If you were in high school or college in the 2000s, chances are there was at least one guitar-toting student in your class-and what are the odds that when lunch break came, the song they played to show they had finally mastered their first barre chord was ‘Torete’ by Moonstar88?
It’s infectious and forgiving to play, and the payoff is worth more than you would expect. Before you knew it, everyone was singing their hearts out about unrequited love at high noon, because why not?
It’s hard to put into words exactly what makes Moonstar88 sound like Moonstar88, guitarist Herbert Hernandez says. But hard-pressed to give a reason, guitar-driven simplicity has got to be one of them.
Nothing too complex
They’re ‘not the most technical of musicians,’ they concede, but they have a keen ear for lyrics that hit from the very first line. And when lead vocalist Maysh Baay breathes life into them-coupled with Hernandez’s guitar work and the distinct ‘klangklang’ of drummer Bon Sundiang’s snares-the sound they create is unmistakably theirs.
‘Alam mong jinam ng banda ‘yong kanta sa acoustic guitar. Isa na ring sigurong dahilan eh hindi complex ‘yong chords at arrangement,’ Hernandez tells Lifestyle Inquirer. ‘There are those who concentrate on the sound or the hook-and there’s nothing wrong with that-but we focus more on the lyrics and the story we want to tell.’
It may not have been the original intention, but their instinct not to overcomplicate things leaves room for another defining element of the ‘Moonstar88 DNA’: the vocals. While Baay has a fuller, sturdier sound, there’s still a sweetness in her tone that harks back to the band’s early days with Acel Bisa’s whispery and fragile singing-the better to convey the sense of longing the music often evokes.
And this is something that has remained constant throughout the band’s 27-year musical journey-from ‘Torete’ and ‘Sulat’ to ‘Migraine’ and ‘Gilid.’ Hernandez and Sundiang can veer ‘super far out’ from what fans would expect in terms of production, but Baay’s singing always brings it back to center.
‘Alam namin na, at the end of the day, kapag kumanta at nag-record na si Maysh, ‘yon na ‘yon,’ Sundiang says.
‘Alam namin na, at the end of the day, kapag kumanta at nag-record na si Maysh, ‘yon na ‘yon’
Organic interplay
Fair enough-sound is better heard than explained. At the group’s recent contract signing with EMI Records Philippines, a sublabel of Universal Music Group, they let their music do the talking-playing two new singles ahead of their respective releases as part of their upcoming 13-track, all-original album.
‘Goma,’ an upbeat pop-rock anthem with a driving rhythm, speaks of being stretched to the limit but inevitably bouncing back into form. As its title suggests, ‘Kape Tayo’ is a tender midtempo ballad that yearns for warmth and companionship, ‘sa tamis at sa pait.’ (The band members aren’t much of drinkers, they joke.)
And if these songs are a preview of their upcoming album-which will include four compositions by ‘Torete’ composer Darwin Hernandez, who’s marking his return to writing for the band after a long while-then ‘Moonstareros’ can expect something fresh but still close to home.
‘There’s something new because we’re now with EMI and we have new sounds or stories to tell. There’s something gifted kasi maraming regalong kanta sa ‘min si Darwin. But at the same time, the magic of our signature sound still comes out,’ Baay says of the new material, which will also feature collaborations with Jay Contreras of Kamikazee, Rye Sarmiento of 6Cyclemind, and Jazz Jorge of Gracenote.
Although the said tracks sound steadier than senti, with dashes of grit and urgency here and there, they still rely on the organic interplay of actual instruments and the band’s knack for melodies that spark LSS (last song syndrome). The topics may essentially be about love, but not from the same shade or perspective they have already explored before.
Happy and confident
There’s nothing drastic here that immediately suggests they’re trying to jump onto a trend-and that’s precisely the point. More than their music’s sincerity and unpretentiousness, it’s their disinterest in chasing whatever is in vogue that makes their work timeless and relatable across generations.
‘If you look at it, hindi siya ‘yong uso, pero nandiyan lang siya lagi,’ Hernandez points out.
Case in point: when the VCR for ‘Fortunate Change’ played at Seventeen’s Philippine show last March, a predominantly young audience-maybe sensing similarities in the instrumentation-spontaneously sang ‘Torete.’ This seemingly reflects Moonstar88’s streaming demographics, which show that their Gen Z listeners have already overtaken Millennials.
‘It’s overwhelming na nasa isipan kami ng mga bata,’ Baay says.
Needless to say, Moonstar88 was amused and slightly bemused, but that moment only proves that good music is good music-whether played in a classroom in the 2000s or a K-pop stadium in 2026. ‘That makes us happy and confident to just continue what we love to do,’ Hernandez says.