The four-piece alternative band is getting ready to hit more stages.
Polaris.’s effect on me when I first discovered them can be compared to that first punch of sour acid when you bite a lemon slice — sudden, authentic, and genuine.
As an OPM enthusiast, it is not new to me to scour every music platform to find fresh faces and songs in the Filipino music industry. I discovered Polaris. because of their member’s post in the anti pop punk pop punk club (APPPPC) Facebook group, giving thanks to everyone who tuned in on their WISH 107.5 guesting. Imagine my shock when I discovered we live in the same province.
Polaris., to everyone who hasn’t had the chance to meet them yet, is a four-piece alternative band hailing from Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija. The band consists of Christian Herrera on electric guitar, Jayson San Pedro on drums, Kenjie Herrera on bass, and Risen Perez on vocals. These people are tight-knit friends and relatives before forming their band. Jayson and Christian are childhood friends, Kenjie is Christian’s nephew, and Risen and Christian are neighbors.
Last February 21, 2024, after their gig in one of the many universities in Nueva Ecija they had played from, we had a chance to have a sit-down interview with the four of them. Even though tired from their performance and interactions with fans, they still warmly accepted our invitation to have an intimate interview in the middle of a bustling fast-food chain branch around the city.
When asked about the band’s identity, Risen claimed that ‘Polaris is a free band.’ “We were free to do whatever we wanted. For example, when we write a song, we don’t overthink much about the outcome. We just do whatever that makes us feel good and satisfied. We don’t box ourselves in a single genre.” Although they were tagged as an alternative band in the present, they also stated that they wanted to explore and play more around other musical genres. As per the band’s music and songwriting influences, they cited the following artists: Mateus Asato, Ely Buendia, The Beatles, Matty Healy, Thom Yorke, Daniel Bernard, Rico Blanco, IV of Spades, Michael Jackson, and Karel Honasan.
Polaris’s origin is an unexpected one. What started as a temporary spur-of-the-moment decision led to a band they wanted to last for a lifetime. Risen, their frontman recalled that they formed a band back then just to compete in a local Battle of the Bands event, “Pumunta kami doon nang walang pera. [Kahit ganon] natuwa kami kasi sobrang gagaling ng mga nakalaban namin ‘dun. [Our win was] unexpected. Pero bago yung announcement ng winners, pinag-uusapan na namin kung papaano kami magdi-disband, o kung paano kami makakauwi.”. Christian also said, “Kapag natalo, ayawan na [in terms of continuing with the band in the future.]” After their win from the event, they decided to continue with the band. Risen explained that Kenjie wasn’t their original bassist, but their former bassist didn’t click, so Kenjie became the band’s “end game”. They also shared that the group started as a cover band; their cover of Ben&Ben’s Pagtingin even got viral. When asked about what inspired them to form a band, they jokingly said, “Pandemic, pera!” everyone chuckled in unison.
When the pandemic happened, that’s where they decided to become an indie band, brewing up songs in their solitude. “Magkapitbahay lang kami [pertaining to Christian]. Tapos pinarinig ko sa kanya yung ‘Still Waiting’ [their first single]. Natuwa ako sa pagkakagawa niya (Christian) ng blues sa kanta. Nakita ko yung potential ng kanta. Pinarinig namin kay Kenjie, kay Jayson. Nagustuhan namin, so ayun.” They recalled that while writing and arranging the song, going home at one in the morning became their norm. Kenjie even recalled buying softdrinks and chicharon to divide among themselves. “Most of our other unreleased songs were uploaded on Soundcloud. We don’t even have drums yet at that time, we only use [the] Real Drums [app]. There’s also a time that our speakers broke.” Risen and Christian said. In terms of their creative process, they said that they produce songs spontaneously. They stated that it doesn’t matter whether the lyrics or the instrumentals come first. They just know it when they hear it. Their songwriting process is more of a que sera sera moment. “After our recent Facebook live (broadcasted last February 19, 2024), when the internet crashed and we couldn’t go live again anymore, we spontaneously made a song. Will it be released? Ewan natin, abangan!” the members teased.
We also congratulated the boys for reaching almost 2 million streams on their single Nagbabakasakali on Spotify. Regarding how they are feeling about reaching this milestone, Risen explained that upon achieving their first 1 million streams, naturally, they felt happy initially. As it went on, they realized that gaining 1 million streams was just a number. Getting a million is still an achievement, for it shows the band’s growth and increasing viewership, making their song pop up on random playlists and places. One of the examples was when their song Nagbabakasakali had its cameo on one of Toni Fowler’s vlog.
We also asked some questions for them to answer individually as a fun “Get-to-know Polaris.” portion .
Q: Describe the members as your friend and bandmate.
Christian: Jayson is my best friend number one, he is also the strictest in our band. Risen is my best friend number two, and also the brain of the band. Kenjie is my nephew, the one that links us together.
Jayson: Christian is my go-to friend when I need advice, he also is so good at what he does, when doing improvs with his guitar. Risen is my go-to friend to visit, he’s a great band member, especially with his talent in songwriting and composition. Kenjie never fails to make my blood boil [chuckles], he is the one who makes the gears turn within the band.
Risen: Christian is the first one I get close with within the four. I was surprised we were neighbors. He is the most creative within us. When I write a song, he is the one that amplifies my words. He is also the band’s tech and producer. Jayson is a low-maintenance friend, we don’t need constant communication to connect. He really was the strictest between the four of us. He doesn’t talk much, but when he does, he means every word he says. Kenjie is the one I am constantly with. He’s the one who makes sure we give our 100% in every performance. He’s the one who keeps us in check.
Kenjie: All of them are my kuyas, as the youngest in the group. We work like an airplane, everyone has their role and importance in the band. Tito Christian working as the airplane’s engine. The rest of us, the airplane’s wings, each of us provides something significant to the group. Tito Christian is the band’s brain, he’s the one knowledgeable with the recordings, arrangement, and things like that. Kuya Jayson is my mortal enemy [chuckles]. We always clash with arrangements and rehearsals. Even though we get into fights, we’ll still make up, and when it’s time for rehearsals, it feels like nothing happened, we just forget about our little feud. We teach each other about our shortcomings. For kuya Risen, I always scold him when he forgets something on stage, like greeting people. He’s the one who also provided me with a bass when I was just starting in Polaris. He also gives me advice about certain things.
Q: What are your musical plans and goals in the future?
Christian: If given a chance, I would like to make soundtracks for movies. I would also like to form a side-project Alternative band.
Jayson: I would like to explore and play for bigger bands.
Risen: I want to create a song that I’ll enjoy performing and for the people to enjoy listening to. Something that won’t make me cloy even if I perform it for hundreds of times.
Kenjie: I would like to become a sessionist for other bands and artists.
Q: Any dream collabs?
Kenjie: KZ Tandingan
Christian: Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Leander (their friend)
Jayson: IV of Spades, John Mayer
Risen: IV of Spades, Cup of Joe, Michael Bublé
Q: Any message to your fans?
Kenjie: I’m super grateful for blessing us fans who approach us to ask for pictures and autographs. Back then, we only gain 500 pesos, give each member 100, and buy snacks for the remaining 100. We divide Pancit Canton and a cup of milk tea amongst ourselves. We would still be the same band who walk from the venue to our homes and eat the same food after a long day if it weren’t for our fans looking for us, requesting us to play. We owe everything we are experiencing now to them. If they didn’t listen to us [and our music], maybe we wouldn’t be here, playing for crowds.
Risen: We would like to thank our fans, so, so much. They became the beacon of light for us to achieve our dreams. They were the ones responsible for giving us the budget to eat in fast food chains now. I would like for them to stay with us on this journey. I would also like to be friends with our fans. I don’t want them to think that Polaris. is a band that they can’t approach. We would like to build a relationship with them wherein we can just chat casually and see us as someone on an equal standing.
Jayson: We want to always entertain them the best that we can.
Q: Any spoiler on future releases?
Christian: We have an unreleased song, its title is Answers. We cannot release it yet because it feels incomplete and premature. It gives more of a The 1975 vibe. Answers is a song we wrote for one of the members’ childhood crush. He met her in a retreat and they talked through text. He often waited for that person’s reply and was always anxious about her reply and what to do after she answered. Its first line goes like this, “Standing here alone, looking for answers.”
Want to know Polaris. better? Follow their social media accounts and stream their music on your preferred platform!
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About the Author
Angel Mariah Rodiel – Mari to the people she’s fond of – is a BA Literature student currently studying in Central Luzon State University. Writing, arts, and music are some of the things she’s been most passionate about ever since she was a kid. Mari’s little dream is to build a band that will open for Paramore’s concert someday. Pop-punk and alternative rock are her comfort music genres, K-pop and J-rock comes close as third and fourth.
