Emerging indie-pop artist Tonio95, aka Antonio Sibal, is about to release his debut EP on May 04, 2024. This EP is called “In The Zone,” recorded and produced in the comfort of his own home. This project according to him started way back in 2022, having an itch to record the old songs that he had written way back. All that he used at first was Garageband, an old Macbook Air, and some pretty basic recording gear. After his first song was recorded though, he discovered Logic Pro through YouTube. That’s what he used to finish the rest of his songs from this EP.
Tonio95’s songs were written when he was in his 20s and was still part of an indie alternative band. The songs’ themes were based on his experiences when he was still in college and when he started working. He incorporated 90’s OPM alternative and 70’s Folk as inspiration in the sound of the music he makes. Some inspirations and favorite artists that Tonio95 cited are Rivermaya, Eraserheads, Barbie’s Cradle, Bob Dylan, Hanson, John Mayer, Incubus, Smashing Pumpkins, Saves The Day, and Pinegrove.
Let’s head on to the EP’s first song, Malayong Lugar. The song talks about wanting to escape from stress and burnout, to just run away for a while and have your head cleared. The lyrics emphasize how hard it is to function if you are in a constant state of burnout and how irritating it is to fight it.
The second song from the EP is an english one entitled Bonus Time. This song talks about enjoying the mundane things we do in our everyday lives. It also talks about how limited of a time we have on this world, and that we should enjoy whatever we can do with our time and resources.
Anong Oras Na Ba is the EP’s third song. It was delivered by a folk instrumental. Anong Oras Na Ba is Tonio95’s song for himself. It poses as a reminder for him to keep doing what he loves and enjoy every second of it. Sometimes, we lose the drive we have for the things we just once wish to do, and this song is a reminder to not take it for granted. That every minute of it was worth enjoying.
Then comes the fourth song Tayo. The song started with a relaxing melody of instruments, the guitar being the most prominent. Tayo talks about finding comfort with someone who you weren’t in a relationship with but crosses over the line of friendship, too. Despite of this feeling of uncertainty, you still want them to be close with you, to never let them go, to cherish and to protect them. This is more or less fitting for people who are in situationships too, a relationship setup that’s becoming more popular these days.
For the EP’s last song comes Tila. The song tells you a story about love, but in a sad manner. You can feel in the song that it tries its best to be optimistic, but sometimes, things happen even if we don’t want them to. Despite its kind of lively instrumentals, the song incorporates irony by telling the polar opposite actions that the muse of the song is doing.
In The Zone is an EP that shows how Tonio95 feels about making music, feeling focused, and enjoying his job. It became an escape for him from his everyday stresses. Music also became his outlet, and also a source of stress sometimes. For many years he had a love-hate relationship with his guitar and his voice, but he learned to love what he is and what he can, and this EP is proof of it.
Make sure to stream In The Zone by Tonio95 on your preferred streaming platforms. Don’t forget to also follow him on his social media accounts for updates.
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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.
