We in Dreamify are introducing a new article in our weekly posts! Introducing DREAMIFY EKLIPSE where artists outside our own roster will have their time to shine.
There are rare artists in the world that have the ability to take you on a journey. TAYO, a San Diego based FILIPINA-duo are one of these rarities. Consisting of best friends Betthia and Annie, the band began their adventure at the start of the 2020 pandemic. It all began with social-distance walks, garageband, shared demos, and Facetime.
In one social-distance walk they chatted,
“What if we made a band?” said one of them laughing,
“On snap, let’s do it!” the other one replied.
With the two having lifetime experience in music separately, they combined to create beautiful musical artistry that can make the hairs on your skin stand up. The rest was history. TAYO has released three songs officially on their own, one collaboration with KENN IGBI on his EP “A Phone Call Away”, and have been featured on Spotify editorial playlist “Fresh Find Philippines” and “Best of H&M Philippines” . The duo has a bright future and we at Dreamify are excited to see their journey.
We asked them, “As Tayo, what message would you like to send out into the world?”
They Replied, “Hey world! It’s Tayo. Your new and independent Filipina music duo that are also besties. Don’t ever be stinky. It is absolutely okay not to know everything. Trust in the people you have around you and if they’re stinky, hit us up. We will be your kapatid, always.”
“Anything you’d like to promote?”
“We just released a song on May 4th titled ‘pompoms.’ It is our first song we’ve released that is mostly produced by Tayo. This is the first song of many coming out this year. We cannot wait for you to come along on our journey. ”
“Pompoms” is a 2-minute track that gives you this nostalgic feel, especially while listening to it while traveling home at night. It starts off with a soothing acoustic riff and this sample of what seems like muffled talking, transitioning into the kick and strings. We’ve all been in a headspace of numbness in our lives. Times, where we’ve had to be strong, and yet at the same time the gravity of our emotions continuously pressuring us. The results: being numb. The instrumental alone personally gave me that vibe.
TW: self-harm, suicide
Annie spoke to us about the message of ‘pompoms’ and the lyrical meanings behind it. “It is a song I made last November when I began to seriously contemplate suicide. Instead of going through with my plans, I bought myself a small, cheap store-bought cake and promised myself that I’d make it back home alive so I could enjoy a slice. The cake wasn’t enough to occupy me and the urge to self-harm was only building. Self-harm has been a coping mechanism for my suicidal ideation but I didn’t want to ruin my progress just yet. I quickly pulled out my laptop and got started on a demo I originally called “pompoms with a side of sprinkles” in reference to the Sanrio character Pompompurin. However, a month or two before “pompoms” was released, I relapsed after a year clean. Failing myself again after doing well for so long was soul-crushing! I felt insanely dirty and stupid. I’m learning to be more gentle with myself and I’m currently over two months clean! “pompoms” is essentially a love letter to people like me who struggle with their mental wellbeing and feel like their existence means nothing. The repeating phrase “it starts to show” points to my experience with self-harm and trying to hide that part of myself from others. Being mentally ill has forced me to become constantly hypervigilant of how others perceive me and it’s exhausting. I’ve always hated reaching out to people whenever I’m not ok because I feel like I’m destroying the Annie I want to be every time I ask for help. But that’s not true. Letting others know what’s going on with me doesn’t diminish who I am in any way. I’m simply showing them another part of me.I truly hope “pompoms” reminds listeners that it’s ok to let people know what’s going on and help you. You aren’t any less for accepting help and you deserve to be happy.”
Thank you, Annie, for allowing us to see more into your world. Songs like “pompoms” empowers all of us to face our own battles, and see that we’re not alone. Life is not always beautiful and sometimes acknowledging the uglier side of reality gives us the ability to do better in the future. To live better. If you are struggling with the topics discussed above, please know that you are worthy of a great life, and that healing is a process. You don’t need to process it all at once, do it day by day, hour by hour if need be. And as Annie said, please reach out.
Our last question to the duo is more on the lighter side. Of course as Dreamify, we always ask our famous question, “Ano ang ulam nyo?” So we asked TAYO the hardest question, “What’s your favorite Filipino dish?”
“CHICHARON BULAKLAK with vinegar na may garlic and of course rice.” replied Betthia.
“Sinigang! But not the shrimp version!” said Annie.
Come stream their newest track POMPOMS, out now on all major platforms, which also has a music video that dropped recently. Go give our new favorite Filipina duo some love Dreamifam!
LINKS TO ALL THINGS TAYO:
Instagram – https://bit.ly/3yFHtAX
Youtube – https://bit.ly/39s0MmS
Tiktok – @wewillbe.tayo
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3woEXOf
POMPOMS MUSIC VIDEO: https://bit.ly/3LiUm6F