Naiads : Edgy and Earnest

There is an earnest simplicity in their songs. In a nutshell, the premise to their stories is simple: two lovers being torn apart by circumstances. This, plus the fact that all their songs are told in the first person, makes them easier to digest and related to by listeners. However, there is something in their music that sets them apart from other young bands that choose to sing about love and its dark realities. While others opt to use jangly and bright melodies, these girls prefer churning out dark and edgy tunes to perfectly complement the angst, pain, and melancholy their songs want to express.

They are Naiads, a five-piece rock/heavy metal unit from UPLB.

The band traces its beginnings to 2006, when then-high school acquaintances Rich dela Cruz and Collen Sia met again in UPLB and decided to form a band. They initially wanted to do covers of Paramore and No Doubt, as these were the bands they listened to mostly at the time. Their lineup was completed with the entry Kai Estales, Emily Pascua, and then-frontwoman Jam Caparas. But this was a short-lived incarnation of the band, which they called “Teared Dolls”, as Caparas left shortly after due to changes in priorities. They were able to bounce back quickly with the acquisition of current singer Jamie Masigan, whom Estales referred to the rest of the band. With the lineup refreshed, and with the new name “Naiadz” in tow, they set out to wow audiences inside and outside UPLB. They have since established themselves as one of the most active bands in the area, playing as many gigs as time permitted them to do in Laguna and in Manila. Their resume of accomplishments include a live stint on University Rock on NU107 (25Jan10), their inclusion in the aforementioned show’s roster of bands, three consecutive years of appearing on the UPLB Febfair stage, reaching the regional finals of the Nescafe Soundskool, and playing with other class acts such as Kamikazee, Typecast, Valley of Chrome, and Intolerant.

The year 2010 is seeing the start of a new chapter in the band’s continuously unfolding story. Though they are going through another transition, with the name change from “Naiadz” to “Naiads” and their losing original guitarist Emily Pascua to her job (that led to their, at the time of this writing, on-going search for a new guitarist), there seems to be no stopping the band from progressing. Aside from acquiring long-time friend and NU107 DJ Cyrus Fernandez as their manager and being assimilated by his Audio Heavy Productions as a member of the regular roster, Naiads is about to begin work on a 5-track EP to be produced by musician wunderkind Sega Alcabasa (of Segatron and Exillion). The said EP will compile the work they’ve done in their three years of juggling being musicians and students.

Like their namesakes from ancient mythology, Naiads’ music works double-edged on the human psyche. It is as much piercing and uncompromising as it is beautiful and earnest. Mind not that they’re all ladies as well. Their songs will still prod your heartstrings the way rockets do on impact anyway.

For more information about them, and for gig schedules and booking details,
check out: www.facebook.com/naiadsmusic