Miguel Escueta marks musical comeback with new releases

November 28 ------ Pop-rock singer/composer Miguel Escueta breaks his self-imposed musical hiatus with the release of two singles, “Summer Dream” and “Pangako ng Bukas.” Now a fledgling entrepreneur and a proud dad, Escueta was in his early 20s when he first burst into the then flourishing alternative rock scene in 2007.

Some of his singles include “Falling Away” (2007), “Isipin” (2007), “Handa” (2008), “Blue Monday” (2008), “Only Hope” (2009), “Sleeping While The World’s Awake” (2009), and “Now It Starts” (2010). Under MCA Music Inc., he released the albums “I AM M.E.” (2007), “I AM ME: Amplified” (2008), “Sleeping While The World’s Awake” (2009), and “Now It Starts” (2010).

Looking back on his rockstar years, Escueta recalls releasing his first album as a fresh college graduate in 2007, opening for Kelly Clarkson at the Araneta Coliseum in 2009, and having songs like “Now It Starts” placed on TV shows abroad.

In 2011, he signed with indie label Sly Doggie Productions in Los Angeles, rebranded as The Morning Episodes, and released the album “Never Felt So Alive,” which earned strong airplay on US college radio. He went on to release several singles under the moniker, including a 2013 collaboration with Solenn Heussaff titled “Until The Sunrise,” followed by “Devil” (2017) and “Feel the Night” (2018). At the height of his career, Escueta officially ‘retired’ from the music biz in 2019 to focus on building his own family and jumpstarting his coffee business, Frank & Dean Coffee.

Despite his initial decision to quit the music scene ‘cold turkey,’ Escueta, now a proud husband to wife Laia (he got married in 2014), a doting dad to eight-year-old daughter Callie, and a successful entrepreneur with five outlets and counting, finds himself heeding the call of his muse. “Earlier this year, I just had to write (music). It was so therapeutic at the time it happened. That’s when ‘Summer Dream’ was written, and it just snowballed into recording, releasing, and more writing.” Soon after, together with longtime buddy and Hale frontman Champ Lui-Pio, Escueta followed up his songwriting comeback with “Pangako ng Bukas.”

Looking back, Escueta has no regrets about his early musical retirement. “No regrets at all. However, my musical journey panned out is how God always planned for it to be. I truly believe that. But I suppose in terms of mindset, oftentimes worrying about what other people think was detrimental to progress. “When you’re young, I suppose it’s normal. And that’s one thing I’ve learned to let go of as I’ve gotten older. But that’s definitely one thing I want the younger generation to learn and realize sooner rather than later.”

As part of his musical comeback, Escueta recently signed up with his former management company, Arnold Vegafria’s ALV Talent Circuit. He emphasized that he isn’t looking to return to a heavy gig or touring schedule, noting that his family and business remain his priorities, though he welcomes licensing deals and carefully curated performance opportunities.

Harnessing his musical talent to the fore, Escueta is also optimistic about composing for film or television. With Summer Dream and Pangako ng Bukas sounding like perfect soundtrack material, he remains open to collaborating with like-minded artists. “I think it’s as simple as getting as many people to listen to and hear the music, and allowing that to move them in whatever way. Anything after that is secondary.” Asked to come up with a word that best describes his current relationship with his music, Escueta said, “It’s a mix of gratitude and having an appreciation and understanding of the importance of the present moment.”

Source: manilatimes.net