Former Hale Champ finds ‘Synergy’ on his own
"I still compose with the same guitar, write songs on yellow paper, and file them on a folder," said Champ Lui-Pio, former frontman of band Hale, enumerating the few constants in his creative journey from band member to solo act.
After seven years of jamming with three other guys in Hale, Champ is now making music on his own. It's ironic though that to get his new music heard, Hale's former main man had to deal with a lot of "new" people. In fact, when Champ recorded his solo debut, "Synergy," for PolyEast Records, he worked with 40 musicians all in all.
"Synergy" is an album of collaborations with various artists coming from different genres.
Champ put together the ten songs on his debut release in cooperation with several acclaimed indie artists and a revolving cast of studio musicians.
Folk icon Noel Cabangon and rapper Gloc 9 mixed and matched rhyming flows in "Sari-Sating Kwento." Hilera's Chris Padilla reined in his punk blood to croon almost tear-jerking lines in "Magdamag." Chito Miranda lends his unique pipes to "Gulong," which borrows in theme and spirit from Parokya ni Edgar's trademark "stop-moping-and-get-your-ass-moving" pop dialectics.
With his collaborations, Champ extended his musical reach beyond the coeds and teens who once swooned over Hale's heartbreaking ballads. In the process, he also managed to explore the nuances of his patented voice in Hale.
He reiterated, "I can't change my voice. I can't just be a husky singer or a death metal growler, for that matter. I think it helped a lot that I collaborated with many musicians. When a songwriter like me hears another voice in a song, it changes the whole perspective. A new flavor is added to the song and there's also a shift in the dynamics of the song itself."
Champ is quite ambivalent about the reasons that precipitated his departure from Hale. He theorized that, perhaps, the absence of a fresh spark was the root cause. He revealed, "We just stopped talking. Our priorities when we were just starting eventually changed and we just grew apart. It happens. Change is constant."
On the other hand, he also felt that indifference crept in when the seven-year itch set in. "Initially, we connected perfectly," he explained. "When you're in a band, it's like having three girlfriends. It's not an easy situation to manage and you have to make compromises and be very understanding. But when you work as a unit long enough, there comes a time you're going to get tired of compromises."
Chris Sy, former managing director of PolyEast Records who had moved to Viva Entertainment, convinced the suddenly band-less Champ to attend workshops to expand his repertoire of thespian skills. The former Haler was under the tutelage of Laurice Guillen at the ABS-CBN Talent Center-but his stint lasted only two weeks. He realized he wasn't cut to be a multi-skilled multimedia artist.
After Hale's break-up, Champ pretty much just stayed home, writing new songs with his trusty guitar and yellow pad. He eventually hooked up with old friends to test his new compositions.
Champ's solo musical outing found a receptive sounding board in the trio of Mayonnaise band frontman/guitarist Monty Macalino, bassist Nikki Tirona and drummer Nikko Tirona. They composed Champ's main back-up band during the recording sessions for "Synergy" and supported him in his first major performance at the 10th MixMo! Anniversary concert in November.
While he currently performs as a solo act, Champ still feels that he's part of a band. He continues to find synergy in playing with an ensemble. However, he admitted that he felt the jitters on his first time alone onstage at the annual MiXmo! Many old-timers will say that the "jittery" experience is a good boost to the creative soul.
The 28-year-old singer/songwriter said, "Playing my songs live with new guys felt weird. When I looked to my left or to my right onstage, there was a new fellow playing with me. My new band mates are good friends from way back. After a couple of jams, I was comfortable playing with them."
As his solo album shows, Champ has established only his eclectic choice in musical co-workers. He said he is "open to anything," even collaborating within the dynamics of a new post-Hale band.
He mused, "I have no definite career plan as of now. I don't know where I will be next year. It was just a natural progression for me to come out with a solo album after Hale. "I still have songs that I want to share. If I meet a group of people who I want to form a band with, I'm not gonna limit myself just because of what happened with Hale. I have come to understand that a band is not gonna last forever and the more important thing is to make the most of the experience."
Disclaimer: The views and observations of the author do not represent the position of Yahoo! Southeast Asia on the issue of topic being discussed.
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