“’MRT’ is one of the rare songs I got to write in less than 10 minutes,” says Sam Marquez, lead guitarist of One Click Straight. “[Usually, the process] is [that] I go through different versions of songs when I write, but for this one, it just [happened].” This song is now the band’s latest single is now out on all music streaming platforms under Island Records Philippines.
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“MRT” evokes a memory, says Sam, and this memory is of him and his girlfriend waiting in line for the train every day. His brother Tim says that the band knew that they had to aim for a minimalist sound to reflect that memory. “We were really particular [about] the sounds we wanted to put,” he says, “so I guess the most challenging part [was] really the decision making in terms of what really [fit] the song and what [kept] it interesting.”
“MRT”’s eventual sound, Sam says, evokes the feeling of being in transit. “If you listen closely, you’ll hear a train track grooving to the beat of the song,” he says. There were other unique sonic touches done with the help of their recording engineer Daniel Momong. For instance, he set up microphones to record a suitcase acting as a kick drum.
One Click Straight has played “MRT” live before, says Tim. “[It was] just for fun and…we love the instrumental ending part,” he says, “It’s just so moody and it’s the type of song we could just lose ourselves [in] and go where the vibe takes us.” His big wish? “I hope to play it someday at a festival and maybe with rain pouring down,” Tim says, “That would be cool.”
As the band begins the final stretch of 2022, they hope to release a few more songs and finish their much-awaited album. Until then, listeners old and new will get a chance to experience the thrill of riding with the one they value the most.
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