09.07.2007
HANEPS, PARE
CATCHY, CLEVER, AND SOMETHING ELSE THAT BEGINS WITH “C,” THIS YOUNG, FAST-RISING POP-ROCK TRIO KNOWS HOW TO HAVE FUN
Not too long ago I found myself in an unfamiliar bar in Quezon City, watching a bunch of bands I had never heard of before. Normally, this would be a recipe for a quick spiral from teeth-grinding annoyance to suicidal depression, but I lucked out, and found myself liking the show, for the most part. There was one band in particular that I enjoyed. They played originals that sounded like soundtracks to courtships and car chase scenes, to acid trips and alien abductions. Gleeful guitar-pop with enough rough edges not to be wimpy, and enough sweetness not to be mere noise. They had a real sense of fun, and seemed unafraid to laugh at themselves (or, for that matter, at other people). Soon after, I learned their names: They are Rocky Teodoro on vocals and guitar, Allen Samson on bass and vocals, and Iñigo Mortel on drums. They are The Haneps.
According to their MySpace bio, The Haneps are “influenced by British music icons The Beatles, The Kinks, Cream, The Who, Radiohead, Blur, Coldplay, Tears for Fears, and Morrissey (among others).” It goes on to say that ”the band’s sound is jokingly referred to as “brip rock” – a happy union of Britpop and Pinoy Rock.” They released a four-song EP last December (entitled, amusingly enough, “Han-EP!”), and are gearing up to unleash a full-length album soon. They also give fun interviews, as you will see if you do not suddenly develop a serious reading disability between this paragraph and the next.
Why call yourselves “The Haneps”?
ROCKY: The short and corny answer: All of us are hanep. The long and in-depth answer: there is none.
ALLEN: I have my own explanation why we're called The Haneps. Hanep was derived from the pinoy insect Hanip. That's it.
INIGO: Allen is an idiot. But since he’s brilliant, he’s ok with me. I like the name because it doesn't really say anything about us or our music, maybe except that we like what we do very much. Plus, it's catchy without being obscene, and psychedelic without being too long
How did you guys first get into music? What made each of you want to be in a band?
ROCKY: Discovering the music of the Beatles in high school made me want to write my own songs and form a band. To me, music is the ultimate form of self-expression, because you can communicate abstract and complicated mysteries in just 5 minutes or less.
ALLEN: I started playing band music in our church during masses and seminars. I liked the freedom and creativity that goes with playing good music.
INIGO: I got into music because practically everyone around me at least listened to music. I wanted to make music because not everyone did it, eh as a teenager I wanted to be different, so that's one motivation.
Judging from previous interviews, unlike some bands, you guys aren’t childhood friends or former classmates or anything. (Allen met Rocky on PinoyExchange and Inigo met Allen for the first time when they jammed as a band.) To what do you attribute your gelling as a band, especially since you guys have claimed that you all have very different influences? How has the interpersonal/musical dynamic of the three of you evolved?
ROCKY: As far as "gelling" is concerned, I use it everyday on my hair, to keep it spiky. Oh, you mean "gelling" as a band? Sorry. Well, for some reason, the three of us get along pretty good together; I think it's basically because, deep inside, we're all wacky nuts. Regarding our different musical influences, I've got this to say—there are only two types of music: good music and forgettable music. We gel because we make good music.
ALLEN: I believe we bring into The Haneps the lessons we've learned and unlearned from past musical experiences. I see our musical differences as one of the factors to our longevity. It’s fun trying to come to a compromise during jammings and recordings.
INIGO: We also have patience and we always keep our egos in check. And we do it all at the same time. And we talk a lot, keep communication going, and we think about what we do and what we've done. In that sense, we're very sensible people, really.
“Chunami” and “Love Drive” have been getting radio airplay. Tell us a bit more about those two songs—how they came together, why they were chosen as singles, how representative they are of “The Haneps sound.”
ALLEN: The songs are upbeat and fun, perfect for introductions.
INIGO: Those two songs actually begin and end our sets.
ROCKY: When I write a song, sometimes I have a specific concept in mind. "Love Drive" is one of those songs—I wanted to write a song specifically for listening to while you drive. I took the concepts of driving songs like "LA Woman" and "Highway Star" and made them my own. "Chunami" is one of those songs that was written quickly. I was in Puerto Galera, and at that time, the waves were furious—they could really drag you under. Out of nowhere a guitar riff entered my mind, and I tied it up with the idea of the giant waves—the tsunamis. In both cases, I brought these songs to Inigo and Allen, and they filled in the blanks and helped arrange the songs. They were chosen because they represent The Haneps well—they hit hard, they hit fast, and they leave you wanting more.
How do you come up with the subject matter for your songs? (Some of them seem to have very specific references, like “Chocolate Kiss.”) Your MySpace profile says that the band “relies on lyrical and musical hooks to delight listeners.” Explain what you mean by “lyrical hooks.”
ROCKY: A lyrical hook is a word phrase or sentence that captures your audience's attention, pretty much like what a musical hook does. "Chocolate Kiss" is a good example of a lyrical hook; so is "Love Drive." I'm a writer by profession and devour books of all kinds, so I know when a certain word combination has potential or not. Here are several other examples, which I plan on making into songs soon: "Monsoon Mami," "Happy Ninja," and "Magnetic Yes."
INIGO: Rocky has this thing he calls "painting with words". The words don't necessarily mean anything, but since they contribute to some sonic atmosphere, they have some merit of being there. If they convey meaning to you, then better!
When I watched you guys at Purple Haze, the songs I liked most were not on the EP. Tell us more about those songs, and the other tracks that will be on the upcoming full-length album.
ROCKY: Thanks for watching us. I guess you're referring to “Chunami” and “Cagayan.” Cagayan is a "love" song I wrote long ago, transformed into its current psychedelic state by The Haneps.
INIGO: It’s about love lost in some distant land. It's our cheesiest song, so far. You'll like it.
ROCKY: Everyone who listens to us has a different favorite song, so we decided to put them all in the upcoming album.
ALLEN: We plan to have songs in every Pinoy radio station, he he.
And speaking of the upcoming album, how’s it coming along? How is the experience of the recording process so far? How is your songwriting process developing? Is a definite release date in sight?
ROCKY: We've recorded 7 songs so far, and 3 to 5 more are on our to-do lists. Recording is great, it's always nice to see one of your songs develop, much like watching a son or daughter grow up. Not that I would know much about having a son or daughter, mind you.
INIGO: Songs are going to tape slowly, as we can only work on it once or twice a week—we take our day jobs seriously. No definite release for the album though. Right now, we're in the middle of talks with some labels, so the originally-planned independent release will be set aside for the meantime.
ROCKY: We're talking with some people now, but definitely the album will be coming out soon, whether through indie or major label channels. Definitely this year. Cross your fingers and hope for the best for us!
ALLEN: It's still a continuing learning experience for us. Hopefully the album comes out the way we envisioned it to be or not to be.
It’s always interesting when a band strays from the usual four-person setup. You guys have settled on three as your magic number. How did you decide on that, and did you ever consider taking on more members?
ALLEN: The line-up is not yet final. We plan to add 11 more members. Just kidding.
ROCKY: At the beginning, we really wanted to be a four-piece band, but we couldn't find a keyboardist. We started playing gigs and got used to being a three-person outfit, so we decided to stick with the current line-up. Besides, people say that our sound is already "complete."
INIGO: I thought it was cool to be 3 because it wasn't 4, as in the usual. So we're unusual. So you're right about "straying". But I guess it also makes it easier to be in tune and in sync, because you only have 2 other members to coordinate with. I think because of this, without any one of us being very good at our instruments, we've managed to sound "tight" to some people.
Let’s talk about the local music scene right now. What’s good or bad about it? Where do you think it’s heading and where do you think it should be headed?
ALLEN: I see local music as maturing with every new artist introduced. I'd like to compare it to J-pop, where all musical styles are appreciated.
ROCKY: Good: Kids are starting to pick up guitars and form bands again. Bad: Still too many revivals and bandwagoning, playing what is currently "uso". Musicians should concentrate more on making original sounds that stray from the usual formulas.
INIGO: What's bad is that everyone sounds the same, production-wise. Like nobody wants to make a different kind of sound anymore, as in a different sonic quality. Take 2 different records from 2 different genres and you'd think, well, they sound the same, as if they were in the same recording session with the exact same people, using the exact same sound engineers. Areglo lang ang pinagkaiba. What's good is that because of that, it's so easy to sound different nowadays. You just don't do what you always hear. With all things saturated, the only way to go is to get out, to think of change. Change always feel weird, but with all things weird, they can tickle you a bit.
Could each of you comment on the other two people in the band? What do they bring, in terms of musical abilities and personal qualities? What makes them integral to The Haneps?
ALLEN: Rocky is a lyrical and musical genius. Inigo is an instrumental genius. Bukod sa drums, ang lupit din mag-gitara!!
ROCKY: Inigo is a wacky nut. He usually helps shape the songs into their current "Hanep" form with his great drum fills and 60s-style drumming. Allen is also a wacky nut. He usually helps arrange the songs, and fills the "holes" of a one-guitar band with his excellent bass lines. Actually both of them do. Also does back-up vocals, making it easier for me to sing lead vocals.
INIGO: Rocky has been the main songwriter so far, in as much as he has a deep archive of songs he'd written from way back. Allen has some amazing arrangement ideas, and they come spontaneously, sometimes on the rehearsal before the gig, that if you hear our songs live and think that they're different from the record, it's probably Allen's fault. These two people have a strong sense of song structure that I'm still learning from.
Photos provided by the band. Visit The Haneps’ MySpace page and sign up on their mailing list!
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