I Belong to the Zoo hopes for stability and more music after 10 years

After a decade in the music industry, OPM band I Belong to the Zoo has learned that growing as artists also means learning to balance their musical ambitions with the need for stability.

During an intimate media conference for their upcoming first solo concert, the band opened up about how their goals have changed over the years, from wanting to perform at different venues and releasing an album to building a more sustainable career.

“Ako for me, siguro mas iba na yung goals namin. Goals ko personally ngayon, kasi kung dati nagsimula kami gustong makatugtog sa kung saan saan, gusto kong gumawa ng album. Ngayon, we want stability, kasi yung mga kabanda ko, they have families,” lead vocalist Argee Guerrero said.

While he admitted that touring around the world remains an exciting prospect, he hopes the band can maintain a steady stream of gigs while continuing to release new music.

“As much as I want to tour around the entire world, mas gusto ko na kahit magstay kami dito, constant gigs, so that. Kasi mahirap as a musician, di naman stable ang income ng musikero. So yun nga habol talaga namin. Goal ko lang is as much as possible, we release more new music, para at least as performers, hindi rin kami ma-bore na same songs lang tinutugtog,” he added.

For Simon Clariza, his personal goal is to keep creating and writing songs while echoing the same goal as his fellow members.

“So nasa phase ako na gusto ko magsulat ng sulat, gusto ko magcreate ng magcreate din. Pero at the same time, kailangan nga namin ng stability para magawa yun.”

Meanwhile, Lee De Veyra shared that despite the changes they have experienced throughout their journey, one of his goals remains the same.

“Yung mga goals namin dati, nung bago kami nagstart, medyo same pa rin iyon, na sobrang happy ako. Noong estudyante kami, ang goal talaga namin magsulat ng kanta tungkol sa mga kaibigan namin. Soobrang saya ako na ganoon pa rin kasi nakakaground siya na naaalala namin yung kabataan namin,” Lee said.

“Ayon lang naman talaga yung trabaho namin, magsulat ng kanta para marinig ng mga tao, yan lang gusto namin ishare yung mga creations namin.”

For Gere Guerrero, one of the biggest lessons he has learned is the importance of taking his craft seriously and dedicating time to improving his skills.

“Narealize ko na if you want to be good at something you have to take it seriously enough. Kumbaga, you allot time to practice and do your thing to be good at it. Ibigay mo yung todo mo sa gusto mong gawin para at least mas maimpart mo yung talent mo with others. Lalo na sa banda, nagfefeed off kami sa energy bawat isa,” he stated.

Ow Owyong, on the other hand, expressed gratitude for the listeners who have continued to support their music, saying he hopes to give them more opportunities to experience the band live.

“Kami as a band, we are lucky enough that people appreciate our songs, so I just really want to be able to perform for them, whoever wants to see us perform, to give them a chance to see us. Kasi yung live I Belong to the Zoo is a very different experience,” he said.

As I Belong to the Zoo prepares to hold its first solo concert on October 24 at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City, the band is also looking forward to what this milestone could mean for their future performances.

Argee revealed that they are considering exploring a full acoustic concert, depending on how their upcoming show goes.

“Siguro, we didn’t plan this full acoustic. Narehearse lang namin ito, yesterday and parang sabi ko what if mag-full acoustic concert tayo kung okay yung major concert,” Argee said. “Also if the first major concert works, we are very open to do more big concerts and hopefully, every time we get to really stream music baka magmajor concert ulit. So, very exciting time for our band.”

For Lee, the upcoming concert is also an opportunity to share a special moment with his family, who rarely get to watch the band perform because of their frequent out-of-town gigs: “Excited ako na tumugtog para sa kanila, tsaka para sa family din ng mga kabanda ko, kasi parang wala pang ata moment na ganoon.”

Beyond the milestone, the band also hopes to welcome more listeners into their growing community of fans who find comfort and connection in their songs.

“Excited din kami para sa mga new i belong to the zoo fans para dumami pa tayong mga mahilig sa mga sad songs. Ayun, excited lang talaga kami na magshare ng mga nasulat naming kanta, yung show na pinaghirapan namin. Sana maenjoy ng lahat.”