense, everything.

What is it about the film Gitling that invited you to revisit this part of your past?

For me, I guess if I were to relate it to the song, the movie has this certain melancholy and that’s the emotion that is so complex. Almost every song I think I’ve written has a tinge of melancholy in it. Even the happier songs, even the songs that are sung or written with a little sarcasm, there’s still melancholy in there. It’s very [reminiscent of] Filipino and Japanese culture actually. I think these are two things that meet. Both cultures like to think deeply about things, feelings, people.

How has working with the team of Gitling and the movie’s storyline helped you explore this part of you?

I loved working with the team, they have made it so easy for me to work with them, and they were so kind to express the parts where they thought the music would fit best. I truly appreciated that and fully supported those decisions from the team. It was a meaningful way to touch base in the beginning, get updates and end the project together. I’m grateful for this opportunity to revisit my work at such an important time in my life as well. Gitling is one of my favorite projects to complete.

The film is about interpretations. And so, it really actually matches what had to be done in this project. I had to sing, play the song in a way where it’s reinterpreted from a standpoint that hopes to be understood without saying much. So, there were no doubles of certain instruments. They were singular. And the use of certain instruments that don’t normally come in alone, like say, the viola, we didn’t use a violin. We didn’t do two layers of that. The emphasis with the use of the viola alone without the help of a violin was important to call attention to.

And then supported by the double bass, which in the first version was not there. And it’s this deep, very big sound that almost supports the whole song on its own, complemented by classical guitar also, which is something we didn’t do in the previous version. So there’s that. And then the flute, there was no flute, only brass instruments in the first arrangement. But I feel like the flute is this one thing that would glue the song together to somehow make it sound brighter. There were horns that were used then and we’ve refrained from repeating that. It was a healthy way to revisit and move on — besides retaining of course, the lyrics and the way it was interpreted vocally.

Now it’s more subdued. You know, it’s just like sitting back and more heartfelt, I think.

Having worked on multiple movie soundtracks before, what’s something that always stands out to you in the process of making music for a film compared to, per se, an album?

I’ve always seen songs as short films so they’re like little vignettes. It’s three minutes, five minutes long. With films, it’s always, always going to be about the film and how it makes me feel, combined.

Music scores are always there to support the film. They are there to help tell the story that the film may want to tell in some other way. So, maybe the things that are left unsaid can be said through the music. At the same time, it depends on the flexibility or the extent to which I can help tell it. Like, if sometimes I do have the dialogue with the director: “Is this fine? Am I allowed to express this? Can we keep certain parts absolutely quiet?”

Sometimes the best thing that you can do writing scores for films is to not say anything, is to not put any music. Whereas, let’s say, a song, writing a song, a theme song for a film, you really have to watch it one time, see how you feel about it, and point out the parts that really speak to you and say it all. For me, it’s the goosebumps and I rely on them a lot. So the parts that give me that, make me say, “Okay, I think this is where I’ll do something.”

You really see your songwriting as a medium for storytelling. Does this come into your own interpretations or do you see it as a way of expressing other people’s stories?

Songs and films are other people’s stories and my story as well. I’ve always looked at songwriting as a very subconscious activity and at the same time, it has a lot of empathy, playing the main role. If you can empathize with the character in the film or in music, if you can put yourselves in their shoes, I think a greater understanding of what the work wants to say could be had. It’s always a two-way street. And sometimes, you’d have to take a second look.

Can you describe any instance where it happened where you really resonated with a character as you wrote the song for that movie?

Yes, absolutely. Especially female characters. We’ve had many, many years on Earth and many, many moments here on Earth where situations, dealing with people, life, it’s easy to kind of like for a split second, feel for them and be them and it doesn’t have to take that long. And in that split second, in the space of maybe three minutes is already long. All you need is a moment, and then you feel and see yourself in that character, I think, is more than enough. It is absolutely a main requirement to be able to empathize. Because if you have to try and fit their story, their narrative into who you are, it will work against the music.

In exploring making movie soundtracks moving forward, what’s something new you would like to try?

I guess working with a full orchestra for a score, a massive one. That would be truly interesting. That would require a lot of people to work with. I mostly work alone, maybe two, three people at best. And I’m game. I’m game to challenge myself and expand.

Oh, that idea totally gave me chills. Are there any upcoming projects we, as fans and avid listeners, can look forward to?

Well, the album, I’ve pushed it a little back. So, it should come out this year, possibly mid-year, a little after that. And, of course, you know, new arrangements of the songs can be heard live. I play them all. As for “Young Again,” it’s on Bandcamp. I’m trying this new platform [the] independent artist way. Right now is an experimental stage for me — juggling through different platforms and how not to just express, but disseminate the work.

Gitling first screened in 2023 for the Cinemalaya Film Festival in the CCP Theater, Pasay, winning Best Screenplay of that year. The movie is currently re-screening in locations all around the Philippines: Cinematheque Negros, Cinematheque Davao, Cinematheque Iloilo, Cinematheque Nabunturan, and in select Ayala cinemas from February 5 to February 13, 2025.