Roberto Sena joins us in this episode of Sound Fiesta with his song “Apologetic Dancer”. Sena has been in the Filipino music scene for over a decade now and has since found ways to hone and get in touch with his craft. For the initiated, he’s more commonly known as the frontman of She’s Only Sixteen. But for those who are following his other exploits, he also DJ’s as St. Vincent & The Grenadines (yes, exactly like the country) and writes songs as Lazy McGuire. 

We chatted with Sena to know how he’s been during these crazy times, how he’s coping, and how he used the time to be creative.

How have you been, and what’s keeping you busy recently?

I’m good. It’s pretty challenging for anyone in a creative field to keep busy during the pandemic. But I have been working on a lot of things. I started a label, I started a boutique audio house, been working on more SOS (She’s Only Sixteen)  material, producing others and my solo. I have also found a new love: cycling.

For those who are new to your music, tell us a bit about your journey as a musician.

I’ve been with SOS for around 12 or 13 years now. I’m a vocalist, guitars, keys/synth for the band. I’m also part of Logiclub, playing music under SVATG (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines). Meanwhile, Lazy McGuire is an intimate side project of mine, much like my tiny letter for music that I don’t see SOS playing. Haha!

Can you tell us how you came up with Apologetic Dancer?

At the start of the pandemic, I was just practicing making music at home, playing around with the beat until I ended up finishing the song. I love 80’s music so I was hoping to put a lot of that there. As for the lyrics, I particularly enjoy the lines “There he goes trying to start again — “On the way” you know he’s still in bed. As they say, ‘it me’.

As a creative, what are the challenging parts of making music during this time and how do you get around them?

Do it when you can. It’s hard to preach that you’re supposed to be practicing and working on your craft every day. It’s ideal, but usually unrealistic. So find some discipline in whatever shape or form and keep going at it. Creativity is a muscle that you need to work out, and just like any muscle, you need to rest when you can. Also, fall in love with things that aren’t even related to your craft.

Any future projects we should look forward to?

You’ll see it when you see it. Haha!

You can stream Lazy McGuire’s music on Spotify. You can also follow him on Instagram for more updates about his works.

Sound Fiesta is in collaboration with Playhouse Studio for video production and Kindred Productions for audio management. This video is shot in Stockroom, Makati City.