The OPM artist-turned-entrepreneur returns with “Summer Dream” and Champ Lui-Pio Collab “Pangako ng Bukas,” proving creative passion never fades.
After several years away from the music scene, pop-rock singer and composer Miguel Escueta returns with a creative surge, releasing two new singles, “Summer Dream” and “Pangako ng Bukas.”
Once a fixture of the Philippine alternative rock scene in the late 2000s with hits like “Falling Away” and “Isipin,” Miguel spent recent years focusing on fatherhood, family life, and his growing coffee business, Frank & Dean Coffee.
“Earlier this year, I just had to write,” Miguel told radar Entertainment. “It was so therapeutic at the time it happened. That’s when ‘Summer Dream’ was written, and it just snowballed into recording, releasing, and more writing.”
The Champ Lui-Pio collaboration and advocacy
Miguel’s songwriting comeback quickly led to a fitting follow-up: “Pangako ng Bukas,” co-written with longtime friend and Hale frontman Champ Lui-Pio. The two share a rich history in the local music scene, including touring together under the same management. While Champ continues to perform actively with Hale, which recently celebrated its 20th year, Miguel is embracing his rekindled inspiration for songwriting.
Incidentally, “Pangako ng Bukas” was crafted as a heartfelt tribute to mental health advocacy, with its October release coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Month. The single also comes with a music video, creatively directed by Gab Gucci, with Patrick Rodil as cinematographer.
New sound, classic influences
A cursory listen to Miguel’s new music reveals traces of his earlier influences, including Coldplay and the Foo Fighters. While more piano-driven than his past work, the songs gradually build into heavier rock passages, featuring blazing guitar solos performed by Miguel’s brother.
Looking back on his early “musical retirement,” Miguel reflects with gratitude: “No regrets at all. However my musical journey panned out is how God always planned for it to be. I truly believe that. However, I believe that worrying about what other people think is often detrimental to progress.”
Miguel first rose to fame in his early 20s with hits like “Falling Away,“ “Isipin,” “Handa,” and “Blue Monday,” as well as albums under MCA Music such as “AM M.E.,” “I AM ME: Amplified,” and “Now it Starts.” He also became a familiar face on GMA-7’s Sunday noontime show “Party P.”
‘The Morning Episodes’
Later, he rebranded himself as “The Morning Episodes” when he moved to Los Angeles and then released the album “Never Felt So Alive” and several singles, including a collaboration with Solenn Heussaff, “Until The Sunrise.”
Now, as a husband, father, and entrepreneur, Miguel is answering music’s call once again, proving that passion never truly fades and that creativity can thrive no matter the chapter of life.
No regrets, at all. However my musical journey panned out is how God always planned for it to be. I truly believe that.
Miguel Escueta
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