AFTER SOLO CAREER, MARK OBLEA FEELS RIGHT AT HOME WITH POP-ROCK TRIO DEAR DAHLIA
While he has always dreamed of being in a band, Mark Oblea found himself going the solo route shortly after his stint in the 2016 reality singing contest, “Pinoy Boyband Superstar.”
After six years, nine singles and one full-length album, the 28-year-old artist has finally fulfilled his original goal through the newly launched pop-rock trio, Dear Dahlia.
“I have always wanted to be in a band. I used to dream that, should I end up singing, there should be a band. But after finishing as a finalist in ‘Pinoy Boyband
Superstar,’ things didn’t pan out that way—I became a solo artist first. So when the opportunity to form Dear Dahlia came along, I was like, ‘Let’s do it!’ It’s a dream come true,” Mark told the Inquirer in a recent interview.
Also composed of Christian Laguardia and Keann Barsaga, Dear Dahlia immediately felt like “home.”
“We have been playing together for three years now and have about 10 years of experience each in music. Tropa ko na sila, so there was no awkwardness. We had to feel our way in our first jamming sessions. But the next meetings and sessions went very well,” Mark said, adding that he thinks he will feel more at home in a band.
“The bond is different,” added Mark, whose solo career spawned the hit singles “Tabi” and “Kabilugan ng Buwan.” “It would be nice to go on tour with your bandmates instead of just going solo.”
Making music
Mark has also dabbled in acting, appearing in such television series as ABS-CBN’s “Init sa Magdamag” and indie films like “Tres.”
For now, though, music will be his focus. “If I can do some acting projects on the side, while making music, why not? But now, I want to put my efforts into making music,” he said.
Dear Dahlia was originally envisioned as a five-man band. However, because of personal matters and other career plans, two of the supposed members decided not to push through. Still, Mark, Christian and Keann soldiered on.
“We knew that we had to continue what we started. We just went for it because there were no other people to replace the other members,” Christian said. “But we’re contemplating adding one more musician in the future.”
Soundwise, the group makes 1980s rock ditties,
but with a modern pop twist. “We love to listen to 1970s and ’80s music. We love bands like Queen, but we also appreciate new groups, like The Chainsmokers,” Christian said. “So we try to incorporate our ideas and our influences.”
Their debut single, “Ma
We have been playing together for three years now and have about 10 years of experience each in music
Mark Oblea Dear Dahlia member
labo” (Universal Records), is a synth-laden tune whose head-bopping beat belies its heartbreaking lyrics.
“It’s a sad song, but it doesn’t sound like it—you can still jive to it in the morning. You can still sing along with it. I think that’s what makes it interesting,” said Mark, who wrote the song one lonely night. “I just felt like playing the guitar and that’s what came out. It’s a song about missing someone who will no longer come back.”
The group is named after the dahlia flower, which is said to symbolize “purity,” “creativity” “and inner strength.” “We try to look for beauty in all the people we meet and interact with, the things happening around us, the emotions we all feel,” Mark said. “It’s like our letter to the people.”