Interview with Optacure, Ean Aguila

• Your musical journey transitioned from band involvement in the Philippines between 2008 and 2015 to establishing Optacure as a solo endeavor in Australia. How has this geographical and creative shift influenced your approach to songwriting and the exploration of universal perspectives?

Edmund: Freshly moving to a new country was invigorating. I felt like there were a lot of new things to experience and that kind of shaped the creative influence. The songs are more authentic and it was a space to really share my persona. Having no bandmates also meant that I had to shift to using the acoustic guitar as the primary instrument to write songs with. My previous bands were all around the rock genre.

Having two countries I call home naturally widens perspective. The experience with cultural adaptations and interactions with a diverse set of personalities brings out a certain wisdom if you care to listen and observe. It’s a beautiful thing.

• Optacure often involves collaborations with other artists, aligning with its mission to foster connections. What drew you to partner with Ean Aguila specifically, and how did his multi-instrumental contributions shape the evolution of your solo vision?

Edmund: When I started Optacure, it was meant to be a collective name for a group of artists which make music in a non-possessive manner. That was kind of the vision – creating music that everyone owns. With that, putting different perspectives together and writing songs with different styles was supposed to be what Optacure is all about. However, it’s hard to make it work with royalty splits, credits, and I didn’t really know a lot of musicians around that would be willing to bring it to life. It would have to be music that is free that is made by everyone, for everyone, and that everyone owns. It’s a cool concept that hasn’t really been realized so it kind of just evolved to being me. Maybe one day.

Ean is one of my closest, if not my closest, friend. We’ve been through a lot together and our friendship has lasted about 18 years now. I trust his musical style. Our vision was always to create something unique. The combination and contrast of our styles as well as the trust we have for each other have really brought our songs to life. I would send him a song and it would come out totally different to what I had sort of imagined, but it’s always something amazing. Throughout the songwriting process, as he gives me versions of his work on the song, I find them all awe-inspiring. He’s an amazing musician and an absolute godsend of a friend.

Ean: Our collaboration is rooted in a long-standing friendship. We’ve known each other since college and were actually orgmates back then, so we already had years of shared experiences before working together professionally. I also produced his band’s EP in the past, which built a strong creative trust between us. Because of that history, working together feels very natural and comfortable. There’s no awkward adjustment period or second-guessing ideas. Ed is one of my best friends, and that personal connection translates into honesty in the studio. He trusts me with his music, and I value his trust even more because he genuinely supports and listens to my band’s songs and my solo releases as well. That mutual respect allows us to experiment freely, and my multi-instrumental input ends up shaping the music in a way that feels collaborative rather than transactional.

• The name “Optacure” reflects a search for broader viewpoints through art. In what ways has your expanding discography of singles since 2017 prepared you for more introspective releases like “Angel,” which delves into personal struggles and emotional growth?

Edmund: Embracing diversity and variety has always been a philosophy of mine. Optacure, as a word I invented, loosely relates to the search for a universal perspective. It explores the fundamental ideas of religion, science, emotion, and knowledge in general. A universal perspective might not exist or maybe a universal perspective is the definition of a God, but I think searching for it is probably a worthwhile thing for us humans to do.

Relating this to the music, I have written songs from hard rock, rock/hip hop, to folk and alternative. Throughout the years the songs’ themes developed from general existence with deep dark topics to more introspective and honest subjects. It is a mirror of what Optacure means with the wide array of topics that are presented in different ways of communication through music and words.

As someone who appreciates the arts in depth, I tend to feel more than the average person. I think the struggle comes from the heightened feelings which is an essential part in my writing process. Emotional growth is probably something I cannot measure for myself. I’d like to think I have grown emotionally, but sometimes my reactions to situations does not reflect that. However, processing it through writing has definitely helped me grow to some extent.

• “Angel” portrays support systems as non-singular “angels” manifesting in everyday interactions. How did your own experiences with isolation and renewal inform the song’s lyrical structure and its plea for recognizing and accepting love?

Edmund: The acknowledgement or recognition of the support systems in everyday interactions is my mind and body’s reaction to cling on to hope. I am someone who struggles to accept love so this is a step in learning how to navigate through the process of acceptance. The song’s structure is that process where you breathe and listen, learn and heal, then love and grow.

• As a co-produced track, “Angel” features dense, multi-layered atmospheres blending indie and alternative elements. What production techniques did you and Ean Aguila employ to achieve this soulful, vulnerable sound without overshadowing the emotional core?

Edmund: A lot of it is Ean’s work. The songs I give him to work on are very simple. Mostly just guitars and vocals. He builds it from there with intention. He has a certain unique way of approaching the writing process which I am a big fan of. The production process might be the usual approach of building a song, but it’s his choice of notes, rhythm, and transitions that’s hitting the spot while being unpredictable in a great way. His works with his other musical projects are all so captivating. It helps make the sound a bit rare and unique and I love that about what we do.

Ean: For us, the priority was always what served the song best, not just adding elements for the sake of making it sound bigger or more impressive. We were very intentional about restraint. I leaned heavily on my experience producing bands, so the instrumentation stayed within a natural band setting instead of pushing it into something overly electronic or experimental. I also made it a point not to change Ed’s initial tracks, especially his vocals and acoustic guitars, because those already carried the heart of the song. The lyrics of “Angel” are genuinely strong and meaningful, so from the start I wanted Ed’s voice to really shine and remain the emotional focal point.

I simply followed the structure he had already established and built around it step by step: starting with drums to lay the foundation, then bass to support the groove, and finally lead guitars for texture and lift. Every layer was added with intention and restraint. The goal was never to overpower the track but to create space and depth that would highlight the storytelling in the lyrics and the sincerity in his vocal delivery. In the end, the production was about support, letting the atmosphere elevate the emotion while keeping Ed’s voice and the message of the song front and centre.

• The single’s themes of human connection resonate with your project’s emphasis on building wider bonds. How does “Angel” represent a progression in your thematic focus, particularly in addressing mental health challenges like withdrawal during difficult periods?

Edmund: Optacure releases a single a year and the themes I’ve gone for back in 2020 with Mingaw and 2022 with Stray were both more of a longing or a cry for meaningful connection. The recent singles like 2024’s With The Moon and 2025’s Angel are both more of an optimistic outlook. Seeing the beauty in people and the connections. Human connection is probably something that transcends what we know and are capable of understanding. It’s something powerful and essential to a spirit or a soul. Kind of similar to how the movie Interstellar portrays what love is.

• Collaborating across locations—Sunshine Coast, Australia, and Quezon City, Philippines—introduces unique logistical elements. How did this trans-national dynamic enhance the creative process for “Angel,” and what lessons might it offer for future remote partnerships?

Edmund: Ean and myself have always written songs in this process. It all stems from trust and utmost respect. It’s seamless working with Ean and that lets him pour his creative energy without restriction. I think that’s the secret ingredient in this process. I always look forward to what he’ll bring to the songs and they have always exceeded my expectations. He is a far more seasoned musician than I am and he comes up with a lot of the atmosphere and instrument lines that puts a distinct sound to what we make. I absolutely love it. I think we’ll be making music with the same creative process year on year for as long as we can.

Ean: Ed and I have actually been collaborating for around 11 years now. He’s been based in Australia since 2015, so distance has been part of our creative process for a long time. He usually comes home to the Philippines almost every year, which gives us opportunities to work in person, but the majority of our projects, including “Angel”, are done remotely. Over time, it feels like we’ve really mastered how to work together despite the distance.

Technically, the setup is very straightforward. Ed has a simple but really solid recording setup at his home in Sunshine Coast, while I work from a fully equipped recording studio in Quezon City. At this point, all we really need is a stable internet connection to exchange high-quality tracks and we’re good to go. What’s interesting is that being in different countries also exposes us to different local music scenes and influences, which naturally find their way into the songs and keep the sound evolving.

But more than the gear or the logistics, the most important factor is trust. Ed trusts me deeply with his music. Most of the time he simply lets me do my thing and even tells me he’s excited to be surprised. That level of creative freedom and confidence in each other is what truly makes long-distance collaboration not just possible, but consistently rewarding.

• With “Angel” receiving praise for its melancholic heart and polished soundscapes, how do you anticipate this release will expand your audience reach, especially from Australia to regions like South America where your music has found traction?

Edmund: I guess we really don’t pay attention to how much reach we get. We will still be making music regardless. We would love for as many people to hear it, but at the end of the day, we’re putting it out there in hopes of people listening but no real desire to push it so much. I think there is a lot of music out there to appreciate that are worth listening to. As long as people are finding the music that touches them, then we’re happy with a few listeners.

 

• Following “Angel,” what new directions are you considering for Optacure, such as additional singles, full-length albums, or explorations into other artistic mediums to further your mission of perspective-sharing?

Edmund: In terms of music direction, there’s really no boundaries. I would like to write more rock songs as Optacure. I will definitely still be working with Ean on all my future tracks. In terms of thematic direction, I’m thinking more towards my personal journey with the search for a universal perspective. It will still be a more personal take on the subject, but I’m hoping to stay optimistic in the process.

I love that you brought up different artistic mediums in this. I would like to create short skits and or clips that portray something in this life that we need to give thought to. The chance to work with other visual artists and writers excites me. Art is essential in perspective-widening. Like I’ve always thought that absolute love no longer exists in this world, but it actually does in forms of art like poetry, music, paintings, and movies. This is why it is important to immerse yourself in art to see and realize this perspective.

• Finally, do you plan to incorporate live performances or visual components to complement releases like “Angel,” and how might these elements amplify the song’s message of mutual support and interconnectedness?

Edmund: I shot something with a good friend of mine and released it in social media, but it was hard because we can only fit in 1:30 which was too short to convey the message. I don’t really play live that often anymore and Ean is quite far away to bring this project into a live stage. If I had the chance, I would have loved to dabble into stage art and all, but it is quite unlikely at this stage. The best I can do at this stage is spread the message in my day to day living – being a part of that Angel for someone.