Iggy San Pablo, frontman and lead guitarist of indie rock band Rusty Machines, returns after nearly four years living abroad. To the surprise and relief of many, he’s still making music, this time on his own, sans his band that audiences have been yearning to see live again. San Pablo has been based in Toronto, Canada since December 2022, and since then, he’s taken on a solo project called simple socks, not to be confused with his pre-pandemic project thenils, a more Diego Mapa and The Drums-influenced lo-fi outlet that found its own audience in the Metro Manila indie scene.
simple socks’ debut single “training wheels,” released on April 27, talks about a time when San Pablo juggled a day job while finding comfort in making music overseas as a Filipino. The track contains sputtering drum loops, angular guitars, and the melodic vocal style he’s known for since his Rusty Machine years. Looking back on his time growing up in Metro Manila, San Pablo admits he rarely had the chance to take on responsibilities on his own. The song acts as a manifesto of what he needs and wants to do as both a musician and an immigrant. From Manila to Toronto, the adjustment has been far from easy.
“Maraming themes dun sa [upcoming EP], parang basically juggling between living a life here as an immigrant,” San Pablo tells Rolling Stone Philippines. “But, like, I’m also pursuing this, right? So parang time is really a resource. Everything from house chores or looking for a job, kasi ang hirap din ang job market dito.”
When San Pablo is left alone composing his thoughts and melodies, he can’t help but wrestle with the idea of making music with friends again. But with simple socks, he relearns, recharges, and starts from scratch all by himself.
“It’s really difficult to work alone kasi wala kang opinions na pwedeng hingin,” he says. “Sometimes, you get lost in your own thoughts to the point na parang, tama pa ba itong ginagawa ko?”
Finding Your Crowd
San Pablo fondly recalls seeing Frankie Cosmos at a show in Toronto in 2025, a moment that reminded him of the scene back in Metro Manila. The energy felt familiar, echoing the way bands used to talk about music backstage in venues like Route 196 and Mow’s Bar.
“Parang, coming from Manila na syempre parang na-invite sa gigs, naka-spoil ‘yun, ‘di ba?” he says. “But now, it’s really me who has to go out there and network with people. So far, ‘yung mga open mics ko, parang sa coffee shop lang, tapos you really have to make an effort.”
In Toronto, many Filipino musicians head towards the R&B and neo-soul communities. San Pablo found common ground in conversations with fellow indie rock stalwart Mikey Amistoso, lead vocalist of Ciudad and keyboardist for The Itchyworms. They both realized that indie rock musicians often have to take their own space within scenes dominated by adjacent genres.
“The challenge really is just to look for certain pockets of scenes here. Kasi we were hoping sana, ideally, to bring the Manila indie scene energy here, and ang hirap kasi e,” he says. “In Toronto, there are several cities and regions, ang laki ‘e. Actually, dito sa Toronto mismo, very neo-soul ‘yung scene. Kasi kami ni Mikey [Amistoso] talagang indie rockan e. So parang, you really need to immerse yourself to find the crowd.”
With a new simple socks EP on the horizon, San Pablo hopes his music can connect with both Canadian and Filipino audiences, online and offline. Still, he acknowledges the challenge of navigating language and communication in a new environment.
“There is sort of a disconnect because, of course, the first language here is English,” he says. “So ‘pag nag-si-speak ako, kailangan ko i-translate in English kasi ‘yung nasa utak [ko] naka-Tagalog. So there’s also that challenge to connect with audiences.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Iggy San Pablo is the frontman and lead guitarist of indie rock band Rusty Machines. He has been based in Toronto, Canada since December 2022, where he now records under the solo project simple socks.
“training wheels,” released April 27, reflects on San Pablo juggling a day job while finding comfort in music as a Filipino living overseas, exploring themes of independence and immigrant identity.
Unlike his pre-pandemic project thenils, a lo-fi outlet influenced by Diego Mapa and The Drums, simple socks reflects San Pablo’s current life as a solo musician navigating Toronto without his bandmates.
San Pablo says Toronto’s scene leans heavily toward R&B and neo-soul, pushing him and fellow indie rock musician Mikey Amistoso to actively seek out smaller, specific pockets of the indie rock community.
San Pablo says he faces a language disconnect performing in Toronto, since he thinks in Tagalog but must translate his thoughts into English to communicate with audiences there.
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