In the ‘90s, shoegaze was a sound so dense and impenetrable that most listeners couldn’t make out the lyrics. It was also a scene that celebrated itself, with bands so introverted that they couldn’t face the audience, so they looked down on their rows of effects pedals instead. And the fans who loved it kept it a secret, because they felt that normal people wouldn’t get it anyway.
Nowadays, shoegaze and its sister subgenre dream pop (which predated shoegaze, but with less distortion) still sounds the same, but with a much larger community of bands and fans, especially here in the country. In recent years, shoegaze-centric shows aren’t uncommon in student-friendly venues like Mow’s, not to mention well-attended productions that would feature a shoegaze band or two in their lineup.
Megumi Acorda photographed by Rej Hidalgo
Despite shoegazers and shoegaze-heads being much more sociable than before, there still exists a preconceived notion of them being reclusive, soft-spoken, falling asleep to white noise, and shunning mainstream music in general. I know some of these may be exaggerations, but I still found it amusing that fast-rising local shoegazers Megumi Acorda asked me to meet them at a KTV joint in Quezon City for this interview. Funnier still, their namesake singer-guitarist-bandleader was singing George Benson’s “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You” when I arrived.
“Shoegaze pala, ha (So much for shoegaze),” I teased.
If anything, the members of Megumi Acorda are hardly shoegaze snobs, as they’ve all served time in various local acts of different genres. Main songwriter Megumi Acorda was in the much-loved indie pop outfit The Strange Creatures, while guitarist Evee Simon also plays for July XIV, Spacedog Spacecat, and Eggboy. Bassist Bijan Gorospe has played for The Strangeness and Grows, while guitarist Kevin Ingco is in Memory Drawers. Drummer Jerros Dolino has the widest resume, having been part of important Cebu acts Urbandub and Sheila and The Insects during their pivotal eras, as well as probably a dozen or so reggae and rock bands since moving to Manila.
In 2018, Acorda was inspired by an album of Beatles covers done in shoegaze and dreampop style by Japanese band Meeks (“Particularly ‘Across The Universe,’” she narrates) to record an EP of songs and upload it on SoundCloud under her own name. “Gusto ko lang gumawa ng kanta na medyo (I just wanted to make a song that was) sonically similar to that, pero wala namang (but with no) intention of performing it or forming a band.” At the time, she was still in The Strange Creatures, but that band eventually unraveled, with members leaving town and starting families.
She didn’t know it yet at the time, but a new band was already forming for her. Both Dolino and Gorospe messaged her upon hearing the songs and volunteered to play for her if ever she wanted to perform live. Simon and Ingco joined later upon recommendations from peers, and thus, “Megumi Acorda” became a band. “Parang inside joke na siya (It’s become an inside joke),” laughs Simon, “like, ‘We’re all Megumi Acorda.’”
Since then, Megumi Acorda (the band) have performed a lot of gigs in and out of town, including shows in Cebu, Davao, and 2022’s Rocking The Region festival in Singapore. More importantly, they released their first full-length record Silver Fairy last year, which was made available on vinyl here and in Japan by indie label Fastcut Records. Silver Fairy was also hailed by many music enthusiasts as among the best local releases of 2023, increasing the band’s fanbase beyond Wong Kar-wai devotees and Cubao Expo denizens. “When you make references to Wong Kar-wai movies, [it’s] expected na nakikinig ka ng (that you listen to) shoegaze,” jokes Acorda.
While they’re happy with their success and upward momentum, the band are taking things one gig at a time, with no major plans for the year, and hanging out in between. “I [just] wanna play with friends,” affirms Acorda. “Isa sa mga main reason kung bakit ako nagbanda [is] kasi gusto ko ng free entrance para makita ‘yung mga idol ko at makausap ko rin sila about music (One of main reasons why I’m in a band is so I could get in for free at shows, watch my idols, and talk to them about music).”
“For me, being in a band is hanging out with friends and doing what you like together. That’s why I like playing in bands,” adds Simon. “Kahit walang (If we didn’t have an) interview tonight, I feel we’d be like, ‘Saan kayo tatambay?’ (‘Where are you hanging out?’)”
“The plan for the rest of the year is to enjoy things in and out of music… whether it’s a big gig or a small gig, or even just hanging out,” concurs Ingco. “I’m happy na this is where we are, and that everyone was here at this moment. That’s as far as I can go in terms of looking forward.”
Instead of looking ahead, Megumi Acorda are facing right where their feet are firmly planted, living the moment. Shoegazers, indeed.
A version of this story appeared in Billboard Philippines’ Indie and Alternative Issue, dated June 15, 2024.
