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Gail Banawis on expanding her artistry as a songwriter with latest single “Next 2 Me”

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Liezel dela Cruz

<p>When you hear Struggail, also known as Gail Banawis, sing her track “Next 2 Me” in this episode of Kapamilya Chat, feelings of love and romance will surely awaken inside you. Gail wrote the lyrics of the song, while the overall production was done by a team that includes singer-songwriter Lian Dyogi, who was also present in this episode.</p><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="06b9cac5decc13edae3497a22831561a" data-ivs-spid="3001384" data-ivs-vid="2688531"></ivs-player></div><div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>“Next 2 Me” might sound chill, something you’d play during a charming evening, but the lyrics actually evoke the pain of friendship breakups. “It’s like a lost friendship. Parang, biglaan, ‘yung kaibigan mo naging cold na parang hindi mo na siya kilala. Even though you’re next to that person, you feel like a stranger,” she explained the message of her track.</p><p>Gail’s ‘hugot’ was plucked from a personal experience, and everyone can sure relate to it. Even Lian said that she once went through the same situation. However, the girls pressed that friendship breakups are normal because people grow. People change.</p><p>Gail, who loves to write songs and journals to release her emotions, composed “Next 2 Me” when she was feeling sad one night. “I’m just human. Sometimes you put feelings into art, mas naa-accept mo siya. I was able to turn pain into something great,” she mused.</p><div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rsjw-dhdzs0" title="Next 2 Me - Struggail (Lyrics)" width="640"></iframe></div><p>Between losing a friend and losing a romantic partner, Gail believes that the former hurts more because friends become a part of you. She feels more vulnerable when it comes to friendship, “’Pag romantic kasi, sometimes you present yourself in a different way. But with your friends, they accept you just the way you are.” Lian agrees, especially when the friendship lasted years, or even longer than your romantic relationship. It stings deeper, though, Lian said, when your partner is also your best friend. That’s why friends have trouble getting into a romantic relationship.</p><p>Asked whom they want to be next with during a dark season, they mentioned each other. They revealed that they often talk virtually. They call it Zoom dates. What Gail appreciates about Lian is that she’s a good listener and she keeps her calm. The same goes for Lian, who isn’t shy to call Gail just to rant.</p><p>This friendship started virtually as well, via KUMU when Lian was looking for artists to guest on her livestream. Her handler recommended Gail, though it took months to muster the courage to reach out to her. They checked out each other’s Instagram pages and thought of each other as cool and talented, though Gail was shy considering that Lian is the daughter of Star Magic head Lauren Dyogi. They had a Zoom meeting and saw that they vibe well. Slowly, they started to hang out outside of work and collaborated in writing songs. They’ve grown so close that they remind each other to eat on time or take rest. </p><p>When it comes to making songs, Gail and Lian have varying processes depending on the material and their mood. For Lian, deadlines could help her create a structure, “Pipigain mo lang talaga siya hanggang sa, ‘Okay this is the best thing that I can do at this time.’” Writer’s block is inevitable, but it should be cured than ignored. Lian said that she would go for a walk to keep the creative juices flowing.</p><p>Asking for a friend’s help doesn’t make you less of an artist, either. Lian shared that there was one time she called Gail to ask for help on a song and they ended up sharing ideas. In another instance, she panicked and phoned her fellow singer-songwriter Trisha Denise, who told her, “Wala, girl. Minsan kailangan mo lang talaga iire. Ilalabas mo na lang siya talaga. No choice, in other words. Kung may deadline, may deadline.”</p><p>There’s no one-size-fits-all remedy to overcoming writer’s block, though. Lian shared that there was one time when she had to scrap what she started and start anew. Gail seconded that there are days when inspiration dries up she has to take a pause. One of the advantages of writing her own song, though, is that she can take her time, unlike Lian who must stick with deadlines in making songs for other artists.</p><p>Now that online music is a trend, newcomers have more opportunities to share their talent and attract wider attention like Angela Ken, whose popular track “Ako Naman Muna” was first discovered on TikTok. Having started as a social media cover star herself, Gail considers this a positive change. She mentioned that she only wanted to do covers for fun, but netizens noticed and she took it as a sign that she has the potential. “Honestly, until now, hindi pa nagsi-sink in that I’m able to do this ‘cause I would have never imagined,” she thought when asked her reaction to the outpouring of support on her new endeavor. </p><p>Lian echoed the same sentiment, “I don’t think I would be an artist today kung wala ang social media. If we we’re in the ‘80s and you only had the radio and music labels, parang hindi ko kaya.” She added that social media helps artists connect to their audience, thus they can cater to their listeners&#x27; specific taste. Besides, netizens’ feedback helps them see what needs to be improved. And while this means tougher competition between artists, Lian is glad that more artists are given the platform to boost the OPM industry.</p><p>Asked their advice to aspiring artists, Gail imparted, “Just do it. You’ll never know. Even mag-start ka lang with short songs, just post it kasi you’ll never know kung ano ang magiging sikat sa mga tao.” Besides, no one will do it for you. “If it’s something that speaks to your heart, listen to your heart and do it.”</p><p>Meanwhile, Lian’s reminder is to never downplay your abilities. “Huwag mong sabihin na ganito ’lang’ ako, singer lang ako o dancer lang ako. Marami kang opportunities na pwedeng i-explore.” She mentioned Gail, who used to think she could only do covers but has now evolved into a songwriter. She said, “Huwag mong i-limit ‘yung potential mo.”</p>