Some singers need not do something unfamiliar to deal with the challenges life is throwing at them. They just need to do that thing they do: sing.
Skarlet Brown, a stirring voice you surely have heard if you have encountered the wittily named band Put3ska, is finding a sort of rebirth in her long run as a full-time singer. Thanks to a new record contract she signed with Polyeast Records. She’s set to sing more in the studio while gigging around.
What makes her recent break sweeter is the fact that she had been to some hell before finding her way back.
“I’ve been through a difficult time and I thought I lost myself,” Skarlet expressed as she recalled how the pandemic affected her routine and emotional state.
Like many musicians, she struggled with the lack of income brought by the zero gig economy when the global health crisis hit. Big personal challenges came and she even lost one of her insurance policies.
The return of gig life surely brought back some sense to Skarlet’s psyche but like many of us, it takes a while to bounce back.
Referring to her current schedule of “reaching out to new audiences” and “doing songs I normally don’t sing,” she said, “I need a regular woodshedding place. I need to sing. It’s an exercise of my voice.”
At present, Skarlet jams with Rockitwell Band every Thursday at Red Rhino in The Hub Greenfield District, EDSA Central Avenue.
Put3ska, best known for the songs “Manila Girl” and “Sirang Romantiko,” had a fun-filled reunion show at the Music Museum a year before the pandemic, with Skarlet at the forefront. After that high point, she could happily say “We’re good and had patched things up.” But with some of the other members no longer based in Metro Manila, it will take some time to do that again, much less a return to active band duty.
That makes Skarlet’s solo journey to record new singles extra interesting, especially for someone who can lay claim to being, pun intended, a Manila girl who dares to follow her.
Based on Skarlet’s view on the current band scene, her upcoming releases should be something to look forward to. Her return process to form makes her more understanding about how things have become, as she acknowledges the undeniable strength of what was then.
She noted, “We were more gritty back then. We were heavier. Millennial and Gen Z rockers are more eclectic but with a softer edge. But they’re doing well and I’m happy for them; social media is working for them.”
More than her musical approach to things, it’s Skarlet’s rekindled spirituality that’s giving her some extra grit in facing the future. “I’m looking forward to singing records,” she said, “I’m happy I’m back gigging actively. I’m setting new goals and focusing more on my daughter (Maru). I’m being strong for myself and I love being in love.”
Skarlet had updated that so far she already submitted four songs ready for recording and release. The Manila girl’s feet are definitely “movin’ steady.”