Culture Wars: Philippines is now our new favorite place to play

American alt-rock band Culture Wars shared why they love coming back to the Philippines. Composed of David Grayson, Caleb Contreras, Josh Stirm, Dillon Randolph and Alex Dugan, the group performed as the front act for Maroon 5’s recent concert at the SM Mall of Asia Arena and LANY’s Manila and Cebu shows last October.

Alex told The STAR in an exclusive interview that the Philippines is “now our new favorite place to play.”

“I think we all fell in love with it on any tour, and any excuse to come back to Asia is amazing. And to play shows is even better,” David concurred.

Their previous visits were all memorable, as they got to interact with Filipino fans and experience local culture.

The gig they played at the Philippine Arena with LANY was their biggest crowd to date, according to Caleb. “We got everybody to turn their lights on during the show, so you could really see everyone in the dark. It was hard to believe — even when you’re on stage. Even when I see photos of it, I’m still like, ‘It still doesn’t explain what we were seeing on stage.’ Only the five of us really know what that felt like.”

As for their tour with Maroon 5, David shared that the only downside was that Manila was their first stop. “I wish it was the last stop on the tour so we could go out with a bang. I’m always looking forward to coming here. I think in the future, when we’re on our own headlining tour, the Philippines will be our last stop because we love it here.”

He also praised Filipino fans for being “amazing, nice and so generous,” noting that many reached out to them on social media.

Sharing more of their experiences in the country, Dillon said he likes the Filipino rock band Kamikazee and Journey, while Alex admitted he is a “sisig king” and David is a fan of Cebu’s lechon.

“There’s a Filipino chef in Austin, Texas, where we’re from. He had a place where he served sisig, and I used to go there every week, not even knowing what it was. Then he moved to Miami, the restaurant closed, and I hadn’t had it since,” Alex recalled.

So on their last tour, he satisfied his sisig cravings by eating as much as he could before leaving. “It was worth it. I’m gonna do it again — it’s my favorite.”

The Texas-based band’s music includes Miley, Heaven, Faith and Lose Money.

Meanwhile, they talked about their latest single and the state of rock music today. Here’s what they had to say:

What can you share about your latest single, It Hurts?

Alex: It started as an acoustic idea that I didn’t think much of, but Caleb gravitated toward it. Then, as a band, we all contributed, and it just fell together very quickly. Everyone knew what they were going to do right away, which is rare. It was probably one of the fastest songs we’ve ever made.

Caleb: It came together in about a week — from hearing the voice demo to getting to the studio. We knocked it out in two days. It happened really fast.

Who are your musical influences?

David: I think everyone has their own influences, but when people hear It Hurts, they often say it has a nostalgic ‘90s feel. That wasn’t intentional, but we grew up listening to bands like Oasis and Third Eye Blind, so that naturally comes through in our sound.

What do you think about the state of rock music in mainstream media today?

Alex: It’s making a comeback. Maybe it’s cyclical. In the U.S., alternative music became a sort of “minor league” for pop acts that labels wanted to push. So, alternative rock had to compete with these major-label pop artists who weren’t rock or alternative at all. But I think that’s changing now — people are realizing, “OK, enough of that. Let’s get back to where we were.”

David: It’s coming back because, in recent years, pop and rap artists have started incorporating real instruments into their songs. Fans are hearing these sounds and reacting like, “Oh my God, what is this? It’s so cool!” But that’s just rock and roll — it’s always been there. People are just rediscovering it.

Josh: With the rise of digital music production, there was a time when everyone was making synth-heavy tracks at home. But a live rock band sounds completely different, and that’s hard to replicate in a bedroom studio. I think that’s why rock is coming back in a big way — people haven’t been hearing as much of it.

Do you think rock music will continue to thrive in the future?

David: I think so. Even when new alternative bands emerge, younger listeners see them as nostalgic — even though we’re not nostalgic, we’re a young band. But to them, rock and roll feels old, even though it’s not. It’s always been around.

Dillon: Like everyone said, when rock sounds blend into pop music, they tend to stick around. I think rock will always have a place.