Veteran indie rock act The Pin-Up Girls (also known as The Pin-Ups) held a listening party for the upcoming vinyl reissue of their 2001 debut album Hello Pain at Treskul Records in Cubao, Quezon City. The reissue will be released by Eikon Records Philippines, an independent label that has also released vinyl editions of seminal records by Spy, Kapatid, Valley Of Chrome, and more.

Held last Sunday, February 11, the afternoon affair was attended by The Pin-Up Girls singer/guitarist Mondo Castro and newly-announced current drummer Ristalle Bautista (who has also played for Duster, Peryodiko, and others), as well as many longtime friends and fans of the band. Members of bands like We Are Imaginary, The Geeks, Jetcoaster, Stereodeal, Badburn, and more were also seen in attendance.

Eikon Records’ Rick Olivares (left) gives commentary before playing the last side of the record. Photographed by Jason Caballa.

Originally released in 2001, Hello Pain was the debut album of The Pin-Up Girls, whose lineup at the time included Castro, singer and bassist Jeng Tan, singer and guitarist Pam Aquino, lead guitarist Ryan Nachura, and drummer Noel Garcia. The band cut its teeth playing biweekly Sunday Grabe Sunday shows at Mayrics starting in 1998 with Sandwich, and were part of a local indie band explosion in the early 2000s alongside acts like Fatal Posporos, Monsterbot, Twisted Halo, and more. However, both Tan and Aquino (who previously played for Keltscross and Prettier Than Pink) have migrated to the US, while Garcia sadly passed away in 2006, which led to The Pin-Up Girls having to undergo multiple personnel changes throughout the years.

“I was living in the States at the time, and my brother sent me a CD [of the album]. I liked it,” says Eikon Records founder, label head, and creative director Rick Olivares. The double LP edition of Hello Pain will contain all 16 of its original tracks, including the radio singles “Ride Rocket Wild,” “Witching Hour,” “A Cold And Better Place,” and more, plus three new songs recorded remotely by Castro, Aquino, and Tan. These serve as a teaser to an upcoming new record by The Pin-Ups, which will also be released by Eikon.

The Hello Pain test press. Photographed by Jason Caballa.

Limited copies of the Hello Pain deluxe vinyl reissue are still available for pre-order at Php 3800 each. You can message Eikon Records on Facebook to secure a copy.

Listen to The Pin-Up Girls’ Hello Pain below: