Dye Vest: A band from Iloilo makes waves in Manila

It’s a pretty unusual name for a band, especially considering they don’t even wear vests when singing!

According to Jed Maddela, Noel Naces, Russel Soliman, Philip Villanueva and Richard Garganta, Dye Vest is the title of a song by a European alternative rock band Dream Theater. The guys just happened to like it so much they adopted it as the name of their group.

Recently, however, the name took on a new meaning when Jed, the band’s lead vocalist, was offered the chance to pursue a solo career. Aside from playing backup for Jed during his gigs, the band also plays for two other vocalists: Radha, formerly of Kulay, and up-and-coming singer Aliya Parcs who, like Jed and Dye Vest, are being managed by Ronnie Henares of Primeline, Inc.

Playing with three different vocalists takes some adjusting on the part of the band since each has a different style. Dye Vest plays one way when they’re with Jed, and another way when they back up Radha or Aliya. Even the two female vocalists have varying styles–Radha is more inclined toward soul and R & B while Aliya is a pop singer. Therefore, they back up each one differently.

"That’s why now, we think of ourselves as the vests, and the dye is our vocalist. Siya ang nagbibigay sa amin ng kulay," explains lead guitarist Noel, an engineer by profession who temporarily gave up his career to play with the band. "In other words, kung sino yung vocalist, binabagayan namin. We adjust to their style."

Dye Vest was formed two years ago in Iloilo, where all the members are from. They met through mutual friends and started playing together for fun. Eventually, they were invited to play in various clubs and nightspots not just in Iloilo, but in nearby Bacolod, Cebu and Boracay. It was during one of their gigs in Bacolod that talent manager Ronnie Henares caught their performance. He thought the band was pretty good, but was not really looking for a group to manage. He was more interested in taking Jed on as a solo act.

Ronnie invited Jed to Manila. But while Jed was quite excited at the thought of a solo career, friendship – and the two years he had spent with the band – was also important. So he asked Ronnie if he could bring the band to Manila. Surprisingly, Ronnie agreed.

The guys admit Jed’s launching a solo career was a source of apprehension for them. "We tried not to show it," says Russel. "We were happy for him, but at the same time, medyo kabado kami kung ano ang magyayari sa amin, at hindi lang sa band kundi sa barkada rin."

But all’s well that ends well, since Jed and the band have been doing well since arriving in Manila three months ago. Dye Vest plays regularly in some of Manila’s top bars like Ratsky Malate (Mondays), Strumm’s Makati (Tuesday), Dish at Rockwell (Fridays) and The Conservatory of The Peninsula Manila (Saturdays). They enjoy playing for the Manila crowd, which they have found to be more appreciative and "more ready to party" than those that used to watch them in Iloilo.

"Our crowd in Iloilo was harder to please, maybe because we’re also from there, and they’re so used to watching us, so they expect more," says Russel. "Pero medyo mahiyain din sila, unlike the people in Manila who always seem to be in party mode."

All members of Dye Vest say they miss Iloilo, but they wouldn’t pass up the chance to make a career for themselves in Manila. Which is why they willingly relocated themselves, leaving family and friends behind. "It wasn’t hard to explain to them," says Richard. "We just felt we needed to explore our career some more. It was always our ultimate dream to have a career in Manila like South Border (whose former lead vocalist, Brix Ferraris, is a good friend) and to maybe have our own album one day."

They’re hoping the album will include either one or both of the original songs they’ve composed: Pretty Baby and Best Thing That Ever Happened, both of which the group collaborated on with Brix Ferraris. "But we also have other songs in the works," says Jed.

Because they’re all from Iloilo, Dye Vest is touted as the next Freestyle, a Davao-based band that hit it big in Manila with hit songs like Before I Let You Go and This Time. Like Freestyle said to be the biggest-selling local today – Dye Vest plays pop, dance and R & B with a sprinkling of jazz. It is a tall order for Dye Vest to live up to, but this new band is willing to take on the challenge.

But though they are honored to be compared to Freestyle, Dye Vest wants to strike a unique chord among music fans. "We want to have our own identity, so as much as possible we try not to sing the songs of other local bands. We don’t want to be identified, for example, as the band na magaling kumanta ng Side A or South Border songs. They have really good songs, but we want to be much more," they say.

Their manager, Henares, beRonnielieves Dye Vest has what it takes to be the next big thing in the local band scene. And who knows, they just might be.