Even on a rainy night, the Filipino indie rock band Nobita did not fail to make sparks fly for their fans during the launch of their very first album “Betterfly”.
At the Eastwood City Central Plaza in Quezon City, nearly a hundred individuals braved the rains to attend Nobita’s listening party on July 29. From couples to families, and even single individuals, the mini concert had it all.
There were also special opening performances from artists DWTA, Raven and Ace Banzuelo, who graced the music event with about five songs.
The five-piece band spent the night in the warm embrace of their fans as they performed half of their eight-track album live for the first time.
These songs were “Paano Uusad”, “Kalangitan”, “Sa Ulan” and “Paruparo Na Walang Hanggan”.
“It still feels surreal … So this is quite a present for all those who believed, supported and stayed with us,” Nobita’s lead guitarist Sam Aquino told Interaksyon.
Also playing some of their hit songs like “Ikaw Lang”, “Unang Sayaw” and “Di Na Mag-iisa”, the band got the audience singing along to their iconic choruses and bridges.
It was definitely a night to fall in love again, the band told their fans in the concert. And if not, they made sure to have songs even for those not too fortunate with love.
“Betterfly” is a mix of hope, heartbreak, love and disaster. Nobita intended it to be this way because “we’re all the same,” lead vocalist Jaeson Felismino said.
Everyone goes through the ebb and flow of life, mired with both joy and pain, the band explained. They, too, find comfort in their own songs after everything they have experienced personally and as a band.
Nobita said that the word “betterfly” is actually another term for soulmate or spouse. It was only in the latter part of the production of “Betterfly” that they discovered the meaning of the word and decided to use it as their first album’s name.
A fun fact for all the fans: “Betterfly” is unintentionally related to one of the album’s songs “Paruparo Na Walang Hanggan” and the theme of flowers in their singles.
“When ‘Paruparo Na Walang Hanggan’ came, it was like connecting the dots,” Jaeson said.
“It was as if our intuition unwittingly made the connection to a butterfly,” Sam added.
Nobita’s favorite tracks from ‘Betterfly’
Asked about their favorite track from the album, Nobita’s bassist Mark Quintero and drummer Jonathan Agbanlog told Interaksyon that they both love “Paruparo Na Walang Hanggan” because of how it completes the album.
Jaeson’s favorite, on the other hand, is “Bukang Liwayway” because it’s the song that resonates with him whenever he goes through a tough time.
Sam said “Totoo” is his favorite because it’s the track that fans requested, and the very first song that started Nobita’s dream of making an album.
The band’s keyboardist Richmond Bancolita preferred “Kahit Sandali” the most due to how “loving” the song is.
A second album, more tours
Nobita shared how excited they currently are to create a second album, even after just releasing their first.
“Moving forward as a band, we’re aiming to have our second album as soon as possible,” Sam told Interaksyon.
They also hope to hold international tours to further promote the beauty of indie OPM. The band went on their first international tour in Canada in May 2023 alongside another OPM band Mayonnaise.
Starting on August 8, Nobita will travel to the United States with Filipino indie rock and jazz band SUD for their second international tour.
Here’s the band’s schedule for August:
- August 11 in Las Vegas, Nevada (The Usual Place)
- August 12 in Los Angeles, California (The Vermont Hollywood)
- August 18 in Seattle, Washington (Substation Seattle)
- August 19 in San Francisco, California (The Historic Bal Theater)
- August 25 in New York, New York (Sounds of Brazil)
- August 26 in Fairfax, Virginia (Jammin Java)
Updates about the ticket selling can be viewed on Toggleswitch Philippines.
Nobita’s “Betterfly” album is co-produced by constant collaborator Isagani Palabyab of Monostery Studio and was written and co-arranged by Nobita. It is available for streaming on all digital platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment.
