Indie/folk-pop band The Ransom Collective has signed a recording deal with mustard music, a sublabel of Universal Records Philippines.
Comprised of Kian Ransom (guitar), Redd Claudio (drums), Jermaine Choa Peck (percussions), Leah Halili (bass), Lily Gonzales (keyboards), and Muriel Gonzales (violin), the band fuses unique percussive patterns, acoustic guitar driven leads, and full vocal swells to create their distinctive sound. The six-piece are best known for their songs “Tides,” “Settled,” and “Open Road,” all of which have been released under their self-titled EP (November 2014), and their full-length album Traces (May 2017), with both having received high praise from music critics and peers.
In their short time as a group, The Ransom Collective has established a strong presence in the local music scene, played in the country’s major music festivals, and have represented the Philippines at Laneway Festival Singapore, ASEAN-India Music Festival, and the Udaipur World Music Festival, along with various local and international collaborations.
mustard music, on the other hand is the latest venture from Universal Records Philippines. The sublabel aims to promote the best acts in the OPM industry, while also becoming an environment that fosters and nourishes up-and-coming homegrown talent in the country. The label focuses on building up the individuality, creative freedom and musicality of each artist. The Ransom Collective leads the promising mustard music roster composed of hip-hop duo Good Kid$, singer-songwriter Issa Rodriguez, and rapper-producer Joey tha Boy, with more artists joining soon.
The contract signing was held on February 22, 2019 at the Universal Records office in Quezon City. Present during the signing were the band, Kathleen Dy-Go (Universal Records Managing Director), Peter Chan (Universal Records Operations Manager), and Raymond Fabul (Business Manager).
Talking about the signing, Kian says “We’ve been in talks with mustard for a few months now – it’s been comfortable and we were able to address all the things we’d like to do. We feel like we’re going to bring our music to a new level with the teamwork and influence that mustard can have. So the band and I are really excited for this next chapter, and we’re really looking forward to putting new music out really soon.”
Watch out for their debut track under the label, along with more content from the band this 2019!