“It’s all about purpose, not the popularity.”
This is what OPM band The Juans said on what they have learned in the past 10 years of their career as artists.
During the media conference for their anniversary album Tawid, the band shared that their ultimate goal has always been to inspire and touch lives through music.
“Sa sampung taon, natutunan namin na longevity is the name of the game. It’s not chasing the hype. It’s not being on top [all] the time but it’s about living our purpose every chance we get. Hanggang may opportunity po kami mag-share, may opportunity po kami umawit, may opportunity po kami kumanta,” vocalist and keyboardist Carl Guevarra said.
He added, “The ultimate goal is to still live out the purpose and as we still cling onto the purpose, that’s what allows us to be here after 10 years.”
For the four-member band, what matters most is how their music touches the hearts of their listeners.
“Focusing on the purpose is what keeps us for showing up everyday, knowing na hangga’t mayroong nakaka-appreciate ng music namin, hanggang may soul kami natatouch, we are living up on our purpose,” Carl added.
This sense of purpose also reflects in Tawid, which features tracks about love, self-reflection, and moving forward in life. True to its title, the album symbolizes the band crossing over to a new chapter.
“This whole Tawid Live is not just for the people we are playing for but also for us. Noong unang araw ng rehearsal namin, it’s actually what we talk about na itong unang rehearsal ay unang step natin sa pagtawid natin to our next season,” Carl recalled, looking back at their preparations for their Tawid Live album showcase last August 29.
READ: EXCLUSIVE: The Juans hope to take 'Tawid' album showcase to bigger stages nationwide
He went on: “This whole process of writing the album, talking about where we are now in our lives, preparing for the show, this is literally our 'tawid' moment because literally God will take us to a different level.”
Faith, he added, has always been a core part of their journey and artistry. This was evident in the Tawid Live showcase, where the band created space for worship during their set.
“Tawid Live is an expression of how our faith is placed into how we do our music, how we live our lives. It’s integral to what we do. When we were thinking of the worship moment during the Tawid Live, we wanted to make a space where God can move into the people,” Carl explained.
“Alam po namin yung mga songs namin may certain depth and may certain hatak siya for the people to be vulnerable so we don’t wanna waste the moment na as they exposed their brokenness we do not just want to stop there. We just also wanted to be true to what we say na we are here from hugot to healing. We believe that it is only God that can heal broken hearts that’s why we create that space,” he added.
“Kami po ay nagsimula bilang musician sa aming simbahan so we always want to go back to that. Not to prove anything or magbigay ng statement para may patunayan sa mga tao but if we want to be real, an authentic artist, hindi mawawala yung part na iyon.”
Tawid, which marks the band’s 10th anniversary, is available on streaming platforms.