April Morning Skies

April Morning Skies was formed in the latter part of 2003 by Andrew Espiritu (vocals) and Macoy Estacio (drums). Mark then invited guitarist Aaron Corvera from the band they were both in, Bib Fortuna. Aaron, in turn, recruited bass guitarist Bernard Olazo from the local hardcore scene, and guitarist Kenneth Aranza, who was influenced by emo and post-punk. Keyboardist Dez Sulit joined shortly after.

In 2005, Dez Sulit left the band. He was replaced by Tim Gonzalez. Not long after, they caught the attention of Eric Perlas from Tower of Doom. They eventually released the demo single “Self Torture is the Best Escape.” By 2006, they were signed under Tower of Doom Records.

April Morning Skies was among the bands that comprised the Siege Tour, and they joined the Tour for both 2007 and 2008 incarnations. In 2007, they performed in the Pulp Summer Slam concert, and on the rock stage of the Fete de la Musique.

In 2008, they released In Darker Days Ahead, their debut album that also included their original demo single. They also released “Deathstar Diorama” as the carrier single for the album. The year would also see them as opening acts for the Darkest Hour and Thursday concerts. By 2009, they would have their own national album tour, and then appear again in the Fete de la Musique.

This would all lead to a nomination for favorite indie artist in the 2010 Myx Music awards, and performances in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Malaysia.

In 2011, they went onstage for the Pulp Summer Slam Resurrection concert. They also participated in two separate tours, the Lords of the Loud, and Colt 45’s Rakrakan Tour.

In 2012, two founding members, Andrew Espiritu and Macoy Estacio, left the band. Macoy joined Chicosci as their regular drummer, and has a side band, At Times Provoked, where Chicosci guitarist Ariel Lumanlan is also a member. These events triggered a hiatus for the band. In 2013, Aaron and Kenneth, the two AMS guitarists, would become busy with another band, Save Me Hollywood. Bernard Olazo would become more involved with his other band, the Fun City Boys, which had already released a full-length album in 2011. It should be noted that the hiatus was never officially announced.

After some time, momentum built up for the band to continue, and come out with new material. In the latter part of 2012, Rodrigo Ybanez and Lester Faraon officially became members of the band, as vocalist and drummer, respectively.

April Morning Skies is currently working on material for a new release under Tower of Doom.

Initially, the band played post-punk and post-hardcore cover songs, but they eventually shifted to playing their own original songs. In an interview, they have described their own music as an “amalgamation of post-punk and punk hardcore,” and have identified themselves as part of the “scream” musical subculture at one point. They are influenced by metalcore music as well.

The band has made it a point that the songwriting and lyrical components of their music are very important, aside from the aggressive and heavy arrangements that they are known for.

Rodrigo Ybanez - Vocals

Rodrigo joined the band in late 2012, along with drummer Lester.

Aaron Corvera - Guitars

Aaron is also a member of the rock band Save Me Hollywood.

Kenneth Aranza - Guitars

Like Aaron, Kenneth is a member of Save Me Hollywood.

Bernard Olazo - Bass

Bernard Olazo is also the bass guitarist of post-punk indie band Fun City Boys

Lester Faraon - Drums

Lester joined the band in late 2012, along with vocalist Rodrigo.

Former Members

Andrew Espiritu - (Vocalist, 2003-2012)

Andrew’s lively stage presence was one of the visual focal points of the band. He left in 2012.

Macoy Estacio - (Drummer, 2003-2012)

Macoy left the band in 2012, and has since become the drummer for ChicoSci. He also has a side band, At Times Provoked. ChicoSci guitarist Ariel Lumanlan is also a member of the said band.

Tim Gonzales - (Keyboardist)

Tim was the keyboardist for the band's debut album and for most of their tours and performances. He has taken leaves and rejoined the band at multiple times throughout the years, but is currently not included in the latest lineup.

Dez Sulit - (Keyboardist, 2003-2005)

Dez was the first keyboardist of the band, and was eventually replaced by Tim Gonzalez.

Myx Music Awards 2010

Nominated Favorite Indie Artist