Something old, something new.

Something borrowed, can you spot the clue?

There’s something vaguely familiar with Last Song Bea’s debut single, Nakakotse.

At first listen, it brings back that ’90s vibe, that era that saw the upsurge of such iconic bands as the Eraserheads, True Faith, Parokya ni Edgar, Introvoys and many more, whose guitar-driven songs became chart-topping hits, and also garnered mass appeal for their lyrics which often spoke of sentiments that most Pinoys could easily identify with.

“It was definitely a fertile period for OPM,” agrees Last Song Bea’s lead vocalist and bandleader Richard Parcia, who also wears his hat as one of his industry’s respected IT specialists. “And I will admit that I have a soft spot for that kind of songwriting. You know, those easy-listening types of songs that the everyday guy can identify with. Nothing too serious or profound, and more often, just playfully irreverent. Masa appeal, in other words.”

With its barebones arrangement and picturesque lyrics, Nakakotse fits the bill.

It’s not easy to decipher how the tune talks of unrequited love as it brings to fore one of the most unforgettable moments coming-of-age episodes in any guy’s life. For sure, most out-of-luck teenage guys can recall the harrowing pain of being dumped in favor of the guy whose pogi points came on a silver platter, the fast-and-the-spurious types with the thicker wallet and flashier car.

Barely just two weeks since its viral release, Nakakotse had already chalked up an impressive start on most of its online platforms, and continues to trigger LSS (Last Song Syndrome) among first-time listeners.

Having hurdled their baptism of fire with flying colors, pressure mounts for the band members who now face the dilemma of sustaining their followers’ interest.

With Richard at the frontline, Last Song Bea is also comprised of seasoned musicians from diverse fields, including Xyrus Judan (bass), Donie Dico (lead guitar), Mark Bambico (drums), Nimrod Lacquian (keyboards/guitar), and Erwin Dimaculangan (guitar/vocals).
Aside from the song’s true-to-life origin, netizens are also curious about the group’s cryptic name. Who coined it, and how did it come about?

Richard explains, “It was Xyrus, Erwin and I. Honestly, I can’t remember how it came to be. Pondering on this question, perhaps, it was our subconscious talking because we’ve been trying to form a band since 5-6 years ago. Suffice to say, all the previous iterations failed. The three of us were the only constants.”

So, there’s no actual person who inspired it?

He quickly retorts, “When people ask me that, I only answer, ‘secret!’ I can only say that it was all just a clever accident. Hahaha!”

What were some of the challenges of forming their group and recording their debut single amid these trying times, pandemic and all?

Richard ponders, “The hardest is to do these things remotely knowing that it will be a lot more fun if we do it all together in one room. There’s a social aspect to the process that is really missing when you do things almost remotely. My analogy to it is eating your favorite breakfast sinangag via the feeding arms of a robot. Where’s the joy in that? Personally, that has been my own lament about this pandemic. It has stopped all of us, everyone, from the joy of being alive.”

With the obvious absence of live gigs, how do they plan to ‘push’ the tune in the market?

“Only digital and if we’re lucky some radio jock can pick it up too. I guess the key thing is to engage more even if done remotely. We’ll use every possible channel that is open for us to distribute. We’ll go “house-to-house” if need be. We know that it’s going to be hard work but we are aspiring to the title of the most hardworking band,” Richard enthuses.

Now that they’ve revved off to an impressive start, does Last Song Bea have any long-term plans? A follow-up single, perhaps? Or an album?

“Make music as much as we can, share it to as many as we can and in as many ways that we can. Album? Yes. That’s a logical step once we’re done with the EP. The general feeling is that we’re in this for the long haul. I think if we are mindful of the purpose and make commonsensical decisions, we would be able to sustain. Of course, the real test is the audience reception. If we have listeners, we will continue to make and play music,” Richard concludes.

Nakakotse can be accessed via Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Instagram/Facebook, TikTok/Resso, YouTube Music, Amazon, Soundtrack by Twitch, Pandora, Deezer, Tidal, iHeartRadio, ClaroMusica, Saavn, Boomplay, Anghami, KKBox, NetEase, Tencent, Triller (beta), Yandex Music (beta), MediaNet, Snapchat and Shazam.