EXCLUSIVE. One Music PH Asks: Gab Cabangon
Pinoy singer-songwriter Gab Cabangon recovers his direction back into love on his first five-track EP, Learn to Love Again—out via Underdog Music (Morissette, Over October, The Ridleys, etc).
Cabangon describes Learn to Love Again as an open diary of his experiences as a millennial singer-songwriter, detailling the frustrations and emotional losses that cpome with life’s hardships while eventually learning there’s still room for reopened love and passion even in a world that attempts to drag you down.
In the space of five tracks, Gab Cabangon explores the painstaking process of facing life’s disappointments head on while discovering his way back to the people, his own dreams and ambitions, and parts of himself that once brought him happiness.
After years of navigating the demands of the industry, Gab Cabangon’s passion for songwriting and performing started to diminish. He had to balance gigging, helping other artists behind the scenes, and chasing his plans to drop his own music—all while not having the confidence to wear multiple hats effortlessly. Instead of letting doubt affect his morale, the Awit Award nominee encountered the frustrations that had kept him from moving on. By working with music scene peers, he turned his life, career and love ruminations into a collection of songs that resonate with him on a personal level.
The end product is Learn to Love Again, an EP that guides listeners through life’s insecurities. The EP’s five songs reveal as chapters of emotional healing, moving from distance and reawakening to frustration, susceptibility, rest, and finally true love.
“I did realize in the process of developing the songs of Learn to Love Again that I didn’t have to be alone and that I do have my wife, my family, my friends, and a community to lean on when the going gets tough,” Cabangon shares. “I also realized after writing everything that I just needed to show up.”
As both the key track and emotional highlight, “Love Again” represents the EP’s over-all energy: moving away from something once prized and discovering your way back to it—at your own pacve and tempo. Written after Cabangon took a short hiatus from music during the pandemic, the song lets him reevaluate his relationship with his craft and reconnect with the reason he began doing music. Upon returning, Cabangon found the motivation to write about letting go, therapy, and embracing revived passion, and thus, “Love Again” was born.
“I think it taught me to rest and to pause,” Cabangon explains. “That I didn’t have to be impatient and do music non-stop. It didn’t make me less of an artist. It’s okay to step away from time to time so that I don’t get too tired or frustrated with my music.”
Cabangon dedicates Love Again to anyone who has ever gone through burnout, heartbreak, disappointment, and the disappoint of feeling left alone. The track summons listeners to reject the burden of comparing one’s self to others and instead concentrate on why they pursued their passions in the first place.
“I also think that learning to love again isn’t necessarily linear,” he says. “We all go through the highs and lows of life, and I guess the important thing is that we never lose our way or the reason why we took on that journey.”
The EP builds on the aforementioned message through four complementary songs. “Ikot Ulit” directs angst and frustration at broken promises, disappointments, and the obstacles along the way. “Pieces” offers a vulnerable rejoinder that it’s alright to not to be alright, embracing the need to lament, break down, and let others aid in the recovery process. “Kama” is a reminder for us to hold up and find rest in the midst of a world that relentlessly demands productivity. In the same vein, “ngayon at kailanman” ends the EP on An optimistic note, looking toward love that is true, heartening, and sincere.
The EP also pulls together a circle of collaborators who helped turn Cabangon’s songs into its most bursting expression. He worked with David Lina on musical arrangement and production, fostering the songs from acoustic demos through collective studio sessions. Nine Degrees North’s Shadiel Chan and Jan Fuertez were in charge of mixing and mastering, while Cha Martinez added lead guitars to “Love Again.” For “Kama,” Cabangon teamed up with Gab Lazaro of Project Yazz, vydd, Kyla Miel, and his wife, Geli, exploring new instrumental and vocal textures.
With Learn to Love Again, Cabangon turns the qualms of his own journey into anthems that recognizes how difficult it is to start anew without losing sight of possibility. The EP doesn’t guarantee instant healing or effortless answers to every disappointment. Instead, it underlines the importance of taking a step back when necessary and reviewing one’s deeds in order to make informed decisions in the future. Life, after all, isn’t a race.