VP/Xclusives | FORCES UNTAMED: I Belong To The Zoo on the Wild Side

Guarding their territory in the jungle of music, howling from the deepest of their emotions, and consistently moving to hunt for the next hearts to prey on with their artistry, I Belong To The Zoo (IBTTZ) becomes the forces untamed.

Each time we hear their song, every word pierces right through our very core, as if their fangs pricked our melancholic souls, yearning to have a good cry. Their melodies perfectly flow like warm blood streaming from a freshly inflicted wound or a cut reopened through the familiar heart-breaking scenarios of their masterpieces. I Belong To The Zoo is a wild pack of artists, and we are their willing prey!

Every stage is a jungle where their howling echoes in the grandest stadiums, and the ears it touches signal an approaching sting of relived memories just before every prey falls into the world that the band created. Argee, Gere, Ow, Lee, and Simon unleash the untamed forces from within in every performance, ripping the hearts of anyone who listens and leaving them in good tears afterward. They unlock the cages of the zoo and take every creature back to the wild where it truly belongs.

Through their music, IBTTZ takes every soul back to a state of vulnerability, creating an alternative space where crying and recognizing overflowing emotions do not equate to weakness. And this is their wild side—a state of freedom and authenticity through their artistry.

Unbreakable Pact of the Pack

Packs come and often end by blood as crises arise along the way. But I Belong To The Zoo came by an unbreakable pact—a brotherhood rooted not in what runs through their veins but in the spark among their souls that has bound them for almost a decade now. Although music allowed their rise as a band, their strength as a pack is built on years of experiencing things, going to places, having fun, and pursuing their passion together—enough to rule the wild world as one.

We’re good friends even before I Belong to the Zoo, so it’s easier for us to talk about delicate matters regarding the band. Any sort of misunderstanding can easily be fixed with a decent conversation.
-Argee

We’ve known each other even before the band started. The band is rooted in friendship. We also see to it that we take our work seriously and have fun at the same time.
-Gere

Just like a pack who has grown familiar with their scents, Argee, Gere, Ow, Lee, and Simon quickly sense the meaning of each other’s smallest acts and even the words that come in silence. This allowed them to act with consciousness and sensitivity and make room for each other to breathe, gently binding their pack stronger. Moreover, by looking out for each other, they guard their territory as a pack in the jungle of the music and entertainment industry, where one wrong move may lead to a feral reality for the band.

Most of us have been friends and have actually been in different bands together since high school. I think it’s just about understanding how each member likes to tackle things and adjusting your own approach to make room for everyone to be comfortable.
-Ow

We’ve been friends since our school years, so our friendships have been strong ever since. We all have a pretty low-maintenance style of friendship. I guess we all know each other well enough to know when to give someone space, when to push, and how to push.
-Lee

Brotherhood has surely kept I Belong To The Zoo together as they go deeper into the complicated landscape of the world where they are. Time has challenged several packs already who dared to brave the same terrain. They failed and lost deep into the jungle alone as they chased their own hunt. On the other hand, Argee, Gere, Ow, Lee, and Simon also have their goals—hunts to chase—but they have trained their senses to recognize the balance between the smell of hunts and the scent of their pack.

Argee keeps us in check to always keep our feet on the ground. And we also support individual ventures outside the band like businesses and other hobbies.
-Simon

I Belong To The Zoo genuinely supports the trails that the members individually venture while guarding a path where every member meets—the unbreakable pact of the pack.

IBTTZ Out In the Wild

I Belong To The Zoo has shown its power in different stages as the members howled their masterpieces out to the world. They captivated us in cages of emotions that sprung from the universe they created through their songs. Argee, Gere, Ow, Lee, and Simon do belong to the zoo on every stage, but their versions, when they step out into the wild, remain a question to the minds of many. It seems like a mystery to see the members of the pack go on their own paths. But the truth is they are simpler out in the wild.

The moment they step down the stage after performing, they quickly go back to their most authentic versions—creatures who freed themselves from the zoo and out to their natural habitat where they can move and live just as they are.

Typically, after gigs, Argee, Gere, Ow, Lee, and Simon hunt, not for the next hearts to prey on with their music but good convenience store or a cozy restaurant to literally prey on something after an exhausting performance, then a good rest.

Pag-uwi, bihis agad at pahinga—boring answer, but when we first joined the band, our schedule was crazy. We were barely getting any rest and were always sick. Playing shows when you’re sick is the worst, so I guess it became a habit to at least try to avoid it.
-Ow

From being the untamed forces on stage, they live in the comfort inside their homes and around the presence of their loved ones. I Belong To The Zoo becomes gentler when in the wild—far from the public eye, with not much pressure to carry on, and just their most authentic selves.

When nothing is going on for I Belong to the Zoo, I just sit around and watch basketball games or drive around to wherever, but almost all of the time, I end up with my guitar on my lap and try to write new material for our band.
-Argee

While the frontman, in the wild, also writes the songs that the pack would howl next, other members show a different side of themselves offstage. Simon is a father and husband to his family while also living as a “nocturnal gamer,” as he would call himself, unleashing another version of the untamed force from within him. Ow also ventures the same thrill in the world of gaming.

I’m mostly a homebody. Tama yung sinasabi nila – yung akala mong boring nung bata ka pa masaya na sa pagtanda. I just play video games and watch tv shows and movies.
-Ow

Meanwhile, Lee enjoys the warmth and excitement he finds outdoors. He goes cycling and hiking, appreciating nature and anything literally under the sun. On the other hand, as for Gere, be it indoors or outdoors, as long as he spends the day with his family, he will surely enjoy it.

I am a full-time family man. When I’m not holding an instrument, I’m usually bonding with my wife and kids. I always look forward to spending time with family, and at the same time, they motivate me to do my best in my craft.
-Gere

Although Argee, Gere, Ow, Lee, and Simon follow different trails out in the wild, the strong scent of their passion, hunger for music, and their unbreakable pact keep them together, still strong as a pack. They do belong to the zoo, and so do they in the wild.

Reaching Their Wildest Hopes

Driven by their invincible passion for music and performing, I Belong To The Zoo continues to hunt for more and reach their wildest hopes for each member, the band, and their songs. They rule their jungle as they tail the scent of hope along their path until they finally seize the milestones of their hard work—the prey of their hunting.

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Recently, I Belong To The Zoo just reached a breakthrough that was once just their wildest hope. Their iconic hit song ‘Sana’ surpassed 200 million streams on Spotify! Although it became one of the most notable ‘hugot’ anthems of the Filipinos on its debut, reaching this milestone remains a reality they find hard to fully grasp. The grateful heart of the pack once more felt the warmth of the blood pumping out of excitement and appreciation for the willing prey of their artistry.

Cliché pero never mo naman talaga maiimagine na mangyayari yung ganon. Yung naglalakad lang ako dati sa kalsada tapos maririnig ko yung Sana kung saan saan pinapatugtog crazy na para sakin yun.
-Ow

It’s kind of surreal to sit around and think about it real hard. I am beyond grateful for the time that people have given us to listen to our music. It’s really unbelievable.
-Argee

The moment they seized this hunt, the first thing that Argee, Gere, Ow, Lee, and Simon did was express their gratitude, especially to the people who led them to that moment—their fans, who were also willing captives in every world they have created through their songs. I Belong To The Zoo believes that ‘Sana’ catapulted them into one of the highest peaks of their journey as a pack—enough to let their hearts drown in gratitude.

Meanwhile, just like their howls echoing endlessly through the vast and bare skies of the jungle, their dreams continue to rise while leaving their roots grounded in gratefulness. They continue to hunt for the fulfillment of their wildest hopes.

Argee: Sana people would never get tired of hearing our music because I sure would want to perform until I can no longer carry a note.

Gere: Sana magkaroon kami ulit ng sariling studio!

Lee: Personally, sana healthy kami lahat, sana masaya kami lahat.

Simon: Sana, we still have the strength and time to play live shows until we’re 70.

Ow: For me, it’s really just to be able to show up for everyone who supports us. I really appreciate when people send messages or tag me in stories after a show to say how happy they were to see us perform. Sana makatugtog kami para sa inyong lahat!

I Belong To The Zoo, through their story, has proven that they are beyond just a band that creates masterpieces, but a pack bound by an unbreakable pact of brotherhood. They continue to howl as they rule in the feral spaces of the industry, seize their wildest hopes, and unleash the forces untamed from within.

Special Thanks to Cornerstone Entertainment Inc.
President : Erickson Raymundo
VIce President : Jeff Vadillo
AVP for Music/Ad & Promo Head: Caress Caballero
Ad & Promo Assistant: Mika Severa
Belong To The Zoo’s Handler: CJ Cabungal
Studio: Cornerstone Studio