Amber joins PLDT family

MANILA, Philippines - Four years after settling in Manila from living in the US and working in Japan, Filipino-American singer-songwriter Amber Davis can put her ear to the ground, discern the rumble, and say with satisfaction, “Been there, done that.”

Indeed, the forward thinking Amber is at the forefront of defining a new sound for OPM. A major record label thinks so that’s why they signed her up to lead its roster of new artists in coming up with original songs versus churning out more remakes.  

“They told me, ‘You’re free to go for a different vibe for your record as well as for your label mates. We trust you.’ For any artist, such words are as important as winning an award or selling a gazillion copies of CDs,” she said.

Recall that Amber went indie once. She put out a single titled Taas Noo, copies of which were given out for free.

The tactic would perplex any record mogul who could’ve built an entire marketing outline around the song, but the singer-songwriter eventually proved her instincts right: Taas Noo, Best Original Song at the Urban Music Awards.

“Plus, I got to work with Gloc 9 whom I’ve always admired as a musician,” she quipped.

Amber said that her just-released album dubbed Fil-Am showcases her global orientation. That is, music that stands for its own merits, and one that confounds preconceived notions.

“I’m pretty settled about who I am as an artist and what my place is in the industry. It’s because of these two that I am able to do what feels right for my music without compromise.

“Then again, I am not a very good pretender: You will know right away from how I sound when I sing or talk, or from the expression on my face, if I don’t like what I’m doing. Now, if that will ever be the case, I would have to ask myself, ‘What’s the point?’”

She could’ve put out a new album sooner had she sold her soul to another major label that offered to sign her up but for the bandwagon. Just to give it a shot, Amber did hit the studio and recorded two demos of remake songs.

The result solidified her stand on the matter. “I felt horrible. It was as if I went to the studio with the mindset of recording a song just to get it over with. It’s like karaoke. It was a soulless process and I knew right away that it wasn’t for me,” she said.

Fortunately for Amber and other artists like her, they have allies. For the singer-songwriter, one of such is PLDT myDSL Watchpad. “When I met with the people of myDSL, they told me, ‘Amber, we want you to become our ambassador for high quality music.’ How do you refuse an offer like that?” she said.

So far, the singer-songwriter has shot two music videos for PLDT myDSL Watchpad. These are videos for the songs Manila and See You Soon with locations in Cebu and Bohol. The videos are being streamed on PLDT myDSL Watchpad.

Amber also joins the other PLDT myDSL Watchpad crew such as Rhian Ramos, Victor Aliwalas, Isabel Oli, and Alex Perez in many company events. The latest was at M Café in Makati City where five new discoveries were picked and welcomed into the Watchpad family.