Unique Salonga has always existed slightly outside the frame — contemplative, measured, quietly decisive. Even prior to IV OF SPADES’ long hiatus, when he departed for his own artistic orbit, he carried with him a lesson that would later become central to the band’s rebirth — “Kung gaano kahalaga ‘yung collaboration.”
Going solo taught him the value of being surrounded by people who understood the vision, who challenged the instinct, who completed the picture. “Ang laking bagay niya,” he says of what he eventually realized he missed.
So when he began reconnecting with his former bandmates one by one — first through becoming a godfather alongside Badjao, then by chance backstage meetings with Zild and Blaster— something in him eased. What followed was a quiet reconnection that felt unforced, even natural. The tension that once lingered between them had faded. “Dumating na sa point na parang wala na kaming kailangan i-prove sa isa’t isa.”
In the studio, this new calm translated into a gentler creative process. Gone were the silent competitions and the unspoken pressure to take up space. “Natatandaan ko nung kinakabahan [kami] kung bakit hindi [kami] kinakabahan,” he says of the recording sessions. “Nag-coexist lang [kami].” For Unique, the comfort came from observing how each member flowed — trusting when to contribute, when to listen, and when the song itself needed room.
Photographed by Shaira Luna. On Unique: Antonina Leather jacket and tie.
His own evolution became clear to his bandmates. During vocal tracking, he found a tone and precision that surprised even Zild. The confidence he formed as a solo artist had refined his instincts, giving him a voice within the band that was more assured, more deliberate, and more distinct than before.
Outside the studio, it was the thought of performing live together again that awakened something restless in him. “Kating-kati na ako tumugtog,” he says, a simple line that carries years of unspoken longing. The stage had always been the place where IVOS transcended expectation — where the walls dropped and the chemistry sharpened. To Unique, returning to that space felt like reclaiming something essential.
Touring, too, carries its own charm. “[To] travel nang magkakasama,” he says, looking ahead to the months of shows, miles, and noise that lie ahead. It’s not nostalgia, but excitement for a new chapter, knowing they’re entering it as better, freer versions of themselves.
If the first era of IV OF SPADES was defined by youth and momentum, this new era — with Unique fully present, fully aligned — is defined by ease, trust, and the quiet strength of a band that finally knows how to breathe together.
Read the full cover story on IV OF SPADES’ comeback here.
Photographed by Shaira Luna. Creative & Fashion Direction by Daryl Chang. Art Direction by Nicole Almero & Gelo Quijencio. Styling by Bettina Bañez assisted by Mel Estillore & Arn Dela Cruz. Glam team by Nix Institute of Beauty. Makeup by Nix Soriano, Hair by WanWan Amarillo (Unique & Zild). Make up by Jean Anganangan & Hair by WanWan Podadera Amarillo (Blaster & Badjao). Production Design by Migs Alcid assisted by Jael Faelnar, Saryn Magallano, & John Lorwen Honor. Photography assisted by Emelito Lansangan & Crisaldo Soco. Production by Mika Cruz. Story by Jason Caballa.