Re-introducing… Maryzark!

I’ll just say it: if you don’t know the band Marzyark, search for the song “Kai" and give it a spin. I bet, once you listen to it, you’d go “Ahhhhh… Sila pala yun..." … Which says a lot, really. For a band to have one song that elicits recall or recognition from listeners means that the members did something right during the songwriting process. Unfortunately, another way of looking at it is that a band is the one-hit wonder kind. Fortunately for our group in question, the one hit-wonder tag doesn’t apply. Truth is, some of the band’s other songs are still enjoying airplay and chart success on local radio. At the time of this writing for instance, their current single Andromeda is part of radio station UR 105.9’s chart show.

However, that doesn’t change the fact that that one song they released sometime in 2006 made them a household name of sorts in the local music scene. The song Kai defined the band, so much so that some people even mistake the song title as the band’s name. “Umabot na sa point na may mga tao nang inangkin yung kanta (Kai) na ‘Ito ‘yung buhay ko rin pala. May nakakaramdam din pala ng ganito, hindi lang ako,’" says Gecolea. The hooks, the recall, and the subject matter - I guess these qualities stand out as the ones that make Maryzark’s music, in general, good. Their songs about life and love are pensive and melancholic, without being too sappy. With the high-registered Gecolea taking the helm and cohorts keyboardist Axel Vito Cruz, guitarist Julius Dumlao, bassist Ryan Fortuna, and skinsman Carlo Dumlao providing the complementing instrumentation, their collective sound translates to an experience reminiscent of unkempt, unexpressed emotions one has going through struggles concerning, well, love and life. In a nutshell, I guess it’s safe to say that Maryzark’s music is the type that is capable of expressing what the unexpressive can’t say. Beginnings and rise to recognition At this point in their career, Maryzark can be considered veterans in the scene. After all, save for new drummer Carlo Dumlao (Julius’s younger brother), the band has been at it for a decade now. “Tumanda na kaming ito ginagawa namin eh," muses Gecolea. Formed some time at the turn of the millennium when the band members were still in high school at St. Mary’s Academy in Pasay, they initially intended to be a one-off merger between two groups involving Vito Cruz, Gecolea, the older Dumlao, Fortuna, and original skinsman Paulo Mendoza. “May common friend lang kami na nag-birthday. Gusto lang niyang tumugtog yung mga kaibigan nya," recounts Vito Cruz. "Nung una pa nga, dalawa yung bahista namin [at] dalawa yung drummer." After the party, they decided to continue the supposed side project. They trimmed down the member count to five and with the name they derived from the play on their alma matter’s name and Noah’s Ark, they set out to do the rounds in the live band circuit. Like any starting band, Maryzark’s early years were spent gaining exposure through gigs and writing material, and establishing a following. The release of their debut album Good Mournings brought their career to a peak in 2006. Off the album, Kai and M3 received significant airplay on local radio, especially on the now-defunct rock radio station NU107. This gave the band the opportunity to be heard by a wider audience. That same year they reached the finals of the very first World Battle of the Bands (WBOB) held in the country. They slugged it out with an impressive lineup of competitors that included Chicosci, Greyhoundz, Valley of Chrome, and eventual winner Queso. “Malaking tulong yung PULP (the music magazine, organizers of WBOB in the Philippines)…" says the keyboard player. “Every copy ng magazine noon eh may kopya ng WBOB CD, kaya buong Pilipinas umabot yung kanta," he adds, referring to their entry “Kai." The stint proved so good for the band that by the time the competition was over, Maryzark was receiving a flurry of invites to play bar gigs and big events, most of them school concerts. They spent the succeeding months going around the metro and the surrounding provinces to play in numerous shows. Of roadblocks and comebacks At the rate the band was going at that time, it appeared that they were poised to emerge as the next big thing. But let’s face it. There comes a time in every band’s run when the word “challenge" rears its ugly head. It will make its presence known at any time to anyone. That’s a guarantee. No new, rising, or established group is spared from it. Maryzark can attest to this trend. During its campaign to break into the big leagues, the band encountered a series of events that, instead of pushing it forward, left the unit cruising in reverse. All these happened, ironically, during its tenure with a label. “From maraming gigs - kung kailan kami nagkaron ng magandang management - biglang nawala," says frontman Ice Gecolea. “Meron naman parati kahit papaano," clarifies Vito Cruz. “Isa o dalawang gig lang sa isang buwan... sobrang tahimik lang. Wala sa radar talaga." For a band that’s used to a lot of gigs, this drastic decline in appearances wasn’t exactly a welcome change. This, coupled with other hurdles that arose from their newfound status as a signed band, as well as the ever-present personal challenges each member was facing, eventually got the best of them. “Nawala yung drummer namin," says bassist Ryan Fortuna. It has been difficult for the group to make songs after their drummer left, he adds.“ “Ayaw na lang naming mag-practice," interjects Vito Cruz. “Nag-iinuman na lang kami , says Fortuna. By the end of this episode in their career, they lost all drive to create music. “Slumber talaga yun," recounts Gecolea. “As in, walang bagong kanta, walang rehearsal masyado, nagkakatamaran sa gig, kanya-kanyang excuses kami. Talagang depressed…" However disheartening the situation was, Maryzark’s members gained from this debacle as well. They decided to let things run their course and focused their energies on an aspect of their lives that was equally, if not more, important to them – their families. “Dumating sa amin yung point na, ‘sige, habang ganito pa tayo, punan muna natin yung mga space na pinabayaan,’" says Gecolea. “Kasi, pinabayaan namin yun eh. Magmula nung nag-banda kami, straight. Talagang banda… walang oras sa pamilya." Eventually they got their drive back. With the active participation of Pongie Nishioka, who by then had reprised his role as manager after being relieved of this duty when the band was signed, Maryzark set out once more to do their collective passion's bidding. From the looks of things, they seem to be more fired up than they ever were before. Without boundaries “Masaya. Para kaming bumalik sa pagkabata," Gecolea muses, referring to the band’s return to form. “Bumalik uli yung attitude namin, na hindi dapat nawala in the first place kung hindi nangyari yung mga bagay na nangyari." If you’re having doubts about how visible they are nowadays, here are some facts for you: Maryzark has a brand new EP called Return to Sender out now, their single Andromeda is dominating the charts, and they are back in heavy circulation in the live scene. Aside from that, a music video shoot is being planned for Andromeda, and they have hinted at the possibility of releasing their second album sometime this year. Surprisingly, despite the band’s list of new accomplishments, Gecolea says they are taking everything one step at a time. The singer explains that part of the reason for this is their adjustment to the new lineup, which now includes new skinsman Carlo Dumlao. But it seems to work well to their advantage as it gives them more opportunities to challenge their limits. “Mas hindi na kami takot ngayon na lumagpas sa border ng kaya naming tugtugin," reveals Vito Cruz. “Hindi na kami takot sumubok… wala nang boundaries," Gecolea says in agreement. The question is: Will this mindset translate to music that can move people the same way the ones in their first opus did? With all the experiences and wisdom from the years they literally spent perfecting their chosen craft, I have a hunch what the answer to the question is. Yes, it can. - VVP/YA, GMA News