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For Save Me Hollywood, chemistry is key


Supergroup – the word is arguably the most overused term to describe a rock band composed of musicians who are individually already prominent to some extent because of their association with other well-known groups or entities. The term had been or is being used to describe the likes of The Oktaves, SuperHeavy, (the first incarnation of) Franco, Them Crooked Vultures, Cream, Audioslave, Avantasia and, uh, Supernova.
 
Although no one outwardly calls local pop-punk group Save Me Hollywood as such, the band could have run with the tag to market itself. It seems logical, what with a roster consisting of bassist Carlos Calderon (Chicosci), drummer Melvin Macatiag (Typecast), guitarists Keneth Aranza and Aaron Corvera (April Morning Skies), and relative newcomer Julz Savard (who moonlights as a morning radio DJ and a style ambassador for a fashion-oriented publication). But the collective decided not to—for a pretty sound reason.
Save Me Hollywood (L-R): Melvin Macatiag, Kenneth Aranza, Carlos Calderon, Aaron Corvera, Julz Savard. Photo courtesy of Carlos Calderon
 
“We didn’t form the band dahil ‘Uy, Chicosci ka. Uy, April Morning Skies ka. Sama ka sa akin.’ No,” explains Macatiag. “We didn’t see it like that… I mean, it’s a plus for sure (that most of us are part of known bands), but we don’t take anything from the term.”
 
“We don’t really call ourselves that,” adds Savard. “Yeah, you can consider us a supergroup, but then again, who am I? I’m very new to the rock scene.”
 
“Magkakaibigan lang kami (to begin with),” says Calderon. “Kaya (naging) madali ('yung decision na magbuo ng banda).”
 
“Tropa lahat kami eh. Ganun lang talaga nagsimula,” Macatiag affirms.
 
It's as new as any new band can get
 
Almost all of them have done it all. Countless out-of-town gigs, music festivals, artist bar shows, long hours of songwriting and recording—you name it, the elder members of Save Me Hollywood have gone through it. On paper, one would think that at this point, it seems nothing could pique the interest of Calderon, Macatiag, Corvera, and Aranza as far as anything band-related is concerned. But as it turns out, everything feels brand new all over again for them.
 
“Nung first gig namin,” shares Calderon, “pino-promote namin 'yung Twitter. Tapos tuwang-tuwa kami na, 'may 20 followers na tayo, pare!’ Nung gabi na 'yun, may nag-tweet, pati may nag-post ng picture (namin on-stage). Tuwang-tuwa kami ni Melvin! Nagtatawagan kami pagkatapos nung first gig na 'yun.”
 
“Atsaka masaya 'pag nagso-songwriting kami,” interjects Aranza.
 
“And up until now, when people sing along, it's flattering. Kasi honestly, bagong banda naman talaga 'to. So refreshing siya in the sense na people are grasping your music,” adds Calderon.
 
Call it an instant connection
 
Calderon shares that he and Macatiag had toyed with the idea of forming a female-fronted band way before Save Me Hollywood came about. It was only when Calderon met Savard during a taping session for a local music channel where they both worked for did the plan come into fruition.
 
“Hindi ko pa kilala si Julz noon,” chuckles Calderon. “Napadaan lang ako sa taping nila that day, tapos kaunting kwentuhan. Tapos 'yun, tinanong ko siya, ‘Gusto mong mag-banda?’ Nung pumayag siya, tinawagan ko kaagad si Melvs. Sabi ko, ‘Melvs may bokalista na tayo.’” 
 
“We had no idea (beforehand) that (we'd) mesh so well on our first jam. We wrote one song then and there,” Savard tells of what came of the first few sessions that followed. “In a month we (had) two songs, then we were already gigging (soon after). Things from there basically shot off. We were going back and forth with ideas, completing songs. There's no real formula on how we started. I guess it was just really good chemistry.”
 
A collective effort
 
Keeping Save Me Hollywood going is a tricky feat for its members considering all of them have commitments outside the band such as day jobs and, well, their other bands. Calderon admits it is “logistically challenging.” For the most part though, the band takes this matter in stride. “'Pag gusto, may paraan,” Macatiag states factually.
 
Equally important to their ability to manage their individual schedules properly is their level of trust in one another to get the job done.
 
“This is how we function as a band: may kanya-kanyang roles na kami,” explains Calderon. “Halimbawa, si Melvin, siya bahala dun sa visuals (e.g. shirt designs, band logos, press kits) namin. Tapos 'yung chunk ng songwriting work, kay Julz at kay Aaron. Tapos si Kenneth din nag-i-input. Tapos ako sa logistics. Ang dali lang dahil may tiwala kami (sa mga kabanda namin).  Alam ng isa’t isa 'yung ginagawa nila, so nag-de-defer na kami.”
 
“I guess one really great thing about Save Me Hollywood is working with people who are kinda like the band leaders in their respective bands,” adds Savard, who refers to herself as the “baby” of the group. “At least one of them is designated to doing their jobs and not just slacking off.”
 
The band’s output over the past two years tells as much. In a nutshell, Save Me Hollywood had been busy. Aside from the requisite gigs from both small, independent events producers and corporate entities that came the band’s way, Save Me Hollywood came out with a music video earlier in the year for the single “Reckless.” The band is primed to release its debut album “Your Story to Tell” sometime toward the end summer here in the country.
 
 
Chemistry is everything—especially when you’re in a band. You can be surrounded by the most talented musicians, but if you fail to achieve a synergy, you’re set to fail. 
 
Save Me Hollywood could have chosen to brand itself a supergroup, yes. But the title comes with the stigma of being short-lived. That doesn’t seem to be the path the band is treading. As can obviously be gleaned from what the members themselves said, it is the opposite. 
 
Theirs is an association fueled by trust and camaraderie. At the end of the day, after the music stops, its members can always comfortably fall back on the fact that they are friends. If that’s the case, then it is safe to assume that Save Me Hollywood will be around for a good while. And that’s never a bad thing. —KG, GMA News
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