Musician Pol Sembrano Proves The Power of One with Self-Titled Album Release

Seattle-based musician Pol Sembrano is a classically trained pianist and composer, so he’s stepping out of his comfort zone with his latest release: A synth-heavy, pop, self-titled album. Taking hold of this newfound sense of identity, Sembrano is eager for others to hear his own lyrics, melodies and chords with this new album. He’s determined to go it alone and prove his power as a solo musician. 

Congrats on taking the leap to launch your own self-titled debut album. This is really exciting. What led to this decision? 

I have always written songs since I was in the second grade.  As I matured I learned to write lyrics about what I have experienced in life, i.e. relationships, break-ups, unrequited love, isolation and death. 

While playing classical piano has developed my technique and sense of discipline I needed to take my musicianship a step further.  I wanted to express myself through my own lyrics, melodies and chord progressions. I started writing songs and calling them my own.  This really enabled me to have a strong sense of my identity.

And, what has the process looked like? You did this on your own. Was that a daunting task? 

With technology I was able to be my own band and made all the decisions.  I wrote, arranged, produced, played and sang all the parts by default. This wasn’t a daunting task at all since I enjoy creating, especially at my own pace.  

I was in several bands but I musically didn’t connect with anyone, mainly because we played cover songs that I really wasn’t into at the time.  Most of my past bandmates were amiable and I stuck around to gain the experience of playing live. However, songwriting took hold of me and wouldn’t let go.

What are your feelings prior to releasing the album? What are you hoping to deliver to your listeners? And what do you hope others will gain from listening to the album? 

I am proud of this self-titled album. This collection of songs truly defines me as an artist and musician.  When writing the songs I wanted the music to be honest and straight-forward without having to shove it down people’s throats.  My goal is to share the music and see how people would perceive and react to it.

For the listeners, the melodies are hook-driven and catchy.  I like writing two or three different melodies that intertwine and complement one another, especially at the end of each piece.  This gives the listener the opportunity to hear a certain melody that hopefully resonates with them throughout the day.  

Even though the songs are autobiographical I don’t really write anything too specific.  I hope the songs will enable the listeners to connect the themes to their own personal lives.  

What led you to music?

I was living with my Tita (aunt) Gloria in the Philippines when I was four years old.  She noticed that I had this ability of playing melodies on the piano after hearing them.  I remember sitting at the piano right next to the stereo.  While a record was spinning on the turntable I was playing along to the music.  One of the first tracks I learned to play was “Do You Know the Way To San Jose?” by Burt Bacharach.  This happened before I learned to read or attend kindergarten. I started taking piano lessons and have never stopped playing music ever since.

How would you describe your style of music? 

My music is definitely melodic, no matter what style it is written.  There are tracks that are dance-oriented, electronic, pop, acoustic driven, atmospheric and moody.  I believe there is a song on the album that would fit anybody’s mood when listening.

Are there any musicians who inspire your work? 

There are several musicians that have influenced me in my song writing.  Martin Gore, Howard Jones, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, Tracy Thorn and Ben Watt, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus and Aimee Mann are up there on my list.  

Tell us about Anywhere, the first single off of the album. 

“Anywhere” is about traveling the world with someone whom you love.  The track has an energetic, positive vibe and can be heard at a club on the dancefloor.  It has a timeless feel and I can picture party goers dancing and singing along to the song.  Personally, I am lucky enough to have visited fifty-three different countries during my lifetime, Malaysia being the most recent.  I love the feeling of visiting a new country to experience the sights, sounds, culture, food and meeting new people.  These things to me are very memorable.  

I, however, experienced a near-death experience while I was in Thailand 20 years ago.  I survived the 2004 tsunami in West Railay Beach in the southern part of the country.  The wall of water was approaching the beach and I quickly grabbed my belongings and ran inland but the water engulfed me and was underwater.  Luckily, I survived and lived to tell the story.

You’re a classically trained music and composer. How does this cross over into the new direction you’re taking as a musician? 

Classical music taught me to be disciplined.  I would imagine Beethoven sitting next to me while playing one of his sonatas.  Knowing his temperament and dramatic personality I’m sure I would have been yelled at if I made mistakes.  I applied that sense of discipline into my own song writing to produce the best music I can possibly create.

If you could picture yourself a few years from now, where do you hope this new journey has taken you? Are there any dreams or goals you’ve set for yourself that you can share with us? 

I hope this new journey will lead me to record more music and learn new studio techniques.  I would also like to expand my producing abilities since technology is ever changing. As they say, “knowledge is power.”

 I’ve been at the driver’s seat for years and it would be great to bounce off ideas with other like-minded songwriters so the thought of collaborating is definitely a possibility.  Like one of the songs on the album, I’m pretty “Open Mind” -ed.  Looking forward to musically moving ahead.

Official Website: https://polsembranomusic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555480786694
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polsembranomusic/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5n6eyDpDiKTKxG9BTPAC00
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mJjYhHNpJWbbyCk2o2GhVGSHfQrekmxBk
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/search?term=Pol%20Sembrano