Filipino indie pop outfit The Vowels They Orbit (TVTO) returns with their third EP, “Gusto Ko Lang Maalala”—a luminous and intimate meditation on longing, nostalgia, and the fragile ways memories linger.
Where their previous EP, tuloy tuloy tuloy!, chronicled the urgency and survival of the pandemic years, this new release turns inward. Gusto ko lang maalala leans into the bittersweet nature of remembering. It reflects the understanding that as life moves forward, the people, places, and versions of ourselves we once cherished come back only as fragments: soft, incomplete, and achingly beautiful.
At the center of the EP is “miss na kita,” a haunting track that distills the universal ache of longing. Vocalist Nikka Melchor shares, “I wrote ‘miss na kita’ one morning because I wanted to express that sudden feeling of missing your younger self. But it’s not limited to that narrative. It can mean a lot of things—loss of self, loss of a loved one.”
Guitarist Gene Santiago echoes the sentiment: “It’s about longing—for someone, something, a moment in time, or even a dream. It’s the desire to pause life just to breathe, or turn it back to experience those things again.”
Musically, the EP mirrors the tenderness of its themes. The arrangements feel like leafing through an old photo album—gentle, nostalgic, and grounded in emotional detail. The band approached each track with intention, ensuring every musical cue served the story.
“When we were creating our individual parts, one thing I asked from everyone was to really listen to the emotions of the lyrics,” Nikka explains. “Even small details matter—like the bassline in ‘miss na kita’ dancing along to the sadness in the second verse. The guitar work in ‘para bago’ feels like a flashback. Those subtle touches carry the feeling.”
The EP was produced by Soupstar Music’s Darwin Hernandez, with arrangements from Filipino rock legends Raymund Marasigan and Buddy Zabala of Eraserheads. There was also additional production from Eunice Jorge of Gracenote. Recording took place at Velvet Playground Studio in Marikina, marking the band’s first experience in the space.
“Working with Raymund and Buddy was surreal,” the band recalls. “We were nervous at first, but they made the process chill and collaborative. Even tiny adjustments transformed the song completely. We learned so much in just one session.”
The EP features three original tracks and one special rendition of a classic, each tracing a different shade of longing. From the introspective ache of “miss na kita” to the wistful brightness of “basta” and “para bago,” every track holds a clear emotional blueprint. The album moves between sadness, reflection, and gentle hope.
Based in Metro Manila, the vowels the orbit—Nikka Melchor (vocals, guitars), Hannah Dela Cruz (keyboards, vocals), Gene Santiago (guitars), and Patch Javier (bass) have built a loyal following for their melodic sensibilities and poetic storytelling. Their music captures the everyday emotional landscape of Filipino youth. They strike a balance between sincerity and a light touch.
The vowels they orbit’s gusto ko lang maalala is now out on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment.
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