What does reinvention mean when there's a legacy to uphold?
History carries a certain weight, more so if your life stages are public knowledge. Regardless of whether you’ve long shed them, your previous selves get encased in protective glass, perpetually pluperfect in people’s memories.
Case in point, much of what we know about the Filipino rock band Imago is recollections: the hit song Sundo, from their 2007 album “Blush.” Akap, from 2006. Taralets, also from “Blush,” which took over radio and even got co-opted as a campaign jingle.
But this myopia obscures the fact that Imago has achieved what so many bands of their time have not even attempted to do: Remain resilient amid the constant flux of the industry.
With a new lineup consisting of Kharren Granada (vocals), Myrene Academia (bass), Tim Cacho (guitars), and Mervin Panganiban (drums), the band released two new singles this year: Pasimple last June and Gulong-gulo in January. The former was produced by Buddy Zabala and the band’s long-time collaborator Raymund Marasigan. (The band also tells The Philippine STAR, via a joint email interview, that IV of Spades drummer Badjao de Castro lent his expertise in the studio for these recordings.)
Many will argue that things have not stayed the same since the departure of some founding members. This never really stuck with Imago. “(We’re) still a bunch of friends who like making and playing music together,” they say. “We still love to play and are very interested in new artists and music. We’re probably more easygoing these days.”
The same goes for welcoming new members: Panganiban, for instance, joined in 2013, and Granada in 2022. They say there was never any pressure to “prove” themselves to longtime listeners. What’s important for the band is how they jive together.
I ask if they feel any pressure to live up to their legacy. “We just want to keep making new music whenever we can and play gigs,” they say. “To be able to do this well is the only responsibility we have to our legacy.”
They continue: “Everything changes over time. We just want to be true to ourselves and what our instincts make us feel like doing. We just surrender to the moment, put in the work, and see where the road takes us.” It’s easy to see why Imago remains, even after all these years. As they describe, they are simply friends, letting themselves be moved to expression. “Our songs,” both what we’ve heard in the decades before and what’s to come, “have ourselves in them, and that’s forever.”
In fact, when I ask if they ever feel a sense of responsibility to a certain era or sound, their response is brief but resounding: “Nope.”
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Imago’s new single Pasimple is out now on all major music streaming platforms. Follow the band at @imagomusic.
