INTERVIEW: Filipino ska-punk band Pinkcow

A buddy from the Philippines submitted some news about a Filipino ska-punk band called Pinkcow who are about to re-release their second album with the support of an Australian record label called DeLink Records. It just so happened that this whole situation totally caught my attention amongst the barrage of emails I get every day about bands from Asia who want to plug their band, release or event (which is TOTALLY awesome! Keep ’em coming!!!). Something about a skapunk band from the Philippines connecting with an Australian label to re-release a record was super intriguing…and if you listen to the song above – they write some killer ska-punk!

So I got my buddy Jep to get me in touch with the singer of Pinkcow to find out more. Here’s our conversation with the singer of Pinkcow Francis.

More info on the band can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pinkcow-Philippines/891092697580051?fref=ts

The record is now available to be purchased digitally on iTunes here:
https://itunes.apple.com/hk/artist/pinkcow/id993757274

Francis tell us about Pinkcow. Especially what’s with the name?!

Pinkcow, or pingkaw in tagalog meaning crooked arm, was a name that just came to me from even before I started the band when we were just skateboarders. We all grew up in the countryside and cows are the primary use of production.

What’s the connection between Pinkcow and skateboarding? How did you guys get into ska-punk?
Skateboarding for us is a hobby and a big time stress reliever. Most of our friends are skaters and we all love ska music especially authentic ska. We are also influenced by our local punk daddies and moms.

What do you mean punk daddies and moms?
What we mean is we were born during the punk era of mid80’s-mid90’s, and at that time the most influential & revolutionary music that we came across was punk and we use that similar style of music to continue to fight for change.

How did you guys get into ska punk? What were the bands that inspired you and why?
Ska punk is a staple music in the skate organization where we belong. We got interested in bands like Mephis Skaphillis and Catch 22 and then got into Rancid, Operation Ivy amongst others.

So where you guys were growing up, ska-punk was the thing that kids were into? When and why did you guys decide to start Pinkcow?
At least in the skate organization we’re in, circle crew. There came a point that we didn’t just want to listen to the music that we love, we wanted to play it as a band. So we ended up forming Pinkcow. Our skater friends instantly became our fanbase!

Awesome! So how long has the band been around and what were some of the first shows like?
Pinkcow has been around since 2003 and have enjoyed all our shows since the beginning. This one time we were part of a tour promoting a shopping mall and we were stuck riding in the truck that carried the backline the entire tour. The most memorable shows for us were the ones at 4th door (a DIY space somewhere in Manila). At those gigs we really honed in our performance skills. We are also honored to have been part of a lot of rallies for social movements here in the Philippines.

Oh – so you guys are a socially conscious band? Rad! Punk rock has to be tied to social issues – that’s important to me. Can you tell us what are some things your songs talk about?
Yes, socially conscious. Mostly, topics are about socio-political issues, social commentaries, skateboarding and anything that makes sense about the realities of our society.

So what are you releasing in June? A full length or EP?
It’s a reissue of our sophomore album. DeLink Records from Australia are the ones re-releasing it.

And how did this relationship come about with this Australian label?
They somehow were interested in us so we sent them a copy of our independently produced album and it got approved. DeLink was established earlier this year to cater to punk musicians from different countries in the world.

What are you guys going to follow this release up with? A tour? New album?
Maybe a provincial tour to promote the album. We’re writing songs for the next album to be released sometime this year.

Ok – anything else you want to add?
First of all, thank you for this interview. One of our goals is to help raise the socio political consciousness of the punk scene and people in general. We hope that our music will inspire people to unite and take direct action against injustice and inequality in society.

What are some organizations that you want to plug?
1. Kontra Kultura, a DIY production
2. Di Alternator, events management
3. Dirty Shoe Collective