Ang Bandang Shirley
| Ang Bandang Shirley | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Shirley |
| Origin | Quezon City, Philippines |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Wide Eyed Records Manila |
| Associated acts |
Stomachine Slow Hello |
| Website | angbandangshirley |
| Members | Selena Salang Owel Alvero Emmanuel Aguila Joe Fontanilla Zig Rabara Enzo Zulueta Kathy Gener |
| Past members | Jing Gaddi Heidi Pascual |
Stomachine
Ang Bandang Shirley (or Shirley) is a Filipino post-pop rock band which started in 2003, with Owel Alvero, Zig Rabara, Jing Gaddi, and Joe Fontanilla as the original members. With the eventual addition of other band members—Selena Salang, Emmanuel (Ean) Aguila, Heidi Pascual, Kathy Gener, and Enzo Zulueta—Shirley is seen by peers and younger artists as one of the most influential groups in the Filipino independent music scene, being dubbed as "masters of romantic songcraft".
The band's name came from one of the b-side songs of fellow Filipino band, Eraserheads, entitled "Shirley". According to Alvero in an interview, the song was chosen to represent their group as the lyrics of its chorus pretty much reflect their music and their personalities. "Ang Bandang" was affixed not only to put the band's name on top of any list arranged alphabetically, but also to add spunk to its sound.
As many feature writers quite unanimously put it, Shirley's complex yet relatable music can be described as having "catchy" beats and "infectious" tunes while still having that ability to sing one's heart out and convey one's innermost feelings, may it be due to a heartbreak or a surge of infatuation. Lyrics laced with colorful and empathetic metaphors, live audience and record listeners are often left more in touch with their feelings after having listened to a song or two.
Shirley has released three full albums since their conception, Themesongs (2008), Tama Na Ang Drama (2012), and Favorite (2017). They usually perform live in local bars, such as Route 196 and Mow's Bar in Quezon City and Saguijo Cafe in Makati City. Currently, the band is under independent label Wide Eyed Records Manila; previously, the band was with Terno Recordings.
Owel Alvero and Ean Aguila came together in December 2003, around the time Eraserheads disbanded, in an audition for a class project at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, but they did not form the band just yet during this times. It was Alvero, together with Rabara, Gaddi, and Fontanilla who started the band that is now known as Ang Bandang Shirley. Not long after, they took in more people as part of their group. This includes Aguila and Salang, who are mainstays of the band until today. Other additions are Pascual and Gener, the former eventually leaving the band and the latter becoming the band's manager. This collaboration translated to an evolution of their sound. By 2006, they have grown to an eight-member group, all of whom came from UP Diliman. This group consequently gave birth to their first album, Themesongs in 2008.
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