On Healing and Self-Rediscovery: syd hartha Releases Debut EP, ‘gabay’

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The delicate tracks of “gabay” offer catharsis to those who are battling personal struggles

Folk-pop artist syd hartha, one of the most prolific singer-songwriters today, recently launched her first-ever EP, “gabay.”

With five tracks produced by frequent collaborator Brian Lotho, the EP “is a compilation of different stories from [her] adventures and misadventures as a young woman.”

“It mainly talks about healing and taking control over your own destiny; letting go of the past, and getting to know yourself again,” the 21-year-old act further shared in a press release.

“gabay” also features stellar musicians who helped bring her stories to life through simple yet compelling sonic arrangements. The roster includes Pat Sarabia on drums, Raisa Racelis on bass, and Bea Fabros for the lead guitar parts in “kung nag-aatubili.”

In 2018, syd broke into the music scene with “tila tala,” a guitar-driven ditty about loving someone out of your league. From her debut single, she has grown into a songsmith who isn’t afraid to showcase “unguarded moments of vulnerability with captivating rawness” through tracks such as “ayaw,” “paruparo,” and “hiwaga.”

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Delicate songs, cathartic stories

In “gabay,” the opening track “pakay” bravely dives into the trauma of having one’s innocence be taken advantage of. “Ano bang alam ko/ Sa buhay na ganito?/ Ano bang alam ko/ Sa edad na ganito?,” syd emphasizes in the lyrics.

She follows it up with a relatively more light-hearted cut: “kung nag-aatubili.” Reflecting her complicated view on romance, the artist candidly voices out her hesitations, all while acknowledging that who she needs is someone who can accept her wholly.

Syd’s Wish Bus performance of this stripped-down song earned her a Wishclusive Contemporary Folk Performance nomination at the 8th Wish Music Awards.

In the middle of the EP, listeners will find the standout sultry piece “3:15,” which features hip-hop and R&B act kiyo. In the collaborative work — which finds the two artists stepping out of their comfort zones, musically speaking — the narrators succumb to the inescapable pull of the relationship that they share.

After exploring the intricacies of love, life, and her own past, she comes to terms with herself in “gabay.” And with “lipad,” the closing track, she rises as someone who has found maturity afresh; someone with a more assured voice that can cut through the noise of the world within and around her.

According to syd, the first three songs were written “years ago when [she] was in a dark place.” Meanwhile, “gabay” and “lipad,” were penned during the pandemic.

“I reached a point where I saw myself in the mirror and realized I didn’t recognize her anymore. I knew I was sick of treating and talking negatively to myself and started to decide I wanted to create a new life for myself. I realized that I had to zoom out of my little box of self-loathing and see things through from a different perspective,” she explained in the same press release.

While the songs are personal stories of trauma and self-rediscovery, “gabay,” with its sheer honesty, is an EP where listeners can draw inspiration from to address and heal from their own struggles.

Stream syd hartha’s “gabay” EP below:

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Written by Emmy Borromeo

Editing by Pauline Bolaños