New Lore
Filipino pop band
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
New Lore (stylized in all caps) is a Filipino pop band from Metro Manila. The band consists of vocalist and guitarist Tita Halaman, bassist Kim Escalona, and drummer Carole Lantican. Before adopting its current name, they performed as No Lore, a sibling duo composed of Tita Halaman and Jerald Angelo Juatco. The band was reformed and renamed following a lineup change in late 2024.
New Lore | |
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| Also known as | No Lore (2021–2024) |
| Origin | Metro Manila, Philippines |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2021–present |
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The band known for blending synth-pop with visual art and poetry, the band has described its music as being inspired by paintings, personal writing, and everyday experiences.[1][2] Their debut studio album grief cake (2025), received favorable coverage from Philippine music publications and was featured on Spotify editorial playlists in several Asian countries.[3][4] In 2026, the band was selected as part of the Spotify Radar Philippines project and their second studio album good good juju.[5]
History
2021–2024: As No Lore and Outlines
The band originated in 2021 as No Lore, an alternative pop duo formed by siblings Tita Halaman and Jerald Angelo Juatco. The name was derived from the phrase "No Folklore", reflecting the pair's belief of creating stories through action rather than simply imagining them.[6]
They were inspired by Tita Halaman's paintings and poems; thus, they came up with the genre of electronic pop art.[6] Their songs prior to their first extended play Outlines, released in 2022 include "Lou", "Paumanhin", "Papatungo", and "A Leo".[7] During this period, the duo's songs appeared on Spotify editorial playlists, and were also featured on Rappler Live Jam in 2023.[8] Their song "Paumanhin" surpassed 100,000 streams on Spotify,[9] and featured in the soundtrack of the iWantTFC series Sleep with Me.[3]
In 2024, bassist Kim Escalona and drummer Carole Lantican joined the project as permanent members. Later that year, Jerald Juatco departed, ending No Lore as a sibling duo.[10]
2025–present: Rebranding as New Lore, grief cake and good good juju
Following the lineup change, the group adopted the name New Lore. According to the band, the rebranding represented a new artistic direction rather than simply a change of name, allowing them to expand beyond their earlier concept of creating music based primarily on paintings and poetry.[10]
The band's first release under the new name was "Ambitious", issued on January 3, 2025.[10] Later that year, New Lore released its debut studio album grief cake, which they has referred to the record as a "coming-of-age spiral disguised as a pop record with layers of pain, tenderness, and transformation baked into something strangely sweet."[3][1] Manila Bulletin described the album as a blend of synth-pop and alternative pop, featuring songs such as "Who Hurt U", "Goodsides", and "Ambitious".[1] The album was also featured on Spotify editorial playlists in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.[4]
In early 2026, the band began releasing singles for its second studio album, including "Substack Girl", "i know u by heart", "girlhood", and "nariyan".[11] During the promotional campaign, the group described the record as moving away from the "trauma pop" of grief cake toward a more hopeful and optimistic sound.[12] The band's second studio album good good juju, was released in 2026, and features a collaboration with singer Barbie Almalbis on the song "your playlist is a lie".[5]
Musical style
New Lore's music has been described as alternative pop,[3][11][1] synth-pop,[13][14][1] indie pop,[5] and electropop, incorporating elements of electronic music, dream pop, and alternative rock.[1][11] Their songs are rooted in Tita Halaman's paintings, poetry, and personal experiences, with the band describing its work as "music from art and poetry".[2][1]
As No Lore, the duo described their sound as alternative and dream pop,[15] and would write songs about love, heartbreak, loss, and hope, while their music had a lot of storytelling through poetry and art.[6][16] After changing its name in 2025 to New Lore, the duo moved to a synthesizer-based sound while continuing to use autobiographical writing based on friendship, identity, relationship, and emotions.[1][5] The duo at first used the term "trauma pop" to refer to its music, based on their debut album grief cake (2025). During the development of its second album good good juju (2026), the members described their newer material as "healing pop" or "therapy pop", emphasizing optimism and recovery while retaining the introspective nature of their earlier work.[12]
The members have cited artists including The Marías, Hayley Williams,[2] Imogen Heap, The Flaming Lips, The Cardigans, Japanese Breakfast,[5] Barbie's Cradle, and Up Dharma Down as musical influences, although they have stated that they intentionally avoid limiting themselves to a single genre or imitating other artists.[2][1][5]
Band members
Current members
- Tita Halaman – vocals, guitar (2021–present)
- Kim Escalona – bass (2024–present)
- Carole Lantican – drums (2024–present)
Former members
- Jerald Angelo Juatco – vocals, guitar, keyboards (2021–2024)
Discography
Studio albums
- grief cake (2025)
- good good juju (2026)
Extended plays
- Outlines (2022)[a]
Singles
- "A Leo" (2021)[a]
- "Lou" (2021)[a]
- "Paumanhin" (2022)[a]
- "Simula Ngayon" (2023)[a]
- "Tahimik (2024)[a]
- "Magbalik" (2024)[a]
- "Ambitious" (2025)
- "grief cake" (2025)
- "Who Hurt U" (2025)
- "Loving, Hurting" (2025)
- "Dirty" (2025)
- "Oh Maturity" (2025)
- "nariyan" (2026)
- "Substack Girl" (2026)
- "i know u by heart" (2026)
- "girlhood" (2026)
- "your playlist is a lie" (with Barbie Almalbis; 2026)
- "gud ppl" (2026)
- "my crush and i will crush the system baby" (2026)
- "june" (2026)
Notes
- As No Lore