Singer, song-writer, and music producer Earl of Manila joins us in this episode of Sound Fiesta with his song “Mindgames”. Released in 2018, Mindgames talks about the thrilling yet dizzying aspects of dating where one is left to figure out intentions behind words and actions. And while we can get tired of waltzing over these gray areas, Mindgames is certainly a tune you would not get tired of. The song comes before his latest releases “Heartbreaker” and “Meantime Boy”, and follows “Stranger” EP.
Earl of Manila shared with us his musical origins, his previous band life, the inspiration behind Mindgames, and how he’s coping with the new normal.
Tell us about your journey as a musician.
Earl of Manila was born when I left a band that I was with back in college. I used to be in a band with Jensen Gomez, before it became Jensen and The Flips. I was a session guitarist for his solo project, but I wanted to write and produce my own music and pursue a solo career. When it comes to writing songs, I draw inspiration from personal experiences. I’m heavily influenced by the ’90s era of boy bands and early 2000s Hip-Hop and R&B.
How would you describe your music?
I’m very honest and emotional when it comes to the lyrics. Earl of Manila’s sound gives you a nostalgic vibe with a modern twist. Personally, I don’t want to be boxed in a specific genre, because I like pulling from all kinds of genres. It also allows me to be flexible, giving me enough space to collaborate with other artists. So once in a while, I collaborate with other artists depending on what the track needs. Currently, I’m working on a collab track with a friend.
Tell us about the inspiration behind Mindgames.
Mindgames is about catching someone’s vibe. It’s the tug-of-war between being interested but acting like you couldn’t care less. I think we are guilty of playing mind games at some point, then we grew tired of it once we realized the value of honest intentions.
As a creative, what are the challenging parts of making music during this time and how do you get around that?
It was a struggle at first because of all the things that happened this year. It’s like a hard reset button. So I rested for a couple of months. It’s weird, but once you realize that you have so much time, it quickly becomes a struggle to manage it. Sometimes you tend to just procrastinate. But I’m slowly regaining my flow and I’m back to working on some stuff that I left behind pre-pandemic.
What can we look forward to from Earl of Manila?
Definitely more music! I’m working on some new material, so you can watch out for that. You can catch me on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Tidal. You can also follow me on all my social media pages @earlofmanila for updates.
Sound Fiesta is in collaboration with Playhouse Studio for video production and Kindred Productions for audio management. This video is shot in Tetsuo, Makati City.
