ITCHYWORMS

The year 2016 was a landmark year for the itchyworms. They participated in two of the country's most prestigious songwriting competitions, and released a chart-topping collaboration with an OPM Rock icon.

Earlier in the year, songwriter Davey Langit asked the band to interpret "Dalawang Letra," his entry into the Himig Handog P-Pop Love Songs competition. The song went on to win top prize at the finals night in April. Only a few months later in July, the band’s drummer/vocalist Jazz Nicolas with songwriting partner Wally Acolola, won the PhilPop grand prize with their composition "Di Na Muli," also performed by the itchyworms.

In August, the band released "Pariwara," a song written in collaboration with no less than Ely Buendia himself. The new release blends the best of their songwriting sensibilities. According to Buendia, the song had been in his chest of unfinished ideas since the days of the Eraserheads. The song remained untouched until early 2016, when vocalist Jugs Jugueta asked after any partial songs Buendia may have had lying around. Buendia gave the itchyworms “Pariwara,” and in short order, Jugueta and Jazz Nicolas delivered more lyrics and a new bridge. Shortly thereafter, Ely and the itchyworms got together at his home studio, known as the Bunker, to hash out a final arrangement.

Over the years the band has collaborated with other OPM icons such as Gary Valenciano, Ryan Cayabyab, the APO Hiking Society, and Juan dela Cruz frontman Joey "Pepe" Smith. The advertising and movie industries also constantly utilize the band’s existing songs or recruit the band to write new material.

To date they have released four full-length studio albums and one EP. They have also contributed songs to numerous compilations, most notably including the Kami nAPO Munatribute albums. In 2014 they launched their fourth full-length studio album, After All This Time. This new deluxe edition of the album contains six bonus tracks aside from the ten main tracks. These include the current single Ayokong Tumanda, the title track After All This Time, and a remake of the classic Juan dela Cruz song Panahon.

The band has traveled throughout most of the Philippines. They have also played gigs in Dubai and Singapore, and are now eager to showcase their brand of Filipino music in other countries. They also enjoy exceptional reach because their frontman Jugs Jugueta is a co-host of the popular ABS-CBN variety program It’s Showtime.

Itchyworms music endears itself to everyone who listens to it, and you can be sure that a performance will showcase hit after hit, each very close to the heart.