One of the country’s most famous rock n’ roll stars, Nathan Azarcon looks back at almost two decades of playing music and reveals what he’s doing next.
Text by Erwin Romulo; Photographs by Anna Hyde; Styling by Eric Poliquit; Grooming by Marie Tan; shot on location at About A Chair store
Nathan Azarcon’s bass guitar weighs approximately 11 pounds. Not that that gives us an accurate indication of how much his instrument weighs in on every band he’s ever joined, on the music they make, or on the impact its sound has on an audience whenever he takes the stage. During our interview though, it is the physical weight that’s heavy on his mind. He’s just pulled a muscle on the lower part of his back while doing some training in the gym with an old friend, guitarist Junji Lerma. When we meet Azarcon at his place in San Juan, he’s lying on his couch, playing the video game Modern Warfare. He’s supposed to be at a jam session the next day, but he’s decided to reschedule to allow for his muscle to heal. When he does
pick up the bass, to let us hear a few things he’s been working on, he does so sitting down. Smiling, he’s visibly uncomfortable. Whether playing onstage or recording in the studio, he is clearly at his best standing on his two feet—or, at least, with the active use of them. Read more…
The American pop rock group MAROON 5 was back here in Manila last May 23, 2011 for their “Hands All Over” tour. Their stop here was brought to us by Futuretainment and MMI.
UNO Magazine was there during the press conference at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel which was hosted by MYX VJ Iya Villania and where vocalist Adam Levine and his cohorts charmed their way in the media’s hearts.
An UNO exclusive with the next big thing in music, Two Door Cinema Club, on touring, living-in together, and the one who got away from the jellyfish Read more…
One of the newest artists signed under hip-hop mogul Jay-Z’s ROC Nation, Hugo’s bluesy, beat-filled music is one hell of an aural experience
“If you manage to survive here for a month without having a nervous breakdown, you have all the right to be here,” says London born and Thailand bred musician Hugo. He was referring to New York where he now resides after becoming part of the ROC Nation family, headed by hip-hop royal Jay-Z. Hugo has been a musician all his life; he was part of a
band in Thailand called Siplor, and after they released four albums, he decided to relocate to London to make a career off his music. Unfortunately, his British label gave him the
boot, and by the time he was ready to return to Thailand, one phone call changed everything. Somebody from Beyoncé’s camp gave him a ring saying that the pop diva liked a song
he wrote and would like to include it in her record. In record time somebody from her husband’s label, ROC Nation, set a meeting with Hugo, and as the saying goes: the rest is history.
His music is a mixture of blues, rock n’ roll, and hip-hop. He cites Howling Wolf, Son House, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Dr. Dre as some of his influences. UNO caught up with this music traveler and picked his brains for a good 15 minutes. How has being part Asian helped with your music?
Being brought up in Asia helped me in collaborating with other people. Being brought up in Thailand, I feel I’m armed with some humility that some artists may not have since the West has a very individualist culture, whereas in Asia, it’s more about the greater good. So I feel that I’ve learned to collaborate and protect people’s feelings to make sure that they come back and work with me again and maintain a really good relationship and loyalty. Those are probably some of the good traits that I picked up living in Asia. Who do you think has been more appreciative of your music?
To be honest with you, I don’t really know at the moment. I’ve only just come back to Asia, having lived in New York. I had a great response from the people in the West, and obviously, I am signed to a record label that is ROC Nation, which is an American company. But across that I’ve been working with a Thai band for seven years so I couldn’t really tell you who is more appreciative, you have to ask individual people I suppose (laughs). Can you give us a bit of a background on your music career in Thailand, and how was it different from what you’re doing now?
My band in Thailand was very much a country rock-touring band. We made four records, some of which were recorded on analog tape, in some retro place in a very old school method, and what I’m doing now is probably a little bit more contemporary and [has a] lot more electronic music, a lot more programming. Now, I work a lot as a producer. When you are working with a band, it takes a lot more time to produce work because everybody pitches in and everybody has parts to play. Working with a band is a lot more fun, and it is indeed a collective effort, but now, being a solo artist, I have more control and flexibility. Your music is “bluesy rock” but with really heavy hip-hop beats. How did you get into that kind of music?
I have a lot of respect for the blues and how it naturally blends in to pop music. I listen to a lot of blues music from musicians like Robert Johnson and Skip James. I like the way it feels, and I like its rhythm.
Get ready: Anberlin is set to leave their mark on Manila this March 9
Being a teenager is always tough, and being one in this past decade was no exception. Thankfully, pop-punk band Anberlin made it all worthwhile. Formed in 2002 and led by frontman Stephen Christian together with Deon Rexroat, Joey Milligan, Nate Young, and Christian McAlhaney, Anberlin has made a name with powerful and infectious songs like “A Day Late” and “Glass to the Arson.”
Shortly after signing with Tooth & Nail Records in 2002, the band released their first album Blueprints for the Black Market in 2003. Their debut album proved to be a success with songs such as “Readyfuels” and “Foreign Language.”
Their sophomore album was an even greater success. Entitled Never Take Friendship Personal, Anberlin gained an even wider audience, thanks to powerhouse songs such as “Paperthin Hymn” and “Time & Confusion.” With Never Take Friendship Personal, Anberlin not only set themselves apart from other pop-punk bands, but also cemented their reputation as a rock and roll force to contend with.
After two successful albums, Anberlin released Cities in 2007, gifting the world with songs like “Adelaide” and one of my personal favorites “Dismantle.Repair.” Just a year later, they released another album called New Surrender. With this album, what was old became new, with the band reworking old songs such as “Feel Good Drag.” The band also gave us their most upbeat song yet. Called “Haight Street,” I can say that this song will get you hooked within seconds.
In 2010, the band released their latest album Dark is the Way, Light is a Place with “Impossible” as their carrier single. It was also in 2010 that the band announced they would be coming to Manila in this March to rock the house at A.Venue in Makati.
UNO was able to interview guitarist Christian McAlhaney via email to find out about where the band got their name, and about their albums, world domination, and hints at what songs they’ll be playing for the Filipino crowd.
I’m sure you get this a lot, but what does [the name] Anberlin mean or represent? Where did the name come from, and who suggested it? What were some of the other band names that were suggested or considered?
It has a pretty deep meaning for all of us actually. When we all first started playing together we had more of a hippy, New Agey, jam bandy kind of sound. I can’t remember who first suggested it, but someone came up with the name Amber Wind, and we just all fell in love with that immediately. As time went by, our sound progressed and changed to what it is now, and Amber Wind just didn’t have the same ring to it that it used to, so after much brainstorming we came up with Anberlin.
You guys have a distinct sound for each album. Also, each song has its own rhyme and reason. What song, from each album, is your favorite?
Blueprints: “Readyfuels.” Never Take…: “Dance Dance Christa Päffgen.” Cities: “Unwinding Cable Car.” Lost Songs: “The Haunting.” New Surrender: “Blame Me! Blame Me!” Dark is the Way: “Prey Tell”
Arguably, your most successful album is Never Take Friendship Personal, could you share your experiences in creating that album? How did it differ from your other albums?
It was different for me than the past two albums because I recorded on those (New Surrender, Dark is the Way) and not on Never Take, but I heard they had an amazing time recording that one.
To kick off the month of hearts, the staff and contributors have put together a 41-track playlist to inspire you to do give love another chance. Do yourself a favor and leave this playlist running in the background while you go about doing the things you normally do on a Monday morning.
“Get ready to dance!” was the text message I received from a friend after telling him I was going to watch the concert of Northern Irish “alteronica” (alternative rock and electronica) band Two Door Cinema Club (TDCC) in Jakarta, Indonesia. My friend watched them perform live in Hong Kong when they opened for the equally talented electro-dance band Delphic, and he was so taken by TDCC, that he’s been a fan ever since.
It wasn’t too far back this year that these Irish lads released their first album Tourist History and yet they’ve already performed almost everywhere, and by the looks of it, have no intentions of slow down. A quick history about TDCC for the unaware: the band is composed of Alex Trimble (vocals/guitar), Sam Halliday (guitar/back vocals), and Kevin Baird (bassist/back vocals). The trio met in Bangor, Ireland and started the band when they were 17. A few years after they formed the group, they released an EP called Four Words to Stand On. Then, on January 2009, they were signed by Kitsuné, the French record label responsible for the albums of Hot Chip, Foals, Fantastic Plastic Machine, and Phoenix, to name a few. TDCC’s songs “Undercover Martyn” and “Something Good Can Work” have been getting airplay from some radio stations in Manila.
A few months ago, the band released a deluxe edition of Tourist History, which includes remixed songs, a new track called “Kids,” and an hour-long documentary of the band. UNO was able to interview guitarist Sam Halliday before the band jetted off to yet another gig in another continent.
What is it about touring that you guys like and dislike the most?
It’s great to have seen so many different cities because we love traveling. It is difficult not seeing friends and family for months on end though.
Has it already come to a point that any of you got really physically ill from touring?
Yes. Tour flu is the common illness! It starts with one person and is quick to spread, especially after late nights and long travel hours.
How are you guys taking all this attention now from the press? Honestly, are you guys a little surprised that you’re being interviewed for a Filipino magazine?
It is always great when people want to talk to you. It is a bad sign when they stop caring! So we are very happy.
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