Filipino post-hardcore band Legarda shares split record with Boston band, the Saddest Landscape

Filipino band Legarda shares split record with Boston’s The Saddest Landscape

by rick olivares

Filipino band Legarda will come out in a split record with Boston, USA crew, the Saddest Landscape.

The American band, recorded their show at Mow’s during a tour of the Philippines in December of 2017, along with Legarda who they were impressed with that they invited the Filipino crew to share a split release that was just released this March.

Legarda is post-hardcore/spoken word band whose music also crosses over into shoegaze territory. Its members include guitarist-vocalist Keith Dador, drummer Gerald Grimaldo, bassist Ebong Linan, and guitarist Sharen De Guzman.

“The Saddest Landscape playing in Manila is a dream come true for a lot of folks in the local hardcore scene,” intimated Dador. “The boys and girls in Sleeping Boy Collective put up an amazing show for them and the energy and positivity that our small community puts out impressed TSL and they took notice. We just played our assess off that night and had a great time.”

“I was in the back of Mow’s checking out the merchandise while TSL were playing and could barely make out what Andy (Maddox, the band’s vocalist-guitarist) was saying. All I could remember was that he mentioned our name, the community we have here, and something about recording. A few weeks later, Saturnine Audio (the crew that recorded the show) informed us that TSL wanted to do a split-release with Legarda. After a few delays with communication because it has been a hectic month with work, lyrics, photos, and liner notes, we were shown the cover art. We are more than honored and very thankful for this gesture. I still cannot wrap my head around this.”

The 7-inch split record is available in limited release through the Saddest Landscape’s website thesaddestlandscape.bigcartel.com. It is included in the “TSL Because You Love Us” bundle that contains the “War on Nostalgia” 3LP box set, a special edition t-shirt, and other freebies. Copies of the slit record will also be available from Legarda but in limited numbers.

“This record is definitely inspiring for everyone in our band,” enthused Dador. “For an influential outfit like TSL to give recognition to our music is just insane.”

Unlike other underground bands, Legarda hardly does the club circuit. “We rarely play live. Everyone is working. Two of us do photography, video, and communications work full time. I also juggle my time teaching and that takes so much energy,” divulged Dador. “The other half of the band run their own food businesses and that needs a lot of focus and care. It’s a struggle (to also have a band), but we love what we do. The band is a release of sorts. We’re getting our stuff together though. We have plans of recording real soon and for the first time in years, we are able to write new material.”

The Filipino underground punk and hardcore scene has been very active if not industrious. This end of March has seen the release of an extended play vinyl, Pilipinas Hardcore, as well as cassette releases from Reyerta, Realidad, and Curse/Gift, while there have been compact disc releases from Staid. Laterally in other musical genres, electronic artist Pamcy Fernandez’s Piso Isa was released on cassette by Australian label Healthy Tapes while metal band, Mass Hypnosia had their album Toxiferous Cyanide recently put out by Swedish label, I Hate Records. Filipino punk band Bad Omen will also release their sixth album later this year also on vinyl.