The inaugural Rolling Stone Philippines’ Musicians on Musicians brings together some of the country’s most distinct voices in music for wide-ranging conversations about their craft, the forces that shape music today, and how they navigate the industry at large.
Featuring three unexpected pairings of six artists from different genres and generations, the conversations bring together Cup of Joe’s Gian Bernardino and singer-songwriter KZ Tandingan, media personality and Radioactive Sago Project frontman Lourd de Veyra and folk singer Noel Cabangon, and Queso lead vocalist Ian Tayao with DJ Medmessiah of Morobeats.
On the Political Power of Music
Lourd de Veyra and Noel Cabangon bring decades of experience in using music to engage with politics and social issues. De Veyra, best known as the frontman of Radioactive Sago Project and as a writer and broadcaster, has long brought his sharp observations into his music and other work. Cabangon, meanwhile, has written folk music ever since the ‘80s, and songs that have become closely associated with Filipino social consciousness like “Kanlungan” and “Tatsulok.” In their exchange, the two look at how musicians can faithfully translate the experience from the fringes to mobilize people towards effecting change.
Watch the episode now on YouTube
On Hip-Hop and Rock’s Enemy
Ian Tayao and DJ Medmessiah hail from different camps of music: hip-hop and metal music. Tayao has spent decades experimenting with extreme sonic curveballs in nu-metal in bands like Queso and Wilabaliw, while DJ Med helped build Morobeats into a collective that has given Mindanaoan voices a larger place in Philippine hip-hop. Morobeats’ “GUBAT NA SIYUDAD” won Hip-Hop Song of the Year at the Filipino Music Awards. Together, they talk about the friction between rap and metal in the ‘90s and how the genres eventually formed an alliance against a bigger enemy: exploitative industry practices and a system that consistently fails them.
Episode comes out on October 6 on YouTube.
On Pop’s Biggest Questions
Bernardino and Tandingan come from different points in their careers, but both artists have found their own ways of becoming pop artists without rushing the process. Cup of Joe’s rise from a Baguio-based band into one of the country’s biggest pop acts has been driven by songs like “Multo,” “Misteryoso,” and “Estranghero.” The band won Song of the Year for “Multo” and Album of the Year for Silakbo at the inaugural Filipino Music Awards last year. Tandingan, meanwhile, has spent more than a decade balancing soul and pop music seamlessly, and working on hit collaborations, with songs like “Mahal Ko O Mahal Ako” and “Imposible” becoming major points in her career. Their conversation looks at what it means to grow at your own pace, work independently, or with a label, and maintain control over the quality and direction of your music.
By bringing together musicians who have experienced different eras, genres, and sides of the industry, The Rolling Stone Philippines Musicians on Musicians opens up a space to talk about music in ways that go beyond music itself.
Episode comes out on October 13 on YouTube.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rolling Stone Philippines Musicians on Musicians is an inaugural series pairing six Filipino artists from different genres and generations for conversations on music, politics, and the industry.
The series features three pairings: Gian Bernardino and KZ Tandingan, Lourd de Veyra and Noel Cabangon, and Ian Tayao and DJ Medmessiah, spanning pop, folk, hip-hop, and metal.
Noel Cabangon has written socially conscious folk since the ’80s, including “Kanlungan” and “Tatsulok.” Lourd De Veyra brings social observation to his music. Their episode explores mobilizing people through music that talks about social issues.
Ian Tayao and DJ Medmessiah discuss the friction between rap and metal in the ’90s and how the genres allied against exploitative industry practices and a system that fails musicians.
Cup of Joe rose from a Baguio-based band to one of the biggest pop acts, winning Song of the Year for “Multo” and Album of the Year for Silakbo at the first Filipino Music Awards in 2025.
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