Artist Spotlight: The Speaks
The Speaks is an alternative rock band that makes music everyone can enjoy. The band is made up of mostly Filipinos and Filipino-Americans featuring guitarist Cal Stamp, bassist Jerry Delino, drummer John Albelende, vocalist Rafael Toledo, and guitarist Archie Dela Cruz.
Their first album, Life’s A Joke was released in 2003 and was an instant hit. The album was in the Top 30 for almost 6 months in the Philippines in 2005 when the import version was released. The band's hit single “High” was the number-one single in the Philippines for 7 weeks. In 2007, the band released their EP “This Is The Time” which featured songs such as “Tomorrow”, “Runaway”, “Regret”, and “Carpe Diem”.
The Speaks has won its fair share of awards. In 2003, the band won JAXX “World’s Largest Battle of the Bands”, the DC Hard Rock Cafe/SoBe “Ultimate Altitude Buzz” Battle of the band Finals”, and DC 101 “Last Band Standing Competition in 2004.
The band's most recent release is their 2011 single “The Price of Freedom”. The song carries the exact melodies, tones, and overall sound that allowed the band to build such a strong fanbase.
You Can Stream The Speaks Here: