THE NEW indie music collective Elev8 Me L8r just played their first live show entitled “8#)$}{!” last August 19 at Mow’s in Diliman. Don’t bother pronouncing the gig name, the organizers don’t know how to, either.

Mow’s—found just behind the Kowloon House on Matalino St. in Quezon City—was never the swankiest gig venue, but its cramped walls have hosted countless artists. A quick walk down a concrete ramp and a small curl of stairs takes you to the famed bar, the setting for the pilot in-person or IRL gig of Elev8.

Photo taken by JLE Music

Vantage got to drop by the collective’s gig on a sweltering Friday night for a chat with some of their members, in between their sets. Representing Elev8 for the interview were Miguel Loanzon of Parlor Parlor, Jason Fernandez aka Hazylazy, and Jillian Santiago and Frankie Lalunio of (formerly Maryknoll) or (fM) for short.

First formed in the pandemic, Elev8 was just a small circle of friends who all frequented gigs in the QC area. “I’ve always looked up to collectives way before us, like Salad Days and Stay Useless—they named themselves after songs. So we thought, as an homage to our gods, we should name it after a song [too],” explains Miguel, the lead singer of in-house band Parlor Parlor.

The collective’s name is pulled from a song by the 90’s alt-rock band Pavement. “So, Elev8 Me L8r with the number eight. It sounds catchy!” says Miguel.

Jillian, the lead singer and visual mastermind of the internet rock group (fM) speaks fondly of their first online shows, or URLs, as the collective likes to call them. “As a band who started during the pandemic, we had the advantage of expressing ourselves the way we wanted to,” says Jillian.

The videos that (fM) released during the lockdown were goofy, lo-fi, and often shot on webcams and Unregistered Hypercam, the go-to screen recorder of the 2000s. Miguel adds, “The biggest difference [between URL and IRL gigs] for me [is that online,] you get to see it the way the band wants you to see it, in its purest form. Kumbaga, we’re bringing you into our world.”

Elev8 Me L8r was—and still is—a distinctly internet-based collective. Because of this, shifting to in-person gigs was a struggle at times, with the environment being so different. Jillian shares, “‘Nung first time na nagperform yung (formerly Maryknoll) live, para kaming fish out of water. It’s the first time na wala sa kontrol namin every element na mangyayari during the IRL gig (The first time that (formerly Maryknoll) played live, we were like fish out of water. It’s the first time that not every element of the gig was under our control).”

Jason Fernandez, (fM) describes how the transition happened, “Dumating lang ‘yung opportunities, eh. Ginamit lang ‘yung momentum from the online gigs (The opportunities just came. We just used the momentum from the online gigs).” Eventually, that momentum booked (fM) their first IRL gig, and the rest followed. One of their biggest breaks came in the form of a tour invite from an older, more established collective: Alternatrip.

The long-standing group Alternatrip has been promoting local alternative music for years through web shows and live gigs. Last July 30 to 31, they held Wasting Away: An Alternatip Tour in Naga and Lucena City, where (fM) was invited to share the lineup with local veteran acts like Megumi Acorda and The Geeks.

“We’ve always looked up to Alternatrip. Pre-pandemic, idol namin sila. It was a great honor na na-invite kami sa tour (Pre-pandemic, they were already our idols. It was a great honor that we were invited to their tour),” shares Miguel.

(fM) bassist Frankie recalls the energy of the Naga and Lucena crowds. “Mayroong nag-pupush-up sa harap ng stage. Mayroong tumatalon-talon sa amp so parang ‘yun yung bizarre na in-enable namin (There were people doing pushups in front of the stage, and people jumping on the amps too. That was the bizarre stuff that we enabled).”

Taking their bizarreness back to QC for their pilot show, the collective is elated over the gig’s turnout. “I was actually scared that not a lot of people would show up, but I am quite satisfied knowing we BROKE EVEN!” cheers Miguel, much to Jason’s own candid disbelief.

Their surprise at the gig’s success stems from their being “mad broke”—as Frankie put it—after playing the Alternatrip tour. The Elev8 gang was worried about funding their first prod, but the show at Mow’s turned out to be a success.

Halfway through the show (and the interview), The Buildings are playing their set, and the collective’s members are gushing about getting the seasoned rockers to perform for the night. “Itong mga tao na’to (these people) that we’ve looked up to, we treated as gods and idols. Suddenly, kausap lang namin sila (we’re talking to them) and they’re playing for our gig so casually. It was such a nice feeling na it went full circle.”

With the success of their first show and the growth of their fanbase, one could only wonder what Elev8 Me L8r will do next.

“We’re dipping. We’re crashing. Charot,” jokes Jason, speaking on the future of their collective. They’re just starting to make waves, and they have lots of projects lined up for the coming year.

Jillian says, “Gusto naming mag-organize ng IRL gigs a lot differently. We’re gonna integrate lots of other crafts; hindi lang music. ‘Yun din ang advantage sa amin kasi hindi lang kami music collective. Actively, artists din kami. So, we’re planning to exploit yung various mediums na kaya ng pera at ‘tsaka ng kaya namin.”

(We want to organize IRL gigs a lot differently. We’re gonna integrate lots of other crafts; not just music. That’s our advantage because we’re not just a music collective; actively we are also artists. So, we’re planning to exploit the various mediums available within our funds and willpower).

There is also a shared sentiment among the Elev8 personnel of giving back to the music scene in Manila, be it by organization or inspiration.

“As a [female frontwoman] of a band, yung pinaka-goal ko (my biggest goal) is to be an inspiration to everyone, to all the girls who want to rrrock the fuck out,” vocalizes Jillian.

Photo taken by JLE Music

As Jillian’s bassist, Frankie admires her bandmate’s growth into a confident frontwoman. Doting on Jillian’s experience, Frankie says, “You can come from nothing, but once you find your group, your instigators, you can grow individually while you’re still in a group.”

Elev8 sees themselves as the local scene’s “kids” all grown up, and they aim to pass on that torch to younger artists in time. Elev8 hopes that releasing their own music will encourage other aspiring musicians to fearlessly follow suit.

“Kapag nalose mo yung sarili mo sa bureaucracy, you’re never gonna get anything done. Yun yung nakita din namin (If you lose yourself in the bureaucracy, you’re never gonna get anything done. That’s what we’ve observed),” says Frankie, on the pressures of releasing music on bigger platforms.

Photo taken by JLE Music

Elev8 Me L8r will champion their DIY, collaborative approach to music for years to come. “We’re all we’ve got, man!” laughs Miguel, stressing the support the collective’s members give each other.

“Kapag collective ka, responsibility mo to reach out kasi ikaw ‘yung merong clout at medium to reach out to people (As a collective, it’s your responsibility to reach out to people because you have the clout and the medium to reach out to people),” says Frankie.

The collective’s members see themselves as stewards of the local music scene; they hope to bridge the gaps between musicians by holding gigs with diverse artist lineups.

“[It’s more] conducive for creativity when you’ve got more people with you. [It’s not just] for creative things, productive lang kami kasi gan’to kami ka-close with each other (We’re only this productive because of how close we are with each other),” adds Frankie.

Now, the local music scene is emerging from the chrysalis of the lockdown. With all the changes to come, Elev8 Me L8r only hopes to be a part of the new, exciting ecosystem that permeates the pavement of Manila.