‘With all the new eyes looking at us, we’re all trying to get better at our craft…. We’re all on our own personal journeys to get better and be better as a band, musically and artistically,’ says keyboardist David Yuhico says
MANILA, Philippines – Lola Amour has had a pretty chaotic past year, but in the best way.
They started 2024 off with a “once in a lifetime” performance at Coldplay’s Manila concert. There, the British band’s frontman Chris Martin sang Lola Amour’s hit song “Raining in Manila,” and shortly after, Martin and the OPM band performed it together.
Months later, in April 2024, the band released their self-titled album, which was five years in the making. Only a few days after that, Lola Amour staged its album concert, which was memorable for a long list of reasons. The “Fallen” hitmakers had really pulled out all the stops then: they had well-loved acts like Cup of Joe and Any Name’s Okay open the show; they brought Dante Gulapa on stage; and even surprised fans (and then-bassist Raymond King) with an appearance by Martin Kim, their former keyboardist.
Then, they capped off the year with the premiere of Lola Amour The Album: Concert Film, directed by Jed Regala. The film, aside from allowing fans to relive the iconic show, also highlighted what it took for the concert to come alive.
Just two months into 2025, the band has already marked another milestone: their first international collaboration alongside Australian “dark pop” singer Oliver Cronin.
How ‘Maria’ was made
The song, titled “Maria,” was created at a songwriting camp in Malaysia. At that workshop, it was the first time Lola Amour had ever written a song with people outside of the band, working with different producers each day. This, the band said, changed their songwriting approach from that point on.
“A producer described it as a blind date on steroids,” keyboardist David Yuhico quipped. “Every day you meet this new group of people, you don’t know what their vibe is, and then you have to pour your heart out and write a new song with them. It was a really unique experience, [and it was] very eye-opening.”
It was at this camp that the Filipino band met Oliver. When they were made to work together, it was already the fifth day of the camp, and by then, it’s not hard to imagine what it looks like when you’re crawling to the finish line. And so, Oliver and Lola Amour’s lead vocalist, Pio Dumayas, agreed that they’d go for something “chill” — a ballad.
“Oliver and I had to think, ‘How do we write a ballad [sung by] two boys? What’s it gonna be about?’ So the concept would be, it’s about a girl named Maria and it’s about both of us dating that person and we don’t know about each other,” Pio told Rappler.
“Maria” isn’t really about a specific person. Instead, the title choice somehow became a way to bridge Oliver and Lola Amour’s respective cultures. The Australian singer said that “Maria” is a common name in his country, and of course, most of us Filipinos likely know at least five people with “Maria” in their full names.
This time around, too, instead of being based on one of the Lola Amour members’ love lives, the story behind “Maria” is purely fictional.
“Eric, our producer, just started playing and then it was a sound that wasn’t really us, wasn’t really Oliver, but it was somewhere new for all of us, but somewhere close enough that we all felt comfy doing that kind of sound. And I think it really worked out well,” David explained.
A bigger crowd
Whether it’s through their lyricism, distinct horn section, or their unique ability to draw listeners in with every song they put out, Lola Amour’s impact in the Philippines is present and is going to be here to stay.
And the release of “Maria” is just the start of the band’s rise to global stardom.
The OPM band has rightfully begun to reel in many new audiences — including those outside of the Philippines. Connecting with these new sets of ears, Pio admits, is something they’re still in the process of learning.
“Mika — our manager — and I are still learning how to manage having such different audiences, or catering to the audiences that we’re not used to [having]. Unang una, ang bago naming na-capture na demographic ay ‘yung mga OFWs (First of all, the new demographic we captured was OFWs and their kids) and their kids from ‘Raining in Manila.’ And now, we’re also reaching the people adjacent to those people: ‘yung mga kaibigan nila na hindi naman talaga Pilipino (their friends who aren’t Filipinos). So how do you talk to those people on social media? What kind of tone? And then, how do you get them to listen to the other songs?” Pio explained.
It’s easy to see that Lola Amour now has a crowd that’s exponentially bigger than the groups of people that used to watch their gigs at cramped bars when they were just starting out. It’s a clear indication of their success. Even then, however, the band doesn’t take that as a sign to be complacent.
“With all the new eyes looking at us, we’re all trying to get better at our craft. We’re all investing in our equipment and getting lessons. We’re all on our own personal journeys to get better and be better as a band as well, musically and artistically,” David added.
This constant need to improve is all part of the OPM band’s love for the game. Between how they are now and everything they’re doing to improve their craft even further, it’s safe to say that making an even bigger mark on the music industry at large is well on the horizon for Lola Amour. – Rappler.com