We've roughed it out with ANECHOIS through sweaty weather, soundchecks, shuttling around Metro Manila over the five days of the A Shadow of a Sound Tour and you've read our report on their mini-tour in Manila. Now it is time we hear from the band themselves. We spoke to this candid bunch about playing for the first time overseas, how it all began, and a little on that Segway party. Also revealed: the band's food of choice. 

How did plans to tour Manila come about?

We first met Clarence from tide/edit online, and later in Singapore at toe’s Mosaic show, and he’s been really helping to spread our music since. And then we met Ajie (of Green Apple Production) when she came to see us at The Pigeonhole’s closing gig. They as well as a few other friends we’ve made on Twitter and at Baybeats have been pressing us to visit the Philippines so it was only a matter of time!

What were some things running through your head before the trip?

How to bring our gear over, whether we’ll have our EP and merchandise ready on time, dreams of cheese bread…

The very first show abroad – at Route 196 – what was the experience like? What went right/wrong?

We weren’t prepared to play at 1am! Some of our power adapters were the wrong plug, we jumped in without a soundcheck… Despite all that, we felt perfectly at home — the place isn’t so different from the BluJaz attic, and the crowd was on a high from watching tide/edit play.

How was the second show at SaGuijo different?

SaGuijo was more intimate, people sitting on the floor right in front of us, and everyone was a bit more relaxed. And we got to meet more people, especially those who were catching us for the second time!

Describe the gigging scene in Manila from your experience.

Very, very active. There are gigs literally every day at each of the venues we played and many others. In fact some of the bands we played with had more shows that week!

You played with a bunch of local bands from Manila, which ones do you recommend of us here to check out?

tide/edit, of course… also Earthmover, Tom’s Story, Autotelic… if we go on we will name all the bands we played with.

What's the best feedback about ANECHOIS that you’ve heard from the tour?

Just the fact that people took the chance to see us, and then came back for more the next day is really great.

Asyraft: I heard someone shouting "Shiok!" at Saguijo while we were playing. That was kinda hilarious.

What did you enjoy the most from playing overseas?

How everything can be different, unfamiliar venue and faces, but once we started playing it felt like we were right at home. But also the chance to catch new bands and meet new people.

Besides performing days, what else did you do in Manila?

Fad: Sight-seeing, also revisited some of my favourite shops from my previous visit. I’m also the champion (most definitely) when we had a Segway race with you Bandwagon guys.

Justin: And we ate a lot of bread and fried chicken.

Our full report of ANECHOIS in Manila here