MANILA, Philippines - The voice on the other end of the line was familiar, and declared shortly without preamble: “Pare, nag-reunite na Orange and Lemons!”
I managed to mutter a “Huh?” before he started laughing. Clementine — the driving force behind the aforementioned later lamented band that had the Philippines singing (and dancing) to the Pinoy Big Brother anthem Pinoy Ako — was joking, of course.
Clem had some news — or, more correctly, a song — to share. He said his post O&L band the Camerawalls released a free track via the Internet last Feb. 22. Titled The Sight of Love, the single is released solely in digital format via the following sites: www.jam883.fm, lilystars-records.com, and thecamerawalls.com. Yes, you can legally download it and queue it up in your iPod playlist.
Officially, this is the band’s fourth single, the previous three all on the debut album Pocket Guide to the Otherworld released under Clementine’s very own Lilystars music label.
The new single marks an official return to the recording studios, and the addition of a new member, guitarist Pao Peralta, for the indie act that is widely seen to have soldiered on with the original vision of the Orange and Lemons. The Sight of Love also features another artist from the Lilystars stable — vocalist Sarah Gaugler of electro pop Turbo Goth.
The track is an easygoing, lightweight pop showcase of Clementine’s songwriting ability. The happiness is unmistakable, perhaps harking pack to the heady early days of O&L. It’s tempting to draw conclusions hinting to Clem’s state of mind these days. He has probably really moved, flexing his wings and taking us all for another giddy ride to the land of rubber shoes and dirty ice cream.
“We released this song as a token of our appreciation to the people who have supported not just the Camerawalls, but our indie label as well,” said the front man.
Clementine’s Lilystars label follows a non-traditional paradigm that takes advantage of the Internet to offer music outside the Philippines. “This enables us to reach a listenership that would otherwise be clueless about the music scene in our country,” he explained.
The label is set to release a physical (CD) compilation dubbed The POP Shoppe Vol. 1 this summer that would carry this single as well as choice tracks from other Lilystars acts. The Camerawalls also slates a video to premiere this summer, along with a provincial tour.
The Camerawalls formally launched its single on Feb. 24 via The POP Shoppe! At Route 196 (Blue Ridge, Katipunan) with performances by the complete roster of Lilystars artists. A limited number of CD-R’s of The Sight Of Love will be given away to guests for free.