Ben&Ben have never been the type to shy away from pain.
Since they first emerged onto the music scene, the folk-pop act has had a way of turning heartache into comforting melodies. Whether it’s begrudgingly accepting the end of a relationship or fighting for someone who wants to walk away, Ben&Ben have always used to pain to fuel their art and music, all while bringing ease and solace to their audience.
And so, like they’ve always done it, Ben&Ben are gearing up to put on an unforgettable performance full of life and love at Billboard Philippines: Mainstage. The event — which marks Billboard Philippines‘ one-year anniversary — brings together the most iconic names in the local industry for the ultimate celebration of Filipino music.
As the highly anticipated event draws near, we sat down with the “Kathang Isip” hitmakers to talk about their love of Filipino music, what they love most about being musicians, and what to expect from their Mainstage performance.
Who are some Filipino artists you think people need to pay more attention to and why?
As a band we’re collectively fans of just so many artists, but some we really believe more people should support and look out for are One Click Straight, Gabba, and Ena Mori to name a few. They and so many artists are pushing the boundaries and making excellently written and produced music that definitely deserve much more recognition.
What’s a Filipino album or song you keep going back to? What value and significance does it hold to you?
“Comfort in Your Strangeness” by Cynthia Alexander, “Huminga” by Zild, “Dapithapon” by Johnoy Danao, “Indak” by UDD, and “Bawat Daan” by Ebe Dancel are some songs that we appreciate much more now than ever. There are just some songs like these that we come back to when the world gets just a little bit too loud.
What do you love most about being an artist?
One of the best things about being an artist is simply being able to make music. It may seem like such a simple, obvious answer, but at the end of the day it really is the creative process of birthing song after song that makes being an artist what it is. It’s an ever-long process of rediscovering yourself, reevaluating your surroundings, and sharing that journey with the world through music. Being in a band, we get to share that process with each other when we build and produce songs together.
In line with Billboard Philippines celebrating their first year, what has been your favorite moment of the last year?
One thing we still can’t believe happened was getting to be on the cover of a magazine. We are always so grateful whenever there’s a “first” of something, and that something was getting to be on the cover of Billboard Philippines Volume 3, Folk Issue. It was a milestone that we were able to literally share with our loved ones, as a lot of them requested copies from us.
Finally what can your fans expect from your performance at Billboard Philippines: Mainstage?
Without revealing too much, we would just like to say that we’ll be celebrating another “first” with this Billboard Philippines performance. We’re equally thrilled and nervous about this as it’s something we really worked so hard to pull off. We promise we’ll do our best!
Catch Ben&Ben at Billboard Philippines: Mainstage, happening this October 15 at the SM Mall Of Asia Arena. Limited ticket packages are still available via Sarisari.shopping