MANILA, Philippines – Walking into Over October’s holding area with only a few hours to go before Day 1 of their first-ever solo concert, you’d expect to see the usual chaos that happens backstage in the moments leading up to showtime. Panic, bouts of nervousness before the big performance — things along those lines.
Going into detail about their origins and history isn’t something you’d think a band would want to do just before the curtains finally opened. But even while the members sat in a small room to prepare for what would be the most major gig of their careers so far, they were more than willing to share their story.
The band looked back on the people and experiences that have molded them into who they are today, and through all the struggles, small steps, and big wins, it’s clear that Over October is in it for the long haul.
Humble beginnings
It was through a college music organization, Ateneo Musicians’ Pool (AMP), that Over October’s members had first met — with Joshua Lua (lead guitarist), Josh Buizon (vocalist), and Janessa Geronimo (drummer) being grouped together for a recital. But the “Ating Dalawa” hitmakers had actually started out as a duo between Lua and Buizon, who happen to have the same first name.
“Bro, buo tayo ng banda, magkapangalan naman tayo (Bro, let’s form a band, we have the same name anyway),” Lua recalled telling Buizon.
Several open mics and intermission numbers later, the former duo then decided it was time to become a full-fledged band. They had recruited their recital group mate Janessa as a drummer, fellow AMP member Anton Rodriguez for guitars, and eventually, Buizon’s childhood friend Joric Canlas on the bass, to form the Over October lineup fans know and love today.
There are two versions of the story behind how the name “Over October” came to be: what the members call the “press release version” and the “real version.”
“The press release is, [Lua and Buizon] are the founding members. They were born in October, and it was finals week, and they wanted it to be over, so ‘Over October.’ But in reality, it just sounded nice,” Janessa quipped.
Many of the band’s gigs in their earlier years had been at small restaurants and food parks, where they had often received payment in the form of meals. Years later, Over October eventually grew big enough to play at an even larger venue for their very own sold-out, two-night show. But it wasn’t really something they saw coming.
“These guys, they plan so hard and they work so hard. But at the same time, I think [they’re] very level-headed when it comes to expectations. I don’t think anyone expected us to be here now,” Anton said about his bandmates. “I guess with how unpredictable everything is, the only thing you can really do is just to do your best. Where that brings you, that’s really something you leave to the universe.”
“Seeing them perform on a big stage for a big crowd is a dream come true for me. The fast growth wasn’t expected but everything fell into place for Over October! Right place at [the] right time,” the band’s longtime friend and manager Katrina Romero told Rappler.
Over October had already garnered a loyal following with their Free EP, Press Play album, and several other singles here and there, but it was their 2024 single “Ikot” that really propelled them further in the local music scene.
It’s got all the right components that could easily tug at the heartstrings of any hopeless romantic. Simple yet hugot-worthy Filipino lyrics, and a melody that really takes you on a trip — from the fuzzy feeling you get when you’re thinking about your person to the chaos of the thoughts running through your head while you hesitate to tell them how you really feel.
You wouldn’t be able to guess that just a few years before “Ikot” was released, Over October was hesitant to write songs in Filipino, admitting that it was out of their comfort zone, and that they’d much prefer to leave it to the artists who “were already good at it.”
When we first started making music, we only wrote in english. Tagalog was outside of our comfort zone, and kahit na marami sa mga supporters namin nagrerequest ng tagalog songs, we’d always say na we’d leave the tagalog song writing to the artists that were [1/4]
— Over October (@overoctoberph) August 23, 2024
“I’m not part of the songwriting process per se, but the scary thing about Tagalog is it’s such a deep language. The potential for poetry and symbolism is so high. So the issue is, how do you do it justice? But I think so far, ‘yung mga nasulat nila, ang ganda talaga (what they’ve written is really good),” Anton shared.
After giving in to fans who had been asking for it, Over October finally dropped their first-ever Filipino track, “Sandali Lang,” in 2021.
From there, the rest followed. The band’s now equipped with a growing discography of beautifully written songs in their mother tongue.
Just look at their latest album, Make Believe. Half the songs on it are in Filipino, and the record as a whole weaves together varying narratives on love.
“It’s called Make Believe because all the stories are made up scenarios in your head. It doesn’t have just one topic. It’s not just about love, it has so many different stories, different kinds of love,” Buizon explained.
“Some songs off the record are pretty old — we had a demo in 2017. And then some songs, we wrote recently….It’s a collection of songs over the years,” Janessa shared.
Make Believe was released 10 years into Over October’s time as a band, and it’s a testament to the band’s evolution — from making music as a group of wide-eyed college kids, to pursuing music either full-time or alongside their day jobs in their late 20s.
According to Janessa, Make Believe is “very different” from their previous album and EP, and it all lies in the natural urge to try something new when you’re dealing with any creative endeavor.
“We improved our own taste when it comes to sound. We try to incorporate more things, from different delays and layers, so I think coming from a very early 2000s sound, it’s still similar pero mas makapal lang (but there’s more depth),” Joric added.
But even with all the changes the band’s gone through — be it their sound or their sudden rise to fame — at their core, they’re still the same individuals who were brought together for their shared love of music.
And all this time, there’s been a constant group of people beside them through it all: their fans, or what they call Octobears. During their gigs, you’d be able to see that Over October has already developed a close bond with their listeners — joking around with them between songs, and really just interacting with them like they’ve known each other for years.
“It’s very intentional, ‘yung pag-build ng community around the music with the Octobears. In recent years, nag-o-organize kami ng free gig ‘pag anniversary namin just to give back to the community,” Lua shared, adding that he and the rest of the band would also usually host hangouts with their fans, who have now become their friends.
(It’s very intentional, building a community around the music with the Octobears. In recent years, we would organize free gigs for our anniversary just to give back to the community.)
It’s the Octobears who truly serve as the backbone of Over October. These are the people who would tirelessly show up to their gigs, no matter how far, even if it means having to travel far distances to make it.
Authenticity is key
But if there’s one thing Over October would like to be remembered for in all their years in the music industry, it’s their commitment to creative freedom and authenticity.
“[The legacy we hope to leave behind] is that we were one of the bands that, at the end of the day, released what we wanted to release, like we weren’t told what to do. Or if ever we were told, it was obvious that we were forced,” Buizon said.
“You don’t have to be in a box. You don’t have to just release what you think people will like. But rather, what you like. Now, in the day and age of social media, a lot of people also are super conscious about what they release, thinking about the numbers and all that. And sometimes it dampens the meaning of the art,” he added.
As Over October eases further into what’s just the beginning of their long journey of telling stories of love, loss, and everything in between, there’s no better way for them to do it than unapologetically. – Rappler.com