Now Playing: Cup of Joe

Beep beep! Haha, oo tapos ang hirap nung quiz nakakainis.

Horns from the vehicles, gossips from the surroundings, screeching wheels from every bump on the road— my hands were tightly holding the railings. I was barely seated in the packed jeepney. I put my headphones and tried to listen to some music. It was a song that I have to listen to so I can write an article about it. All I felt during that ride was stress and exhaustion. With hopes of finishing the task soon, I immediately tapped the play button. The noise from the surroundings as I traveled back home vanished after the first verse of the song started playing.

Kumusta ka na

Ibig ko sanang makapiling ka

Puso’y nag-iisa, nanlalamig

Halina’t ika’y yayakapin

I tapped the play button to finish my task, but I ended up tapping it, again and again, every time it reached its last second.

That specific moment suddenly came back to me after I heard the same song on my playlist. It has been months since I last heard it. This time I was intrigued and hungry to know more about the song as well as who sang and wrote it. I know the band name but I do not know who they were. So, I started typing "Cup of Joe" in the search bar of YouTube.

In every video and article I viewed, I gradually got a grasp of who they were. Cup of Joe is a band based in Baguio City. The band consists of six members—Gab, Gian, Raphael, Vixen, Sevii and CJ. These young men got together to form the band Cup of Joe and they started writing and releasing songs last 2019. I got to know them and I listened to all the songs they have released. But what grabbed my attention was the comment section in each video. It was filled with overflowing love and most were written to express their appreciation to the music of Cup of Joe.

Months after "fangirling," another academic task came up—to write a feature article. The same band appeared in the story. Welcome again, Cup of Joe. The only difference this time is I get to see them in person. The perks of being a journalist (even if I am still a student) are starting to pay off. This is what I told myself not until I got to realize that the schedule of the interview was set on Sunday. It was the day where you could not find me anywhere in Baguio. My province is just a three-hour drive and I always make sure that I am home on Sundays.

I was left with no choice. Fortunately, a friend volunteered to help and she was the one who interviewed the band for me. A voice recording was all that was sent to me— I heard all the information I wanted to hear and I realized a lot of things.

Cup of Joe is a band, sure. However, it consists of ordinary members with different preferences. They are young, but they are dreamers. Delight is evident throughout the whole recording. I know they were smiling as they joyfully share the story of their songs and their journey in the music industry.

Rewind button

During their highschool life, the members of the band already showcased their talent and love for music. They performed at their school during programs and they also competed in some band contests.

Cup of Joe was created with only Gab and Raphael knowing each other. The three other members, CJ, Vixen and Sevi, were their acquaintances. On the other hand, Gian became a member when he volunteered to join their band.

In the emptied lobby of Saint Louis University, Raphael was playing with the guitar he borrowed from a friend. Suddenly, the cold wind blew from where he and Gian were. As they savored the moment, a sudden thought popped into their minds— and one-line of their song was created:

kay lamig ng simoy ng hangin

And that was how the song “Nag- iisang Muli” was made.

Having a deeper meaning, the song mainly talks about “blind hope”— when you think that you are destined to be with someone, but you are just dreaming.

araw ay sumilip, nasilaw sa dilim, puso’y nagising, nag-iisang muli

(The sun peeped, outshined by the darkness, heart was awakened, I’m alone again).

While creating the poster for their debut song, a boy chasing a girl was the first idea that came to their minds. They thought that the fairytale story of Cinderella matched the story of “Nag- iisang Muli”. The next song, “Sinderala,” followed the story of their debut song and it is about being determined against-all-the-odds— the prince charming only has one chance to run after Cinderella, if he did not then he would lose her.

Two other songs were also released after the first two, both holding onto the uniqueness of each. These songs were “Alas Dose” and “Sagada.”

Pause

Halfway through the voice recording, I imagined the effort of Cup of Joe in creating their name in the music industry. Being part of a band was not originally a dream for each member. However, the first time that they stood in front of everybody as a band, they held on tight to their instruments. The deep breathing and nervousness swarmed along with the cold breeze of February as they prepared themselves with Nag-iisang Muli’s first note. Some people passed by, some stopped walking to at least get a glimpse of their performance and some stayed until the next song started playing.

They recorded “Nag-iisang Muli” only as a remembrance after it was submitted as a school project. But after performing it, something changed. People got to know the song and started to connect with it. Cup of Joe did not intend to entertain people because all they wanted was to express their feelings through their songs. Surprisingly, people from Baguio and even from far-away provinces in the country started expressing their admiration for the band—feelings that explicitly show delight.

The music of Cup of Joe reached a lot and a diverse group of audience. Some mothers had extended their positive feedback to the band with some stating,

“Ang ganda ng impluwensya sa anak ko.” (It has greatly influenced my child.)

A national music recording company scout, Viva Records, heard “Nag-iisang Muli” on Spotify and became interested in the band. Cup of Joe signed a contract with the company last July 15, 2019.

Along with the enormous support of numerous people, the band was awarded as “MOR Regional Song of the Year” the day after their contract signing and these are their biggest achievements up to date.

At present, the members of the band are still students and even if they are committed to their band, they still know that studying is their priority.

“Nandito kami sa Baguio para mag-aral talaga, ‘yon ang priority namin.” (We are here in Baguio to study, and that is our priority.)

The commitment they have for their studies increased as they started to be freshmen-college students. Time management became crucial for being in different colleges and courses means having different schedules. Different schedules mean that they have to look for a time they could be together to rehearse.

Nevertheless, some pauses may appear along their way— all chances are spent, not wisely, but happily. Cup of Joe used their time together to make the most of what they can. They made eating their bonding time. The time they spend creating songs, writing lyrics, experimenting with the tones, fixing the arrangement and brainstorming all ideas, also became a way to strengthen their relationship as bandmates.

Fast-forward button

Together as brothers, Cup of Joe envisions themselves to be standing at a higher peak. They still dream for more. They eagerly wish for an album the same way they eagerly crave food. One of their biggest dreams is to hear their songs in movies or television shows. They hope to be seen as a unique band that is different from others. Having different preferences, they hopefully aim to create harmony in their music showing the uniqueness of each member— just like a perfectly blended six-in-one mix of a coffee.

Play… again.

Unlike how others perceive the band, I am not delighted with Cup of Joe. Their songs are not distinct. And they have not successfully mixed the six-in-one coffee. I am flabbergasted. I wish for more songs from them. Their sound may not be distinctly different from other Filipino bands, but they are special in their own way. Their music connects differently to their listeners, like me— who is now busy tapping on my phone screen's play button… again… and again.

Kumusta ka na

Ibig ko sanang makapiling ka

Puso’y nag-iisa, nanlalamig

Halina’t ika’y yayakapin

By Patricia Anne May Nas

With reports from Agatha Mateo