The rising artist hopes to turn his admiration for Tabudlo into a future musical collaboration.
Growing up with a separated family can take a toll on anyone, and for emerging singer-songwriter and producer ICEBOX, it meant burying his emotions for years.Â
Now, the “ikaw, ikaw, ikaw” artist is opening up about how unexpected isolation transformed his suppressed pain into a passionate musical drive.
Following the release of his latest single “SAAKIN,” the artist, whose real name is Leo Matias, reflected on a challenging childhood split between his family in the Philippines and his home base in Singapore.
Dealing with heavy feelings of isolation and loneliness, he admits he simply pushed those emotions to the back of his mind. The real turning point arrived during the global quarantine. Finding himself completely alone in Singapore while his parents were locked down in the Philippines, he needed an outlet.
With nothing but time and a need for distraction, ICEBOX experimented with various hobbies before ultimately discovering his love for songwriting. What started as a simple way to pass the time quickly became a profound mechanism for processing his past.
“It triggered this inner healing in the sense that while I couldn’t fully get over what happened, it still allowed me to process all of the pain that I was pushing down,” ICEBOX shared in an interview with radar Entertainment.
This emotional breakthrough cemented his path. For ICEBOX, making music is no longer just a hobby. Under record label PARKA, he pushes for his lifelong pursuit which benefits him physically and spiritually, giving him a constant avenue for personal growth no matter how busy life gets.
When asked who he wants to make music with after working with fellow Filipino indie artist Eliza Maturan in “ikaw, ikaw, ikaw,” ICEBOX did not hesitate to name hitmaker Zack Tabudlo.
ICEBOX expressed immense admiration for Tabudlo’s pristine vocals and his dual talent as both a writer and a producer. He noted that Tabudlo possesses a unique ability to not only imagine a track but to bring it to life with full creative control.
“When I heard ‘Binibini’ for the first time, I was so taken aback like, grabe, I can’t believe I’m hearing something like this,” he confessed.
Despite a missed opportunity to meet Tabudlo during the star’s visit to Singapore—ICEBOX was away at army camp at the time—the aspiring artist remains hopeful for a future team-up. Looking directly into the camera during the interview, ICEBOX got to shoot his shot with a casual but earnest invitation to his musical idol.
“Hi Zack, if you ever see this, and the unlikely event that you see this, @/call.me.icebox on IG, just DM me. Let’s work on a project together.”
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