Save The Prophet, an independent rock band hailing from south of Manila, Las Piñas will be launching their album “Diwata” at the Handlebar Bar And Grill in Solaris, Bel-Air, Makati City on Dec. 28.
Save The Prophet was formed in February 2015 when singer Brian Salvador (from popular 1990s group, Anointed Cherubs) teamed up with guitarist Ivan Gutierrez, drummer Ryan Protacio and original bassist Djason Garcia, who has since left to focus on starting his family.
STP now has Sam Maribbay on bass, while adding another guitarist, Sherwin Gonzales. STP also has Australian, Andrew Jarick (guitar/backing vocals) perform with the band when he is in the country. Andrew is also producer, recording engineer and mixing engineer for STP's album "Diwata"
“We are kids of the 80s and 90s. Our inspiration largely comes from 90's rock and grunge. Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden. The super bands of the 90's. We also have some psychedelic influences like Pink Floyd,The Doors, Tea Party and Frank Zappa etc,” said frontman Salvador.
“We all listen to a hugely diverse array of music. from Rap & RnB, to extreme screaming metal and everything in-between. Our song titles come to us logically. They're based my lyrics which in essence, are stories that I imagine. For example, Story In The City, our first single from this album I imagined while traveling into the city while on the bus,” added Salvador, humming a part of the song “Crowded people, Bumper to bumper. Pollution is in the air…"
According to global Spotify statistics, STP is most popular with Males aged 18 to 44, and females 22 to 34.
“We really don't mind who listens to our music. If you can listen and enjoy our music, we've got through to you, that's what matters to us. Having said that, given our influences, we probably appeal most to kids of the 80s and 90s,” said Protacio.
STP's album is a comprehensive archive of the band's history.
“There are songs that our fans will know, and there are some new ones we've been working on they certainly haven't heard before. The album opens with Invocation, an opening to our Mass, a celebration to our beliefs, and commemoration to the beloved prophetic artists that have inspired us. Throughout the album, there are many different musical styles Rock, Grunge, Blues, Samba, Hymns, even Metal to a degree! We have hidden a few easter-eggs in our album for our fans to find. Some easy, others hard to find. I'm excited for our fans to find them,” said Salvador.
What sets STP apart from other bands is that they consider each member as a family.
“The hardest thing for a band to overcome is actually staying together. What appears to set us apart, at least so far, is a brotherly camaraderie between members. We all have input. No one is cut out of a musical decision. We enjoy hanging out together outside of the band, too,” said Gutierrez.
arribay added: “What we can suggest to other aspiring bands is to support the community that supports you. It saddens us to see bands show up, play and leave. Bands complaining about a timeslot, or band members who lack commitment to even arrive at their show within 3 hours of the time they agreed to show up. Bands who don't support the venue that is gracious enough to let you play. How can you expect to survive if you actively take part in the destruction of the very industry that supports you? Sure, being in a band has its moments of ecstasy, but there are aspects that aren't so glamorous.”
In terms of recording a Demo, EP or Album, STP always thinks that recording an album would be an extremely expensive and difficult process.
“With the emergence of cheaper and cheaper musical technology, this is not really the case anymore. You can get great results at home with a basic setup. We recorded this album at our rehearsal studio, "Mudhoney Studios" in Las Piñas. We used an 8 track USB audio interface and one of our laptops to record at Mudhonet Studio" in Las Piñas. We used an 8 track USB audio interface and one of our laptops to record. Mixing is a very subjective process. However, this can also be done yourself with a little know-how. These days, YouTube is a wealth of knowledge. Everything you need to know about mixing your recording is on YouTube for free,” Gonzales ended.