Mayonnaise

The band chose its name in honor of the song "Mayonaise" by Smashing Pumpkins. Monty is the hefty frontman of the band and is definitely a large person so Mayonnaise does get recognized and remembered because of this not-quite-tiny detail. But after the fact lies what the audience take home with them after watching Mayonnaise perform - guitar-driven tunes with ultra-catchy hooks and compelling lyrics. Radio listeners seem to agree, as airplay of their first single The Only Thing, and the current, Eddie Song, are steadily rising. And the songs are what the band attributes to winning 2004's Red Horse Muziklaban. The current line-up is actually the third, as member changes had been inevitable in the band's history. Some of the songs have been around that long, but in different versions. The songs change with each change in the line-up, as each new member brings their own input and flavor to the song. The original Bakit was written in 1999, back when there were only three members in the band and Monty was, he jokes, fifty pounds lighter. Then they made an acoustic number of bakit, which didn't sit well with Monty, who missed the rockier version. Hence, Bakit Part One and Bakit Part Two. The Part Two is a new song all together, while Bakit Part One is the new version of the original. From the emotional depth of the songs, you would think that Monty is either very depressed or a serious guy with a giant chip on his shoulder. It will then surprise you that Monty is quite the comedian, cracking jokes every five minutes, especially when you least expect it. Monty kids around as easy as breathing, sending his bandmates, and anyone else within earshot, into constant hysterical laughter. It's a bit difficult to reconcile the charming joker with the pained and angry guy singing his guts out on The Only Thing or Bakit. Of the songs in the album, the most lighthearted would be the current single, Eddie Song, which Monty claims was written as a tribute to his driver, who, after two years in employment, has become one of Monty's closest confidantes and gives some of the best advice ever. When Monty is upset, he doesn't dwell; he writes. And when the creativity kicks in, he can write a lot in such a short time. Monty writes about his experiences, mostly about love. Around 75% is about love. Mostly unhappy love songs. Like Jopay is about the sex bomb dancer, but not really. It's about a really bad fight with a girl Monty once loved and felt really messed up. Jopay was the first person he saw on TV and he thought, how great to be her. Jopay doesn't even sound like he was feeling down and broken-hearted and can be mistaken for a charming and witty song with a spot-on Pinoy pop culture reference.