Celebrating 9 years, Lola Amour hopes to see new acts in thriving OPM

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‘Speaking from our experience, never be discouraged,’ says lead vocalist Pio Dumayas, reflecting on the highs and lows of Lola Amour’s nine-year band journey

MANILA, Philippines – Starting just as a high school group, Lola Amour knows very well how just one hit could get the ball rolling and catapult a band to the top. 

Nine years since their inception, the “Raining in Manila” hitmakers dream of seeing another young band, like they once were, get a chance to be in the spotlight. 

“At the start, this was all for fun because we liked it. Now, I hope some band out there liked this so much that they’e willing to go through the process of being a band,” lead vocalist Pio Dumayas said ahead of the group’s free 9th anniversary show in Luneta last Friday, May 30. 

“OPM is really thriving. We hope some band gets a break and capitalizes on OPM’s boom today,” he added. 

The band started during their high school years at De La Salle Zobel after two groups, Sinigang na Baboy and Decaf, merged to form Lola Amour.

In 2018, the seven-piece band released one of its hit songs, “Pwede Ba?”, igniting what has been a stellar run that saw them fuse funk, pop, and modern rock. 

Looking back on their early years, the band members admit that the road to success was anything but glamorous.

According to Dumayas, who was one of the band’s original members, Lola Amour went through a long process of dealing with self-doubt as gigs came in few and far between, while the audience remained few for over three years. 

“The first time, we hated ourselves for being in the band,” he said in Filipino. “We felt like it was a loss being in the band.”

However, it was during this challenging phase that they experienced some of their most defining moments.

“It was still fulfilling. Eventually, when the songs got traction, we realized that it had become a real job for us,” Dumayas said. 

“For the young bands, for the first few years, don’t mind if you guys are not making money. That is the period when you fall in love with this career or don’t. This is where you find out if you want to do this for the rest of your life,” he added. 

David Yuhico, the band’s keyboard player, added that suffering is part of any band’s journey, as it triggers growth. 

“It’s okay to suffer,” he said. “That’s how you start out in this industry.”

Meanwhile, Dumayas pushed youthful acts to continue loving their music, while expecting nothing in return. 

“Speaking from our experience, never be discouraged… You give your best, but do not expect anything in return. Just love what you do.” – Rappler.com