A Decade of Music and Memories: Lola Amour Celebrates 10th Anniversary with Two Sold-Out Nights
The celebrated OPM band reflects on their journey from high school rivals to viral sensations as they enter a bold new chapter as independent artists
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- Formed in 2016 from a high school rivalry between two Ateneo bands, Lola Amour quickly transitioned into professionals after a breakout win at the Wanderband competition.
- The track “Fallen” became a massive post-pandemic hit a year after its release, sparked by a single viral fan video of a live performance.
- Despite frequent lineup shifts over ten years, newer members honor past musicians by strictly preserving original instrumental arrangements.
- To mark their 10th anniversary, the band has completed its contract with Warner Music to navigate the music industry as a fully independent act.
- The band celebrated a decade of music with a historic, sold-out, two-night festival at 123 Block, featuring nostalgic reunions with past members.
How did Lola Amour form?
Lola Amour emerged in 2016 from a 2013-2014 rivalry between De La Salle Santiago Zobel bands Sinigang na Baboy and Decaf to pursue brass-heavy sounds. Their Wanderband victory secured a spot at the Wanderland Music Festival, marking their professional debut.
The original lineup consisted of Pio Dumayas on vocals and guitar, Zoe Gonzales on guitar, Raymond King on bass, Martin Kim on keys, Joxx Perez on saxophone, Angelo Mesina on trumpets, and drummer Renzo Santos.
“Originally, our two bands were friend groups who hung out together every recess and lunch. We decided to combine because we wanted to experiment with our arrangements.”
The group’s trajectory shifted with the delayed success of their single “Fallen.” Recorded during the pandemic with modest initial streaming, the song became a viral sensation in 2022 after a fan posted a live clip online. This digital surge launched a nationwide Ayala mall tour.
“We achieved so much just from that one spark of a fan posting a video of us for a song that was released a year before.”
Honoring the past and embracing independence
Lola Amour navigated frequent lineup changes as founders transitioned to corporate careers or studies. The new Lola Amour members jokingly used the term “destroyed” when talking about the original lineup, as Raymond, Martin, Renzo, and Joxx eventually left to pursue different paths.
Now with Manu Dumayas on bass, David Yuhico on keys, Jeff Abueg on saxophone, and Raffy Perez on drums, the current members act as stewards, preserving the ideas and creations left behind by the former members.
“We don’t delete the ideas of the previous members. We always, we’re the stewards of the music that they made… we keep their legacy alive with the music that we make. ”
The band is entering a new era of creative freedom as an independent band after completing their multi-year contract with Warner Music. To keep their music authentic, the band believes staying deeply connected to the local artistic community is vital.
“The moment that you have detached yourself from the community of artists, that’s when it stops becoming art, and it starts—and it starts to become just a product.”
A historic anniversary reunion
Lola Amour marked its 10th anniversary with a sold-out festival at 123 Block on May 22 and 23. Due to high demand from 2,500 fans, the event expanded into a full weekend, including a “Pre-Game” night and openers like Any Name’s Okay, Jan Roberts, Shirebound, and The Ridleys.
The anniversary featured a “Lola Amour Museum” with trophies and costumes, plus nostalgic reunions with former members. The celebration culminated in a full ensemble performance of “Raining in Manila.”
Ultimately, the band attributes its enduring high-energy connection with audiences to a strict standard of personal accountability, treating every small bar and massive festival stage with the same level of intensity.
“If you come to our show, we always want to, you know, we want to live up to the hype that you have given to us in your head. So, with that energy, we can do more.”
Photography Nate Bosano
Special thanks Camille Castillo
Frequently Asked Questions
Lola Amour officially formed in 2016 when two rival high school bands, Sinigang na Baboy and Decaf, merged so they could experiment with larger, brass-heavy musical arrangements.
Though released during the pandemic to modest streaming numbers, the song went viral overnight in 2022 after a fan posted a clip of a live performance, sparking a nationwide tour.
Newer members act as strict stewards of the music, deliberately maintaining the original iconic solos and baselines to honor the past lineup’s contributions.
Having officially completed their multi-year contract with Warner Music, the band chose independence to embrace absolute creative freedom and keep their art authentic.
The band holds a strict standard of personal accountability, aiming to match or exceed the grand expectations of the fans who show up to see them.
