Bandang Lapis (stylized as Bandang LAPIS) is a

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

band from

Rizal Rizal most commonly refers to: * Rizal (province), a province of the Philippines * José Rizal, Filipino national hero whom the province is named after Rizal may also refer to: People * Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli, Malaysian footballer * Atep Ri ...

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, known for their viral all- Tagalog compositions

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. The band is originally composed of Lesther Abaño (lead vocals), Mark Jay Nievas (lead guitar, backing vocals), Lenrey Beltran (rhythm guitar), Ryan Paul Marangga (bass guitar), Jomari Luna (keyboards), Leandro Repuno (drums, percussion, backing vocals), and Ivan Morallos (spoken word poetry, synths). The band is known for their hit songs ''Kabilang Buhay'', ''Sana'y Di Nalang'', ''Kung Saan Ka Masaya'', and ''Nang Dumating Ka''. Their song, ''Kabilang Buhay'', became one of the top streamed songs on

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Philippines. As of 2024, its official music video reached almost 60 million views while its lyric video reached 80 million views in 2022. Their live performance of the song in Wish 107.5 also reached 100 million views in 2024.

History

The band started out with childhood friends Mark Jay Nievas and Lenrey Beltran playing songs together in their local neighborhood at

Rodriguez, Rizal Rodriguez, officially the Municipality of Rodriguez () and still commonly known by its former name Montalban, is a municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 443,954 people making it ...

in 2017. Nievas was already composing his own original songs prior to the formation of the band. Nievas then decided to invite his other childhood acquaintances and network of schoolmates who are into music until they finalized the current lineup in 2018. Lesther Abaño was already joining amateur singing contests as a solo artist before joining the band."Bandang Lapis makes good with trending single 'Kabilang Buhay'".

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. 2020. The final lineup started joining local band competitions where they performed their original compositions (mostly composed by Nievas). They were hailed champions in their first competition together as a band. In 2019, the group started uploading their songs in

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sites such as

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and

Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...

. The band broke into Spotify's Viral 50 (Philippines) chart, initially making their debut at No. 33 then making the big jump to No. 17 just inside a week with the song ''Kabilang Buhay''. The song was written by Nievas and was inspired by drummer Leandro Repuno's friend whose girlfriend died. The actor in the song's official music video was the one who lost his girlfriend. In 2020, before the

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, the band signed with major record label Viva Records. The band was named the Philippines' "Biggest Breakout Band of 2020". Other songs of the band also reached over a million views in streaming sites such as ''Sana'y Di Nalang'', ''Kung Saan Ka Masaya'' and ''Nang Dumating Ka''. Some of the band members are still in school and are finishing their studies while continuing doing music."Bandang Lapis and its moving hit Sa Kabilang Buhay".

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. 2020. The group also performed at

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Season 4 in 2021.

Etymology

The band's name, which translated to English as ''"Pencil Band"'', was suggested by Nievas and is a reference to their major influence

Eraserheads Eraserheads (sometimes stylized as ƎRASERHEADS or ƎRASƎRHƎADS) are a Filipino rock band formed in Quezon City in 1989. The band consists of lead singer and primary songwriter Ely Buendia, guitarist Marcus Adoro, bassist Buddy Zabala, and dr ...

and their song ''Huwag Mo Nang Itanong''. It is also a nod to their songwriting process where ''pencil'' is their primary tool. As per lead singer Abaño, philosophically, "a pencil has the capability to erase and rectify an error, similar to that in life". Additionally according to Nievas, "it is an easy enough word to remember".

Members

*Lesther Abaño –

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

*Mark Jay Nievas –

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...

, chief songwriter *Lenrey Beltran –

rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a guitar technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse (music), pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., d ...

*Ryan Paul Marangga –

bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...

*Leandro Repuno –

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

, backing vocals *Ivan Morallos –

spoken word poetry Spoken word is an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a 20th-century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of recitation ...

, rap, backing vocals, percussion,

synths A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis an ...

, additional acoustic guitar ;Former member *Jomari Luna – keyboards,

, occasional backing vocals

Discography

Notable singles

*"'' Kabilang Buhay''" *"'' Sana'y Di Nalang''" *"''Kung Saan Ka Masaya''" *"''Pagsisisi''" *"'' Nang Dumating Ka''" *"''Ayaw''" (cover) *"''Pag-asa''" (with Syd Hartha) *"''Dating Tayo''" *"''Pagbilang Ng Tatlo''" *"''Huling Mensahe''" *"'' Kung Alam Mo Lang''" EPs *''Bandang LAPIS Acoustic'' (2021)

References

External links

*{{Facebook, BandangLapisOfficial
''Kabilang Buhay'' by Bandang LAPIS at VIVA official website
Filipino pop music groups Musical groups established in 2020 2020 establishments in the Philippines Viva Records (Philippines) artists