Indie shoegazer band Scott to release Only the Good Memories EP

Indie shoegazer band Scott to release Only the Good Memories EP

by rick olivares

Indie shoegaze/dream pop duo Scott (vocalist-guitarist Alyster Ballori and guitarist Francis Delgado) is releasing their extended play album, Only the Good Memories, this coming May 4 at Tomato Kick in the Tomas Morato/Timog area.

Perfect for dreamy nights and these hot summer days, Only the Good Memories features eight shimmering tracks of hope amidst the bad.

Said Ballori who is also Scott’s chief songwriter, Only the Good Memories" is a collection of different stories taking only the good memories from it and leaving the bad ones out.” 

“Writing the songs has been a healing experience for me. It starts off with songs about moving on and leaving the bad memories behind and finishes with songs like "Butterflies" which is about being okay with "being okay" and "Strangers" which is about first dates.

“Summer” is the first proper song on the album that saunters in dreamy fashion before going into full My Bloody Valentine fuzz (the band makes no bones about their influences that aside from MBV include The Smashing Pumpkins, Ringo Deathstarr, Jesus and Mary Chain, Winter, Hippo Campus, Yo La Tengo, Silversun Pickups, and early Rivermaya).

“Rapidgator” continues the heavy wall of sound that is a shoegaze headbanger’s delight.  

Day breaks with the fluttering ringing guitars of “Amelia” that seeks to hide the pain of relationships. This is where you see how Ballori’s vocals -- that in true shoegaze fashion are used like a layer of sound – add to the hidden beauty and mystique of the genre.

“Love Letters and Lucid Dreams” sounds like this interlude that fades in and out like an oasis to parched lips. But it is hauntingly beautiful in the manner that it gently pushes you forward. 

The aforementioned “Strangers” offers a change in quirky pace. A palette cleanser if you will from the heavy stuff. 

After all, “Winter” is coming,

The last track has a Smashing Pumpkins-esque slow rolling instrumental.

The EP took three months to record (from February to April of this year) and is released through indie label Sevas Tra Records that released indie ukulele rock band Esremborak’s Basura Songs which has been selling very well. 

Earlier in the year, Scott released another EP titled Awkward Patterns that wasn’t received too well. Ballori believes the poor production affected the songs; something that in spite of continuing personal challenges, was determined not to repeat for Only The Good Memories.

“Awkward Patterns had potential but was poorly executed. It motivated us to do produce something that we can be proud of. I was also recovering from a bad breakup and to battle the sadness I started to write poetry again which led to the creation of these songs.”

The result is Only the Good Memories that flies underneath the radar and scores as the first cool shoegaze recording of 2019 in the Filipino indie scene.

For those interested in getting the EP, check out SCOTT on Facebook.