Robin Nievera: ‘OPM will grow if we write our own songs’
Robin Nievera, eldest son of estranged pop couple Pops Fernandez and Martin Nievera, would have you fooled. Or not.
His debut album "Overwait" luxuriates in blues-derived guitar riffarama, making you think the young Nievera could be distancing his own music from his parent's legacy.
But as the album progresses, the first blush leads to surprise that Martin's first-born, whose other recent musical foray was producing his parent's one-off reunion album, "No More Words," could carve out his own musical identity.
Schooled in John Mayer
At the same time, a lot can be made that Robin, whose other public persona was that of a MYX VJ, is both a competent songwriter and excellent guitarist shuttling comfortably between electric and acoustic modes with equal ease.
The young Nievera is aware of another first impression, that he's schooled in the House of John Mayer—though his album operates in the zone when Mayer stretched beyond the cutesy appeal of "Your Body Is a Wonderland."
In an exclusive interview with Yahoo! Philippines OMG! Robin says, "John Mayer is certainly a role model. We both love the blues. If you listen to him, he also likes Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn and John Lee Hooker. That's why, we play similar guitar riffs."
That said, the 25-year-old shows a firm grasp of blues, acoustic folk and rock &roll to stand out on his own.
Not laidback
The album opener, "In 3's," begins with quick drum rolls then Robin slips in the rocking chords to preface a bluesy ballad. "Lost" starts like a lost cousin of Imago's "Sundo" before the ensemble takes it to a romantic groovin' ride. "Smile" is a sing-along pop tune fit to soundtrack a toothpaste commercial while "Delight" pays homage to acoustic folk/country tradition couched in lovey-dovey cooing.
It's not a laidback album though. "Beautiful" glides in the gauzy ambience of downtempo trip-hop. Album closer, "Untitled," indulges in the same trip-hop atmospherics to trick up the blues to epic ends.
Robin muses, "The final track is the heaviest song on the album. And it's fun to play because people would react to it differently every time we play it live."
He has performed some of his compositions in public plus one cover in rare instances. He says they have been received very well. His audience may not know his songs but he delights in the fact that they clap, they move about and sway to his music.
'Too many cover versions'
All 10 original compositions he has written over the past three years made it on "Overwait." He credits his proficiency to having mom and pop take him along to live shows as well as in studio recording sessions.
Robin admits, "I've always dreamed of recording an album myself and writing my own songs. With the new album, I also wanted to contribute my share for OPM to grow. I don't see it growing if everyone does covers. That's my stand on it."
Needless to say, his album is made up of all original songs.
"For OPM to grow, we should start writing our own songs. There's nothing wrong in covering other people's songs. It's just that for the past 20 years, there have been too many cover versions already."
More than being a singer-songwriter or a rock and roller, Robin would rather see himself over the long haul as a producer. Robin says, "I had so much fun producing for my parents and I'd like to produce for other people too. Also, my mom and dad have been singing for 30 years and counting. I don't see myself singing for the next 30 years."
Robin's "Overwait" will be launched formally in ASAP 2012 on Sunday, July 15.
