If there’s one thing Over October has mastered, it’s the art of growing slow and steady. Formed in 2014, the Filipino indie/alternative rock band has spent the past decade quietly building their sound, their story, and their community of listeners — endearingly called “Octobears.” Then came “Ikot” in 2024, the heartfelt track that launched them into the mainstream music scene, proving that patience really does pay off.

Now, with more eyes (and ears) on them than ever, Over October is showing no signs of slowing down. Their music, described as equal parts nostalgic, sincere, and full of soul, feels like the soundtrack to late-night drives and long, quiet moments. Their latest single, “Dahan” showcased a more romantic side of the band as they told the story of a slow-burning romance wherein one realizes their feelings for someone they’ve known all their life.

In an exclusive sit-down with The Beat Manila, Josh Buizon (vocals), Josh Lua (lead guitar), Joric Canlas (bass), Janessa Geronimo (drums), and Anton Rodriguez (guitars) talked about where it all began, how their creative process has evolved over the years, and what’s next as they continue to define who Over October really is.

From the early days of jamming in small venues to navigating the wave of newfound attention, the band opened up about the challenges, the laughter, and everything in between that keep their music alive.

On Music Being the Glue

It might surprise some to learn that Over October just celebrated their 11th anniversary — a milestone marked with a free concert at the SM Mall of Asia Amphitheater last Oct. 12, 2025. With “Ikot” only recently making waves on mainstream playlists, it’s hard to believe the band has been around this long, quietly building their sound and fanbase before finally getting the spotlight they deserve.

“The process allowed the music and our relationship with each other to really marinate,” said Josh on how their slow rise made the band what it is today. “So it’s like now we’re just at the stage where more people are listening to the songs. It’s still authentic.”

The band started making music while still in college, having been part of a music organization in Ateneo de Manila University. The band’s guitarist, Lua, told us all about the night of their year-end recital, and how he had asked that one question that sparked the beginnings of what will eventually be known as Over October.

“I was at the back of a pick-up truck with Josh, and riding on that high of the recital, I thought, ‘I want to do more music.’ Personally, the reason why I joined that [organization] is to really form a band. So I asked them: 'Josh, mag-kapangalan naman tayo. Gusto mong mag-banda (Josh, we have the same name. Do you want to form a band)?'” Lua revealed with a laugh.

From there, the band eventually took shape with Janessa, who was also the drummer of their group at the recital; Anton, the organization’s president, and Joric, Josh’s childhood friend, joining the team. The band’s original bassist had been Andrew de Pano, who’s currently a member of Ben&Ben.

The five members began writing and recording their own music early on, even setting up fundraisers to help cover the costs of producing their EPs. Lua recalled how they used to serenade people on Valentine’s Day just to raise money to record and print their CDs.

It’s clear this band never took any shortcuts. They built everything from the ground up — crafting their sound, growing their discography, and slowly earning a loyal following along the way. While both Josh and Lua shared that music had always been something they actively pursued, the other members admitted it was a pleasant surprise to see how far their shared passion for music has taken them.

“I really didn’t think of pursuing it. Part of it was that I was really discouraged by my parents,” Janessa said. “But it’s the thing that keeps coming back for me. These guys found me. It became one of those things where I know I’m good at this, and I know I love doing this, and so I stuck with it.”

“I came from an engineering family, so I took up engineering, but the band changed everything,” Joric added. “Music was an outlet for me in college until it became the real thing.”

The band’s rhythm guitarist, Anton, also shared how music was the one constant thing in his life. “I never thought I would be doing it as the main thing. I always thought it was going to be there. I had a lot of bands in college, and slowly everyone grew up and started getting their own jobs. I even stopped music for a while. It wasn’t really in the plan. It was more like something that I reunited with every so often.”

On Creating Music that Moves

A lot of the band’s songs have been described as heartfelt and soulful. Their musical stylings have even been compared to the likes of Coldplay, John Mayer, and even Hillsong for their emotional rhythm that almost seems cathartic when you listen to them.

When asked what inspires their music, Josh replied, “A lot of our songs are written from personal experience. When we started collaborating, it also became more like universal experiences that we’ve experienced in the past. And that’s really where we get it from. We also try to base it on experiences that other people share, so they can resonate with the music that we put out.”

Personal and universal may be words that come from opposite ends of the spectrum, but the band had an interesting take on how they balanced these two when making music.

“What we noticed is that although we write a song for a specific theme or with a specific message, it’s always interpreted differently by different people. I think that’s the beauty of music. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter what message you’re trying to put across. We have this song, and I meant it to be such a loving love song, but some people who listened to it said that it was painful. It really reacts to people in different ways, so finding a balance is like magic!”

“What we usually do is we come up with a story, and it becomes like a musical score. We write a song based on that scene. Subconsciously, as we craft that story, we draw inspiration from pop culture, literature we’ve seen, read, or watched. So I guess that’s why it becomes universal since it’s also based on the media that we consume. At the same time, we balance it with real-life experiences. From there, we kind of romanticize them,” Lua explained.

The band also shared that everyone pitches in when it comes to the arrangement. However, when it comes to songwriting, Josh usually takes the lead with Lua often pitching in.

Apart from “Ikot,” we asked the band if there was a song they’ve produced that they found memorable.

“We have this song called ‘Gising Bangon,’ which came from our ‘Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow’ EP. We wrote that all together, and we were in a locked-in recording. We’re in the middle of the pandemic, and I remember that so vividly. We were just in one room writing songs together.”

“It was just about the uncertainty of the future,” added Lua.

“Yeah, and Anton had to leave for a bit because he was focused on studying,” Josh continued. “I remember we called him while we were writing that song. And we told him to come back already. *laughs*”

Being an independent band comes with its fair share of perks and challenges. When asked about the struggles they’ve faced over the past decade, Jannesa pointed to the ever-evolving music industry. Having been around long enough to witness the shift from CDs to online streaming, the drummer shared that the band has had to constantly adapt and find ways to keep up with the fast-changing landscape, and with the many new artists emerging along the way.

“We’re independent, so we also don’t have a big machinery behind us,” Janessa explained. “With our small production team and our manager, Kat, we’re just trying to keep up with all the other mainstream artists with better backing. It’s difficult, but we’re still here, so we’re still able to achieve what we want.”

When asked if they feel any pressure to release more music, she replied, “I don’t think 'pressured' is the right word for it. We kind of just understood that that’s how the music industry is now, and it’s up to us to adapt to it. We know that’s how it is, so we conform to that.”

“It’s also not just the timeline of releases but also the resources that come from it,” Anton added. “As an independent band with no backer and no institutional mechanism keeping us here, we rely solely on our own savings. We understand that because of the way listeners are consuming music, we have to release a certain number of songs, but that also comes with its own promotional campaign and shows. That’s a big struggle. Although the band’s situation now is that the songs are already recorded for the foreseeable future, the ideas that we have to come up with and the resources that we need to make those releases meaningful are still up in the air.”

Speaking of new releases, we also talked about their latest single “Dahan,” a love song about slowly falling for a friend. It’s a slow-burn romance wrapped in an alternative-rock arrangement that mirrors that very feeling. The chorus starts off gentle and restrained before building up toward the end, when those emotions can no longer be contained and everything suddenly changes.

Over October has always had a gift for translating emotions that are often hard to put into words into pure, heartfelt music and that might just be their greatest strength. After 11 years of playing and creating together, it’s clear the band has not only refined their craft but also deepened their connection as musicians, resulting in songs that feel both deeply personal and universally relatable.

When asked if their slow rise had changed their perspective on what success looked like, Josh replied, “I think every band or every artist has a different journey. Some are overnight successes or have been famous since their first or second year. Ours just took a little longer. I think it’s a much more fulfilling feeling because it took so long to get there. We’re more grateful to be here because of the years that it took to get here, and we’re also hungrier for more because we want to achieve so much more than what we’re doing right now.”

As for if there was a moment in their 11-year run that felt like a turning point for the band, Lua shared, “Definitely “Ikot.” When it was released, we went up to Baguio to record, and we were constantly monitoring the numbers. It kept rising and rising. We were like, ‘Is this really happening?’ After that, it was a blur. We started getting invited to more shows and awarding ceremonies. We also started seeing that this can actually sustain us. I ended up resigning from my job this year and now I’m doing music full-time!”

From intimate gigs to arena shows such as their recent performance as Coke Studio performers, Over October shows no signs of slowing down. Having honed their sound for years now, it’s only natural that they’ve built a stronghold that can last for many years to come.

“We want to reach more people, not just here in the Philippines but also abroad. Maybe to tour abroad in countries where we have fans who message us asking us to come and perform. That’s a dream for me to be able to do that,” Josh said.

“For long term goals, we wanted to be able to keep doing this for as long as we can,” added Lua. “To do larger-scale shows and release more music.”

Before wrapping up, Josh also gave a short and sweet message for the Octobears: “Thank you so much for supporting our music and making it the soundtrack of your lives. We just want to give back to you. We love you! Stream 'Dahan!'”

For updates on music releases and upcoming shows, follow Over October on Facebook, X (Formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Instagram.