And where words fail, music effortlessly conveys so much more, one of the many reasons Armand Ross Ocampo Soriano, who goes by the name Armand Ross, chooses to express himself by writing his own songs.
Born in the Philippines and raised in Dubai, UAE, independent singer-songwriter Soriano first came to Kuala Lumpur eight years ago to further his studies. He has been living here ever since.
Surrounded by family and friends who are all musically inclined, his own musical journey started at an early age in church, where he also learnt how to play the guitar and piano.
Although he frequently played at gigs and events during his college years, it was only recently that he decided to seriously pursue music on the side.
“My true passion is to write songs and to share them with listeners,” said the 26-year-old who works full-time in sales in a tech company.
Come Oct 28, Soriano will be releasing his debut single “As a Friend”, a catchy jazz-pop tune that explores the theme of unrequited love.
“It also touches on acceptance, which allows you to be happy and content with the friendship, despite wanting more,” he told FMT, adding that although he finished writing the song early last year, he only started working on its production this year, given the various challenges caused by Covid-19 pandemic.
“Though I co-released the single ‘No Matter What’ with a friend, Zeauk, in August, this is my first solo release. It still feels surreal; it hasn’t really sunk in yet.”
With a penchant for pop, rock and RnB, and inspired by artists such as James Arthur, Jake Scott, Jack Tabudlo, as well as the band Joan, Soriano says that “singing is like breathing but through the soul”.
Although talkative by nature, there are many things which he said he expresses better through music.
“It’s my way of channelling things I’m not comfortable saying. There’s just a certain way of writing something; putting a tune and melody to it that just hits differently for me,” he shared, adding that music also helps him validate his emotions.
According to him, sharing his songs with the public is a rather vulnerable experience. “My songs mean a lot to me, and by sharing them with others, I’ve had to step out of my comfort zone.”
He also confessed that he is often insecure about the quality of his music. “Occasionally, I wonder if it’s good or not, or if I’m doing enough. It’s a constant day-to-day battle, and I try to deal with it by working on my craft and by believing in myself more,” he said, adding that he tries not to get fixated by the number of streams or the number of shows he plays.
He said he keeps reminding himself of his reasons for doing music, and that the journey matters more than any quantitative measures. “If you’re happy doing something, then just do it.”
The self-professed Jack-of-all-trades also loves playing sports and takes saxophone classes in his free time, having dabbled in wedding photography and interior acoustics designing in the past, among others.
Naturally, one of his main challenges is the lack of sleep. “It can be overwhelming at times, but it’s what I want; when I’m not doing anything, I feel restless.”
Soriano’s most memorable moment to date was when he co-released his previous collaborative single, as it had been a goal for him for some time.
Counting down to the release date; seeing his name and cover art on Spotify as well as on Instagram music was a surreal experience which gave him an all-time music “high”.
“It keeps me going too, not because of the attention from people; it’s just the happiness and the pure joy of making something and releasing it.”
As for now, his goal is to release more songs and play more shows. “Although I just started, I want to keep doing this despite the hurdles that come my way.”
For those who’d like to catch him live, he’ll be playing at Sip Society every Friday in October. You can also catch him at the Malaysia Grand Bazaar at LaLaport on the last weekend of October, as well at his Table Lamp Concert at Jao Tim on Nov 15.
‘As a friend’ will be digitally streamed on all platforms come Oct 28.