Cebu indie rock stalwarts Sheila and the Insects are preparing the vinyl release of their second album, Plastic Eyes, Static Minds, marking 25 years since its original release. The record will be reissued through independent distributor Plaka Tambay, which is set to formally launch the pressing soon. The band is no stranger to revisiting their catalog on vinyl. In 2022, they reissued their 2005 album Flowerfish. With Plastic Eyes, Static Minds now receiving the treatment, longtime listeners get another chance to revisit the singles that secured the band’s place on the local indie map.
Plaka Tambay has steadily built a reputation for preserving Filipino rock history on wax. It has handled releases ranging from Color It Red’s Hand Painted Sky to the 30th anniversary edition of Francis M’s landmark album, Freeman. For Sheila and the Insects, this partnership offers a fitting way to celebrate a body of work that captured Cebu’s distinct flavor of post-punk revival in the early 2000s.
Plastic Eyes, Static Minds produced breakout tracks like “Superlove,” “Everyday Drive,” and “Falling,” each carried by the jagged guitar riffs and unmistakable vocals of frontman Orven Enoveso. Alongside Flowerfish, the record helped push the group from regional favorite to national recognition. For the Flowerfish release, independent shop Grey Market Records also played a role in elevating Filipino music on vinyl. Grey Market has long been a champion of indie acts, cementing its mark with compilations featuring Soft Pillow Kisses, Megumi Acorda, Cinema Lumiere, and Outerhope.
