Buklat Mata! ERF is SKull Rock!

It is almost always certain for people,
when they first hear it, to ask what E.R.F. means. An inquiry of which through the years, the band has kept mum on. Siopao, the band’s vocalist and principal songwriter sips on a cup of coffee while the smoke off his cigarette gives off a surreal quality as we sit for a chat in a Persian restaurant: “Well, the name E.R.F. came from this logo I drew while in a class in high school. I liked how it turned out and remembered saying to myself that if I ever had a band, it’d be named E.R.F. I guess I was more interested in the visual element of the letters as opposed to what tangible meanings it would hold. Anyway I was just messing around in class.”

Siopao continues on how he never tried to explain or expand on the band name. “..the interpretation of it’s meaning will depend on the people who hear the band, so in not having a stone-cut definition, that would keep people’s view on the band’s identity, or our music open, and that’s what we’ve always been about. Not being categorized into someone’s classification. You would get that most out of our music, which is constantly reinventing itself and is not tied down to any particular genre.

I guess if you really want a meaning to E.R.F., then here it is: Thus said it is easy to see the way the band plays along the lines of different genres, yet always remaining originally E.R.F. The question of genre pops into the conversation.”Ok, if you want to categorize us to make your life easier, the maybe you can call us Heavy Alternative”, states Siopao. Heavy Alternative may be an easy way to describe E.R.F. though it does not completely give one a complete picture of their music. Sometimes haunting, head throbbing, tingling or just straight rock/metal, the band takes from different moods and genres and manage to come up with their own sound. A sound totally devoid of compromise and sings of individuality, freedom and introspective dialogues to better deal emotions and thinkings.

In a music climate which lives on songs about pubescent loves and novelty leanings, E.R.F. refreshingly brings a badly needed depth and artistry in the local Rock scene. It is almost always certain for people, E.R.F. means undefined, no borders nor constraints and forever moving”.Songs about trivialities; heartache, partying, goofing off etc…Are these the only human conditions?


Date Formed: 1998Music: Alternative Hard Rock , MetalInfluences: Tool, Alice in Chains, Metallica, Faith No MoreLocation: MakatiMembers:Monchie Paredes: DrumsMelvin Lu: BassRyan Padilla: GuitarsSiopao: Guitars, VocalsVenues Played: Club Dred, Café Saguijo, Watering Hole, Yosh Café, Mayrics, Easy Riders, Maiyuchi, Alky’s Grill, Rock2Metal, Little City, Pyro’s, Blue Horn, Freedom Bar, 6 Underground, fete dela Musique, Bela Bar, Kolumn, Country Steakhouse, Center for ArtsRecordings: Face in the Sky (1997), Daddy Said (1998), I wish I Wuz a frog Demo(1998), Oh Yeah Baby!(1999), The Outside (1999), As I close My Eyes (2001), Chloric (2001), Face Down (2001), Jessica/Dura (2001), Hands & Knees (2001)What you got (2001), Nicotine Candy E.P.(2001), Marionette (2004), Killing Time (2005), Over Satisfied (2005), Sinag (2005), Rebol (2006), Bosch (2006)

A band from Makati, as it’s principal members; Siopao and Monchie are natives of, the band has always considered Makati as their base of operations.
Monchie handles drums for the band and has done so since Siopao decided to pick up a guitar and sing. Yes, he used to be the drummer. “Kurt Cobain really opened my eyes and inspired me to take up a guitar and just belt it out. From then on I saw the beauty of music was in the songs and not on flash and technical prowess.” E.R.F. started as a hobby for three cousins, Quintin, RJ and Siopao way back in 1997.

Almost immediately,
they started churning out original songs which landed them gigs in places like Club Dredd (Their debut performance), Mayrics, Yosh Cafe among others. Over the years, as the trio got older, only Siopao remainedto carry the torch and employed Monchie to join him.The band’s line up has had a lot of considerable changes over the years, having had three different bassists and at least five different guitarists over the span of their existence.

“Right now I’m just happy with how things are going. My goals are humble: to be able to create music without compromise. To keep it’s purity and honesty. I’m not here to please anyone, I must first exorcise myself and am glad people believe in me enough to come along for the ride.If I can touch one person the way I was touched when I listened to my idols, I’ll be happy. These are songs I did, talking about stages in my life. Some poignant, some delirious but all flow from the crack from my skull.

You’ll hate us, you’ll love us, but at the end of the day we achieved what we set out to do without a hint of dancing to the drums of the popular. We remain intact and the songs will too. If you want, come join us a bit and see how far this will go. Ride with it and have fun along the way. Record sales, endorsements and popularity contests are shadowed by the riffs. Thank you in advanced if you have just discovered us and aren’t harboring any violent thoughts. A heartfelt thanks to all those who have come in and out of our circle and saw, even for a while the simple beauty that was there.”Siopao on finally recording the album