Nothing beats a live experience with your favorite OPM band.
The crowd’s energy, the shared lyricism.
The Filipino-connectivity that makes a concert’s atmosphere.
Alt.Chestra Vol.1 is here to pitch an eargasm fest for Lola Amour, Shirebound and Over October’s songs — in orchestral arrangement!
On June 25 at the SM Center, GNN held its Exclusive Media Conference for ALT.CHESTRA Vol.1.
The headlining group artists, Over October were there in full force with Josh Buizon, Josh Lua, Anton Rodriguez, Joric Canlas, and Janessa Geronimo all in attendance.
Iego Tan repped Shirebound, while Lola Amour brought the energetic crew.
Including Pio Dumayas, Manu Dumayas, Zoe Gonzales, Angelo Mesina, David Yuhico, Jeff Abueg, and Raffy Perez.
This exclusive media conference became a free pass to peek through the bands’ thinkpiece towards controversial topics that arise in the industry.
The Bands and the New Arrangement
The upcoming Alt.Chestra collaboration marks a monumental shift for some of OPM’s most beloved alternative acts.
This time, the bands reimagine their music through a grand, orchestral lens.
This event marks a massive milestone for Over October, as it is their very first time collaborating with a full orchestra.
The band admitted to a thrilling sense of unpredictability.
Noting that they have “no idea what’s gonna happen” once the energy of their usual setup meets the classical grandeur of an orchestra.
Josh, the lead vocalist, shares the band’s roots.
Trace back to college, where it originally began as a duo formed by members Lua and Josh. The moniker “Over October” itself stems from a simple, shared connection between the two founders.
October is the birth month for both of them.
Meanwhile, Lola Amour is no stranger to grand arrangements.
Making this their second time working alongside an orchestra.
They also bring a history of theatrical collaboration to the table, having previously worked with acclaimed musician Sir Ronald Tomas during the pandemic for a specialized PETA show.
Usually punong-puno na yung tunog namin.
But we didn’t expect na you can still add more. We’re very excited to see how our song can be translated in an orchestral set-up.”
shares Lola Amour’s lead vocal, Pio Dumayas
For Shirebound, this project represents a beautiful evolution of their artistic process.
They view the collaboration as a “magandang opportunity” (great opportunity) to test the elasticity and boundaries of their music.
Iego Tan of Shirebound explained that while their songwriting process is highly situational and case-to-case, their core catalog leans toward a more intimate structure.
Yung songwriting process, case-to-case sya pero kung mapapansin nyo yung pagsusulat namin sa Shirebound. Medyo simple lang yung format—parang kaya sya ng iisang tao lang. Pero kaya syang ilapat sa iba’t ibang areglo.”
Lambing is Better in Filipino: From Default To Decolonisation of Language
When the media conference opened the floor for questions, things got really interesting.
The conversation took a turn on how the artists weave their “Filipino-being” into their songwriting.
The answers were simply honest and hit right at the heart of what makes OPM special.
And big.
Iego from Shirebound and Busking pointed out that identity isn’t just about language; even if he writes a song entirely in English.
It’s still fundamentally shaped by and drawn from his lived experiences as a Filipino.
Lola Amour chimed in with a great point about the unique emotional weight of our language.
Mentioning how a word like “lambing” carries a specific, tender affection that completely loses its magic when you try to translate it into English.
Meanwhile, Joshua from Over October shared that he doesn’t even consciously think about it anymore—for them, writing from a Filipino perspective is just their natural default.
More than our language, being the default, Shirebound also pined on the language reclamation.
Sa simula, mga filipino nga lang yung nakakaintindi.
Pero sa tingin ko, nasa punto na tayo na pwede na natin imbitahan ang mga banyaga na intindihin yung wika natin.
Mga terms na atin lang.”
Shirebound also adds,
Yung mga koreano, mga japanese, mga spanish leading artist, ginagawa na nila yun. So sa tingin ko, sobrang hinog na. Para pati tayo, ma-showcase yung mga salitang atin lang.
Hindi na tayo hihiram ng salita para isalin.”
With these Filipino artists bringing their best foot forward in language discourse, we can pretty much say that we’ve come a long way in accepting and embracing our own language.
Through OPM, Alternative musicians above all, we have come to a time where championing our language became our way to decolonize our identity as Filipino artists.
Armed with Music: To Keep Creating in The Dystopic Time of AI
Things took a controversial turn at the presscon when the discussion shifted to generative AI music.
Prompting a question about how crucial live performances like Alt.Chestra are in defending the craft.
The artists did not hold back.
Janessa, the drummer for Over October, bluntly stated that to her,
it’s no different from stealing”
Janessa pointed out a fascinating trend where younger generations are trying to “AI-proof” their futures and actively turning back to physical, analog formats like CDs and cassette tapes.
Proving just how much people crave something tangible to combat the digital flood.
Her bandmate, Josh Buizon, chimed in with a more proactive stance, asserting that the absolute way to fight AI is simply to keep creating.
Lola Amour’s lead vocalist, Pio, shared a more existential worry about the future of music.
He questioned what incentive creators even have to strive for excellence when everything is handed to them on an AI silver platter.
They say, science is what keeps the human race surviving, but art is what keeps humanity alive.
How will you keep humanity alive when music or art is soulless?”
Backing up the sentiment, Josh Lua of Over October emphasized that the human experience is irreplaceable.
For him, AI completely misses the magic of the creative journey.
The collaborative process of mingling with people, bouncing ideas off each other, and handling rejections.
Without those setbacks, there is simply no growth in creating.
While generative AI offers a shortcut, a soulless reflection takes the writing page for our long and coming battle on reclaiming our identity — especially through art.
Creation must not rely on automated perfection.
Creation, in the most Pinoy that it can be, cherishes its process.
The making.
The community.
Secure your Ticket
Witness this human magic live, tickets for TicketMelon Alt.Chestra Vol. 1 are running out fast.
You can choose from three great packages to secure your spot:
VIP Tier (PHP 2,400): Includes soundcheck access, a poster, and a postcard.
Orchestra Reserved Seating (PHP 1,500): Perfect if you just want a guaranteed spot without the extra perks.
Balcony Free-Seating (PHP 999): The most budget-friendly option to experience the show.
Grab yours before it’s gone!
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