After 22 years of navigating the Philippine rock scene’s shifting landscapes, Mayonnaise frontman Monty Macalino has earned the right to do things his way. The release of B-Sides and Rarities Vol. II, under a new label Believe Music is a defiant celebration of artistic autonomy and a masterclass in evolution from a band that’s outlasted several decades of genre trends in the music scene. What makes Macalino’s persistence remarkable is how he’s maintained Mayonnaise’s relevance while refusing to compromise their identity, achieving mainstream success on their own terms.
From their early breakout hits like “Jopay,” “Tayo Na Lang Dalawa,” “Bakit Part 2” and “Synesthesia,” Mayonnaise has consistently bridged the gap between commercial appeal and artistic integrity. Macalino’s secret? Treating mainstream success as a byproduct rather than the goal. He subscribes to a philosophy that has allowed the band to weather everything — from the decline of physical albums to today’s single release economy — all while maintaining a devoted fan base across generations.
“In our opinion, if we’ll have a chance to do what we did before, this is what we’ll do, our arrangement. So that was the whole purpose of B-Sides and Rarities Vol. II,” Macalino tells Rolling Stone Philippines about revisiting their catalog. The collection features radically reimagined versions of deep cuts and fan favorites, including a revelatory take on their 2003 single, “Pink White Blue.” The track’s transformation speaks volumes about how the band has matured.
“As a younger version of yourself, you want to do a lot of things. You want to press all the guitar pedals that you have. You want to validate every pedal on your board by using it on the record. Of course, age is a factor. It’s easier to perform livelier songs when you are younger. When you get older, it’s more chill.”
This approach to their back catalog comes at a time when the music industry has fundamentally changed how it produces albums. Macalino doesn’t hide his disdain for the current singles-driven model.
“The industry right now is you release a single, then you compile all your singles, and eventually it becomes an album,” he says. “But what I explained to [Believe Music] is that we’re an old-school band, sometimes very stubborn, who’s just really appreciative of the luck that we have.”
What makes Mayonnaise’s longevity particularly remarkable is their intergenerational appeal. Walk into any of their shows today and you’ll find equal numbers of millennials who grew up with their music and Gen Z fans discovering them through streaming.
“I see our fan base is still young. Young kids, younger generation, who still like our songs, our old songs, older than them. It’s magic,” Macalino says. “While we’re able to do this, we’re in our forties. Backs are aching, ankles are getting tired. But at the end of the day, it’s all about the music.”
Giving Back To The Scene
This perspective has transformed Macalino into something of an elder statesman for the Philippine rock scene. Coming from outside of Metro Manila, particularly the southernmost part of the National Capital Region, where Mayonnaise first cut their teeth, Macalino has become a vocal advocate for grassroots acts like Lindenwood, Ultraviolet, and Kuatro Kantos. In doing so, he’s paying forward the mentorship he received from other artists early in his career.
“There were a lot of legacy bands that emerged ever since [the post-pandemic]… I try my best to help them out,” he says. “Because when we were young, we also had idols that helped us. Mark Escueta of Rivermaya is one of them. We were always together. Reg Rubio of Greyhoundz when we were in college. As much as I can, I try to voice out my preferences.”
Macalino’s advocacy stems from a clear-eyed understanding of how much harder it’s become for young bands to survive in today’s economic climate. The frontman doesn’t romanticize the struggle. “It’s difficult in the Philippines because you still need to balance your work-life. Okay, you’re a rock star or a punk star, or whatever. But at the end of the day, you have to pay your bills.”
His assessment of the current challenges facing young musicians is brutally honest: “It’s harder now because you have inflation, tax, whatever’s happening with the government, and how you travel from point A to point B, if you have a gig. There’s a toll [gate in between cities]. It’s like a six-cycle loop where musicians would be like ‘I want to be in a band. I want to be in a very noisy band and hope that people will notice and get through.’ But you’ll be playing in a production where there’s no one, and you don’t have a gate share. And you have to go home again and go back to your work.”
Despite these challenges, Macalino remains bullish about band-based music’s future, pointing to international acts like Jimmy Eat World’s recent Coachella appearance as proof that rock isn’t dead. “I want to be a voice for the younger generation of musicians who’s into guitars and rock music. I want people like Jason [Marquez of Lindenwood] to be the bridge towards that, that you can still join…I will never get tired of helping out younger bands who’s into my kind of music.”
Creative Limitations as an Advantage
The B-Sides and Rarities Vol. II project also reveals Macalino’s thoughtful approach to instrumentation and creative limitations. Reflecting on their early experiments blending rock with electronic elements during the 2010s EDM boom. “That was the time na uso yung mga DJs like Zedd. Muse [the band] was a very big factor for me during that time,” referencing their hit track “Supermassive Black Hole” as a gateway into what was possible with electronic band music. But now he embraces a less-is-more philosophy. “I know that regardless if it’s a cheap or very expensive guitar, sometimes limitations can bring out the best in your creativity e.”
Ultimately, B-Sides and Rarities Vol. II stands as both a retrospective and a manifesto. It’s proof that Mayonnaise’s music has aged like fine wine, while their passion remains as potent as ever. As Macalino puts it: “Being in a band should be fun. It should be about creativity. It should be about hanging out with your best friends. But when it becomes a job, that friendship becomes a factor for you to understand that it will never be perfect. There will be fights. There will be disappointments and failures, and everything that comes with being in a band. It’s like being in a relationship.”
“If you’re in a band right now and you’re doing well, make the most out of it. Because who knows [how] this thing will change.”
Header image courtesy of Monty Macalino
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