Growing up is scary—terrifying even, but it's a lot easier when you have someone by your side, just ask Ysanygo.
In the last year alone, the Filipino sibling duo have gone through big changes in their careers. From establishing their own production studio and bringing in new people into their warm, cosy creative process to joining a record label, the "babies" of the local music scene Ysa and Ygo Ferraz are all grown up now.
With a new chapter comes a new set of challenges but Ysanygo are taking them head on, looking at every turn as an opportunity to learn and evolve into the artists they're truly meant to be. "We’re challenged everyday by a different genre, which is always fun because we get to try new things. Because of this, our musicality develops even more. We will always be students because learning never stops," they tell Bandwagon.
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Most recently, the duo released their newest single 'Horizon'. Serving as a melodic reminder to be moving forward, the track serves as the first glimpse into ther first-ever EP—a project, they share is long overdue. "It’s very emotional that we’re finally releasing these songs—they’ve been our companions when times were tough, and we hope that they’ll act the same to whoever listens to it once they're out. It definitely feels like we’re graduating and moving on to the next chapter as Ysanygo," they share.
As new beginnings lie just on the horizon for Ysanygo, we caught up with Ysa and Ygo about piecing together their debut EP, making "grown-up" moves", and what it's like working with your sibling.
Congratulations on the release of ‘Horizon’! Tell us more about the single and the story you wanted to share through it.
Thank you so much! We wrote 'Horizon' back in 2019, when we were in a slump and struggling to write. We decided to write a song about what we were going through, and Horizon was born! It’s a smooth, energetic Pop/R&B track that reminds us to keep going even when the universe isn’t on our side, and to always look straight ahead and keep our eyes on the ‘Horizon’!
Ysanygo has obviously always been a family affair and even with ‘Horizon’, you guys worked with your mom for the single’s artwork. What was it like involving her in this project?
Our family has been a part of our musical journey from the start, so it’s extra meaningful that our mom did the artwork. She’s heard the song multiple times ever since we wrote it in 2019. After creating a few drafts, the current artwork captures how ‘Horizon’ would look like. Seeing the painting felt like the perfect fit for the song with its calm and bright atmosphere.
The single comes as the first track from your upcoming debut EP. What does it feel like to finally be releasing a fuller body of work?
It feels like a big step for us. We’ve only released singles in the past few years but now that we’re sharing an EP with the world, they’ll get to see or hear a fuller story in the music we make. (and finally more songs to listen to! Insert shades emoji)
Tell us more about the EP and what we can expect, from the sound to the stories we’ll hear. Walk us through what it was like working on it.
The genres range from pop, boom bap, folk-pop, to R&B. This EP is all about healing, rest, and comfort—its atmosphere and sound is perfect for walking on a sunny morning to sipping coffee on a rainy afternoon. We want these songs to be there for people who’ve had a long day, an evening with too many thoughts in their head, and just want to escape for a while.
This EP has songs that were written even before we were Ysanygo (way back in 2016!). This body of work is a collage of our experiences, lives, and feelings growing up. It’s very emotional that we’re finally releasing these songs—they’ve been our companions when times were tough, and we hope that they’ll act the same to whoever listens to it once they're out. It definitely feels like we’re graduating and moving on to the next chapter as Ysanygo.
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Who were some of your musical inspirations while working on the EP? What is it about them that inspired you?
During the pandemic, we were heavily influenced by Korean R&B music. We listened to artists such as Zion. T, DPR, Hoody, Crush, GRAY, Slom, among others. Their musicality is something we always look up to. Their arrangement style, song structures, and chord progressions are some of the elements we applied to our own music. Even though we’ve taken inspiration from them in this project, we always make sure to have that “Ysanygo”-ness whenever we create, such as our signature harmonies, melodic lines, guitar tone, and that secret sauce (sorry, it’s a secret hehe).
You guys have always been seen as the “babies'' of the music scene but since your last release in 2021, you guys have grown up quite a bit. You started your own production studio and signed with a label, what’s it like going through all these big changes?
These big changes are much needed for us to challenge ourselves and see what else is in store for us as a duo. Launching Adorable Human Studios helped us grow not only as musicians, but also as people. It’s been such a thrill working with other artists! We’re challenged everyday by a different genre, which is always fun because we get to try new things. Because of this, our musicality develops even more. We will always be students, because learning never stops!
Signing with Underdog Music is a huge milestone for us. We’ve been independent ever since we started Ysanygo in 2017, perhaps this is one of our first “grown-up” moves in our career as musicians. We align with their vision so much, and we’re extremely grateful to be working with such a great team.
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How have all these new beginnings affected your sibling dynamic? What is it like running the studio together on top of being bandmates?
Ysa: We push each other more and remind ourselves that we have to put in the effort to make this work. Both of us have our own roles to play when it comes to the studio, but it’s important that we learn from each other. This makes it easier for us to align.
Ygo: The sibling dynamic is still the same, but now, I bug her even more! Kidding aside, we’ve been in sync as a duo, but we’ve become even more in sync after starting adorable human studios. Our work ethic also improved, which is important when you’re running a business.
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How do you guys usually go about conflicts when they arise? How do you balance between your personal lives and your professional work together?
Ysa: We make sure to communicate with each other when something doesn’t seem right. This applies to our relationship as siblings and as bandmates. We also know when it’s time to rehearse or work seriously, but sometimes I suddenly think of funny stuff and disrupt our flow (laughs). Ygo will indulge in my laughter then we pause and say, “okay, time to practice!”
Ygo: We always try to be professional about it and come up with a compromise. We also have to trust each other as bandmates when it comes to certain things like sound choices or lyrics. When we work as Ysanygo, we make sure we get down to business and avoid distractions. But of course, we’re still siblings, so we have snack breaks, look at memes, and watch K-Pop videos online in between sessions!
How do you feel you guys have grown as artists, especially as you were working on your debut EP? How do you feel those changes translate into your new music?
Ysa: I’ve come to learn that I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. There are times where I’d always compare what I’ve written with my previous work and the pages would end up blank at the end of the day. But with being open, things flow easily. Our new music still has that warmth, which is what we’ve always been describing our music as. Releasing this EP honors our growth and allows us to move on and focus on our present selves.
Ygo: I’ve become more in touch with emotion and intention. Music is such a powerful tool for expression, and there are certain musical techniques we can use to strengthen the message we want to send. Intention has become so important to me because it shows that you really care not only about what you do, but also about your listeners. Like in one of our unreleased songs ‘Comfortable Silence’ which is track number three in the EP, there is a dominant use of musical rests and a capella to emphasize the song title and lyrics. Things like these may seem minor, but it really brings out the best in the song.
What’s next for Ysanygo?
We’re going to create more elevated performances and make it a really enjoyable experience! We’ve been researching lighting design recently and we hope to incorporate some lighting sequences in our future shows. We’ve also been figuring out some cool dance moves for everyone to see soon! Of course, we have more new music coming after we release our debut EP this year, such as a collaboration with one of our friends (it’s a secret for now!). We also dream of performing outside the Philippines so we can share more Filipino music with the rest of the world!
Listen to Ysanygo's 'Horizon' here.
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