Iconic Pinoy rock band Sandwich have dropped their first single of 2024 titled “Morena.”
The new single features kundiman (a type of traditional Filipino ballad) and Manila Sound-style elements. “Morena” was first announced via Polyeast Records yesterday (January 24). Earlier today, the quintet hosted a Facebook live to usher in the release of the single. In the livestream, they went behind the scenes of the development of the instrumentals and the lyrics. The track follows their 2023 releases “Ibang Araw Na Lang” (Another Day) and “Nyare?”.
“Morena is our love song to the Philippines, so we wrote it in the style of the harana (traditional Filipino serenade). We also added a small rondalla [section] and horns for that local vibe,” shares Raymund Marasigan to Billboard Philippines.
Sandwich was formed in 1998 and is composed of members frontman Raymund Marasigan, guitarists Diego Castillo and Mong Alcaraz, bassist Myrene Academia, and drummer Mike Dizon. The band is known for their series of hits such as “Sugod” (Go), “Betamax,” “Butterfly Carnival,” and “2 Trick Pony,” to name a few.
They released their debut album Grip Stand Throw and celebrated the record’s 25th anniversary last year. Among the guest performers were pop-rock group One Click Straight, hip-hop collective Morobeats, and DJ Diego Mapa (of Tarsius, Pedicab, and Eggboy). In a recap of the anniversary vinyl launch reported by Billboard Philippines, Castillo shared, “It turned out better than I thought it would, from the packaging and Erwin (Romulo)’s beautiful liner notes to the fidelity of the album. I’m not a vinyl audiophile in terms of the fidelity aspects like how some can be, but this one sounds great to my ears, at least.”
Castillo also teased that a possible vinyl reissue of their 2004 record, Thanks To The Moon’s Gravitational Pull may be in the works for this year. No details have been announced yet, so watch this space for more updates.
Listen to Sandwich’s latest track below.