Lions and Acrobats, ahead of the release of their sophomore album, held a press conference last night (10/4) at Frank & Dean. The band took guests and selected media through the entire album and treated everyone to a spontaneous and in-depth track-by-track commentary. 

The band also revealed more information about their forthcoming record (the first single 'Cloud', along with its music video, is coming out in a couple of weeks!), their musical inspirations, and a major change in the line-up. 

How the new album got its title, Mundane:

Yung life ko medyo boring, wala naman ako masyado dinadaan mga hassle sa buhay so parang ang hirap humugot. So kung anu-ano pinag-uusapan ko, madalas yung very mundane things - things that people go through everyday, that everyone does. Hindi special, pero yung ma-feel mo sa mga bagay na yun, valid pa din siya. I think it's still also very important to talk about. It's one of the reasons why we called the album, Mundane.

- Icoy Rapadas, vocals

On the difference in the recording process between the first and second albums:

This time, when we set the launch date, we made sure we finished the album. We're happier with this album, [as] compared to the first one.

- Icoy Rapadas, vocals

On what the band listened to while working on the new record:

When we were working on the first album, I listened to a lot of Caspian and toe. For this album, I was listening to Bad Rabbits and Balance and the Traveling Sounds - yun yung nag-inspire sakin mag-sax(ophone)."

- Jim Lopez, guitars

For the first album, I wrote more about how I felt. I didn't focus much on imagery. On the second album, mas pinapakinggan ko si Frank Ocean and Turnover. I listened to a lot of rap, a lot of punk, a lot of r&b - so yung mga lyrics nila, was more on describing a situation. When you describe a situation, bahala na sila mag-interpret ano ibig ko sabihin."

- Icoy Rapadas, vocals

On working with producer Nick Lazaro:

The new @lionsacrobats album im producing is gonna destroy EVERYONE's faces... AFTER it melts everyone's hearts 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/6sHU7YaLHf

— nicholas lazaro (@nicklazaro6969) July 20, 2017

Gusto ko yung pagka-frank nya. When you do something really shitty, he will tell you that it's shitty. 

- Jim Lopez, guitars

May pinapasabi si Nick kasi he was supposed to be here. Biggest challenge nya daw working with us was organizing and arranging three guitar players and have all their parts distinctly heard on the album. 

Working with Nick was very efficient. It was very easy working with him. Kasi lahat kami, Music Production students, we spoke the same language [with him]. He understood us, we understand him. 

- Icoy Rapadas, vocals

On contemporaries Jensen and the Flips, Tom's Story, tide/edit, She's Only Sixteen, and more local acts as inspiration:

Collectively, we can say na isa sa inspiration namin is Tom's Story. Si Gabba [Santiago]. Good friend namin, si Jensen [Gomez]. Lahat ng nakasabay namin, nakatulong samin kasi nakita namin sa kanila na ayaw nila tumigil gumawa ng music. They just really want to inspire people. 

- Jim Lopez, guitars

Sa Battle of the Bands namin una nakita She's Only Sixteen. Si Seña, I said to myself, if there's that guy. I gotta be better. 

- Icoy Rapadas, vocals

Inspiration din namin tide/edit. At the first The Rest is Noise gig, I think tide/edit was the last one to play and na-inspire ako sa set nila. When I woke up, there was this riff in my head and I thought, "Hey, this kinda sounds like tide/edit!" Kinapa ko yung riff sa mind ko, so ayun. So it's just an example of local artists inspiring other local artists.

- Ling Lava, guitars

On founding drummer, Pedro Tumibay leaving the band:

. @lionsacrobats take shots after th announcement of the departure of the band's founding drummer, Pedro #MundaneLAA pic.twitter.com/A6J320qNhU

— Bandwagon PH (@bandwagonPH) October 4, 2017

This next song is called 'Drum'. We wrote this song because this is Pedro's last album with us. He is actually leaving the band. [Kaya] walang drums dito sa song na 'to. 

- Icoy Rapadas, vocals

Listen to 'Mundane' here:

Lions and Acrobats with singer-songwriter Miguel Escueta, Champ Lui-Pio of Hale, and Red Ninja Production head and manager Nicole Sarmiento. 

Lions and Acrobats are releasing their new album on October 21, 2017 at Social House. Get dibs on the new record here.

Special thanks to Red Ninja Production for inviting us!