ena mori is here in her safe space with no filter.

With the release of her new album DON'T BLAME THE WILD ONE!, the Filipino-Japanese singer-songwriter has revealed another side of herself—one that's beautifully vulnerable, bold, and unapologetic.

The colourful 12-track offering was written and recorded during the pandemic with the help of producer timothy Run, recording engineer Audry Dionisio, and mixing and mastering engineers Emil Dela Rosa and Sam Marquez.

"I think the most consistent theme is that all of the songs are something that I feel uncomfortable talking about," the 'Telephone' act shares with Bandwagon. "I wanted to make this album a safe place for me to express things without any filter."

Bandwagon caught up with ena mori to run through the tracks off DON'T BLAME THE WILD ONE! and the stories behind each track.

there’s a fire in my kitchen up it goes i’m to blame 

This is the introduction to the whole album and I wanted something that sounded quirky and innocent. I think putting this short intro seals the album very well. 

DBTWO! 

This is the song that shaped the whole idea of the album, also one of the longest to figure out the whole song. I was in a coffee shop in Japan when I wrote 'DBTWO!', looking at the people walking in the street looking restless. I wondered if they must have something that they want to say and express. I based on that small idea to build this song.

VIVID

Love songs aren’t really my forte, but 'VIVID' was one of the fastest songs that I wrote. It flowed naturally without any force. I see myself getting insecure a lot during the pandemic. I think it’s because of social media and how we can only access that to see what people are doing. I wanted to use my envious feeling towards people to songwriting. 

KING OF THE NIGHT! 

I was never a “cool kid” growing up. I was an odd kid and I got picked on for my looks. 

I wanted to write a song that I wish I had when I was going through bullying, in hopes that someone that’s going through the same thing will feel confidence about their authentic selves.

TALK! TALK! 

When I was in quarantine, I had a lot of time to talk to myself. Sometimes it’s nice to hangout by yourself but I found it hard during the pandemic. Constantly doubting and questioning what I want to do, not knowing what I can do to stop talking in my head. I wanted to write a song exactly how I felt at the time.

OBH

This song started when Tim (timothy Run) sent me a drum beat that he thought would fit me. Groove really helps me navigate where the song is going, and this is one of my favourites when it comes to production. This song was inspired by the many questions I had at the time. 

A HIGHER PLACE

'A HIGHER PLACE' is the last song I wrote for the album, and I think it is my personal favourite. This song doesn’t have drums—only rhythmical synth bass. I think it changes the tone of the album by being in the middle, it is a good palette cleanser. This song came about when I had a hard time dealing with expectations. When people expect something of me, or when I expect something from life, it really brings me down when it doesn't end up in the way that I envisioned. 

INTRODUCING: "I STRIVE TO MAKE QUALITY POP MUSIC." – ENA MORI ON HER VIBRANT POP SOUND

SOS

This song is what inspired the whole look of the album. I wrote 'SOS' when I was getting so tired of being in my room during quarantine, a home that I love and brings comfort suddenly became somewhere where I felt trapped in. I wanted to write a song that people can visualize while listening to it.  

FALL INLOVE! 

'FALL INLOVE!' is one of the earliest songs that I wrote. Tim and I were in college back then and we were jamming in the piano room. We started to build a melody and that was the start of making 'FALL INLOVE!' I think one of the hardest things you can do is to let your pride go, and I wanted to talk about that in a love song format.

WHITE ROOM

I struggle with constantly worrying about what people think of me. Especially when I make a mistake, it is so hard for me to get over it, and I doubt my worth constantly.

I wanted to write a song that will encourage me to keep remembering that I am worthy, that I am enough.

RUNAWAY HOLIDAY!

This song came about when Tim sent me a short beat with the drum and a bass line. I wanted to include something that we can dance with our friends in the album, and this song is perfect for that. It was inspired by how we are so much better off bad relationships and friends. This song is about embracing ourselves and being unapologetic.

DON'T BLAME THE WILD ONE! ALBUM TOUR DATES

AUG 5 - 123 Block, Mandaluyong
AUG 12 - Dirty Kitchen, Quezon City
AUG 13 - Nook, Alabang
AUG 19 - Canto Bogchi Joint, Baguio
AUG 20 - Circle Hostel, La Union
AUG 26 - Casa Tigre, Pampanga
AUG 27 - 19 East, Sucat