From L-R: Ahmad Tanji, Em Aquino, Eric Po and Khalid Tanji.
A conscious preference for poetry and moody guitar undertones over roaring arena riffs and calculated rhythm is the driving concept behind the Manila-based indie act that is Your Imaginary Friends.
Taking four years to evolve, Your Imaginary Friends began as an idea for an e-mail project by two of its members who were, back then, quite physically distant from each other. The band has come a long way since those days, and along with the relocations, several lineup changes, and later affiliation with indie record label, Lilystars, they have developed a distinct sound and musical quality, which is—as the band members themselves describe—a typical songwriter’s delight, only edgier—making them one of the most exciting acts to come out in the Philippine music scene.
Stirred by the noise outburst of the Pixies, the head bobbing jangle of The Smiths and the often-somber mood of Death Cab for Cutie, their songs revolve around coming-of-age adventures from someone else’s first kiss, missing a childhood friend to loss of innocence.
Your Imaginary Friends was one of only three acts who opened the show in Metro Manila for Club 8, a world-renowned indie pop act from Sweden who visited the Philippines as part of a tour. The band unrelentingly took advantage of this momentum by releasing their first EP dubbed One Dreamy Indeterminate Hum last September, 2010.
Their 2nd EP entitled Silence is a Villain released last January 2013, validated their itch to make the world a saner room to sleep in with their brand of pop.
The faces behind Your Imaginary Friends are:
Ahmad Tanji – Vocals & Guitars
Emerald Aquino – Bass, Vocals & Keyboards
Khalid Tanji – Guitars
Eric Po – Drums
