🎸 How St. Valentine Was Formed
It all started when I became a sessionist for Haze during their Fête gig. Their bassist could not join because of her internship, so they asked me to fill in. It had been two years since I last played in a band, and I realized how much I missed it. I really enjoyed playing with Haze because they were such amazing people, fun, talented, and very easy to get along with.
After that gig, I realized how much I missed being part of a band. So I messaged our group chat and asked if we could form one. Someone suggested that I post in Facebook groups to look for members, but I did not do it right away. I was still unsure if I could handle the responsibility of managing a band. It felt new to me, and I was a bit intimidated.
A month later, Jae from Haze messaged me and recommended Shandy, who had also sessioned for them before. She is a drummer. That was when I decided to finally go for it and start forming a band. I messaged my past bandmates, Eli and Sheena, to ask if they wanted to join, and they both agreed.
The next challenge was finding a lead guitarist. I tried posting in some Facebook groups, but no one replied. Then Jae helped again and recommended Gwen, her friend who plays electric guitar. We invited her to join us, and she said yes.
During our first practice, Gwen could not make it because she got lost finding the place since she is from Panabo. We met her later at a gig we attended, and we started talking. She was really nice, and we instantly clicked. During our conversation, she mentioned that she had a friend who could sing and also knew how to scream. That was when we decided to add her as another vocalist aside from Eli.
And that is how St. Valentine was formed. It did not happen overnight, but through small moments, random connections, and people helping each other out. What started as a simple session gig turned into something that brought me back to doing what I love, which is playing music with people who share the same passion.
We may still be new and learning, but this band already feels special to me. I am excited to see where St. Valentine’s journey will go next.