Back on the Bus: Ben&Ben Bring New Single ‘Mitsa,’ Perform with 4-Year-Old Fan

Back on the Bus: Ben&Ben Bring New Single ‘Mitsa,’ Perform with 4-Year-Old Fan

If you’re one of the most streamed local acts on Spotify, with your songs serving as soundtracks not only to movies but also to the lives of many OPM aficionados, you must have been making something really good — something that goes beyond careful word-and-note-weaving and precise musical technicalities.

Such is the magic of Ben&Ben, the nine-piece indie folk-pop ensemble that took the local music scene by storm with their calm tunes and gentle melodies about love, loss, and experiences that make life more colorful.

On March 28, Thursday, the sought-after act returned to the Wish Bus to promote their newest release, “Mitsa.” During their radio interview, vocalist and songwriter Paolo Guico shared that the song “is about things that we should give up holding on to.”

Despite its hard-hitting, honest lyricism, the track is still wrapped in optimism with its buoyant melody.

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In a social media post, he shared that the song is “a reminder that time spent loving is never wasted time even if things don’t work out. It’s about [being grateful] for things that were beautiful while they lasted.”

‘Pag wala na naman tayong nararamdaman
Ay mabuti pang itigil na’ng kunwa-kunwari lang
‘Pag wala na naman din itong pupuntahan
Ay mabuti pang sabihin na’ng
Salamat, salamat
- Mitsa, Ben&Ben

“The line ‘mabuti pang itigil na’ng kunwa-kunwari lang’ doesn’t have to mean that things should end. It actually is a challenge, to always be clear and honest when it comes to love. Doing otherwise often leads to toxic things,” he added.

Heartwarming setlist

Though it took almost half a year since Ben&Ben returned to the Wish Bus, it was all worth the wait as the band delivered an all-hits setlist to their fans’ delight.

They performed the bouncy “Ride Home,” the heartrending “Kathang Isip,” and the rosy piece “Leaves,” all taken off their self-titled debut EP.

But apart from the said tracks and “Mitsa,” Ben&Ben further warmed hearts with their performance of “Maybe The Night” with a four-year-old fan named Czarina Bandril.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvkxsybnluu/

The band posted their jamming on their Facebook page, aptly captioning it with “baby the night.” The video, which was first uploaded on March 29, has since garnered over 400,000 hits.

A week before the folk-pop troupe’s Wish Bus comeback, they had already inspired many when news spread about their serenading Maxine Blanco, an avid fan who was then battling bone cancer. The act delighted their 19-year-old listener, singing “Maybe the Night,” “Ride Home,” and “Leaves.”

Blanco succumbed to cancer the day after.

During their Wish Bus guesting, Guico described her as “one of the bravest souls” the band has met. “We were very privileged to be able to sing for her before she’d passed away. It was a very life-changing experience for us. We were really moved,” he added.

Ben&Ben are Paolo Guico (vocals, guitar), Miguel Guico (vocals, guitar), Poch Barretto (electric guitar), Jam Villanueva (drums), Agnes Reoma (bass), Patricia Lasaten (keyboards), Toni Muñoz (percussions), Andrew de Pano (percussions) and Keifer Cabugao (violin).