Robin Nievera

Robin Nievera, the eldest son of Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez, says he wants OPM to grow and he makes the statement stick in “Overwait,” his debut album of all-original compositions.

Right at the opening track entitled “In 3’s,” Nievera expounds on his mission of creating fresh music by channeling the spirit of John Mayer’s blues trio into pop-rock territory.

In “Beautiful”, he tints his bluesy yearnings in undulating trip-hop, while “Sound Tripping” starts in a grungy mood then shimmies into a soulful swing. “Sing Along” finds Nievera and company at the cusp of a full-on rocker. The “pop” lies in the infectious hooks the young Nievera coaxes from his guitar and the “rock” issues from the crack backbeat dished out by his backing band of close associates.

Collectively, the songs on “Overwait” take a different road than the one taken by his parents. Nievera produced the recent one-off reunion EP of his parents and if it’s any indication, he has the knack of producing good music for other people too.

For instance, “Smile”, which appears on both albums, is an R&B crooner on “Reunion” and a heartwarming ballad on “Overwait”. He can turn out tasty slices from the same bacon.

Now that the long wait is over, Robin Nievera is ready to send out his messages of love for original Pinoy music. - ABS- CBN

Robin Nievera, in the mind of the Filipino music fan, was in the shadows of his powerhouse parents Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez for a long time. And who knows how hard could it have been for someone to rise to the expectations of so many; being the son of the most recognizable musicians in Philippine history. Perhaps for some, it could be a matter of time before they were overwhelmed by the sheer weight of it all. But for Robin, he simply shrugged the weight off with sheer passion for making music. And for his new album Overwait, it only affirms just how far passion takes people who pursue it fearlessly.

Getting Overwait

Overwait is composed of ten tracks that took Robin years to finally compile in an album. In a previous interview, Robin mentioned that this was a dream of his to come up with his own album ever since he was still 15. With a clever cover, brilliant musicality and lyrics everyone can relate to, his brand new album has seen its fair share of success. Now, Robin Nievera and his band is now focusing on doing mall shows to promote his album in Metro Manila. His most recent big event was when he opened for Hanson in a concert in Araneta.

The Weight of the Pressure

Surrounded by the music of his parents, it wasn't a surprise that he took it upon himself to create his own brand of music that we hear today. But he never felt like he needed to follow his parents in the path that they chose in the music industry. However, he is still their most solid supporter. He mentioned that he is perhaps the biggest fan of his parents Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez even today. And although his music is different from what his parents make, his passion towards creating his own sound and unfolding into his own brand of musician is not far off.

Robin Nievera might be a man on a mission to prove that he could stand on his own. But his musicianship, artistry and passion already celebrates his own authenticity and uniqueness as a musician. And although his album might have been a long wait, Overwait came exactly when it should have. - Rice Radio

Robin Nievera has waited long enough. After a year’s stint in being a MYX VJ, he finally gets to make his mark in the music recording scene as he releases his debut album entitled Overwait. This album released by Polyeast Records consists of 10 tracks that were actually composed by Robin that show a side that was different from the music of his parents, Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez who are considered icons in the Philippine music scene.

Members of the media (television, radio, print and online) were treated to a performance of tracks from the album and more by Robin and his band (Joseph Wu on guitars, Bret Meneses on bass and Michael Gemina on drums) during a recent media launch for the album that was held at Rockville, the bar owned by Journey vocalist, Arnel Pineda. Also present during the launch to show their support for Robin were Pops Fernandez and contemporaries Zia Quizon, Paolo Valenciano and Yael Yuzon.

While watching the performance, it’s pretty obvious that Robin’s music doesn’t sound at all like the stuff that his father Martin used to sing in his youth. Robin’s sound leans towards rock with a lot of blues flavor. But there are tracks in the album like Sexy Strut and Blindsided wherein Robin sounds a lot like his dad. I did close my eyes numerous times and tried to imagine that it was Martin who was singing. And yet, when I open them, it’s Robin who was on stage jamming with his guitar impressively despite having very little formal training with the instrument.

Being the son of music icons, it’s expected for Robin to be asked if he were in some way influenced by his parents. He says that he is a huge fan of his parents’ work but his music was also influenced by the time he grew up with hence his work sounding a lot more recent. He mentioned that he really pushed for having all original material in his album although he didn’t know how he convinced his label to go on with it. There was lot of talk between him and the label and from the low of six, they eventually agreed to have the 10 tracks that are now in the album. Since Robin believes a lot in his own material, he does want to perform his songs live whenever he goes on tour and does shows.

I did put the album Overwait for a few spins and one track that really got my attention was Sound Tripping. While the lead track In 3’s featured an old school triple meter, Sound Tripping has an irregular meter especially with the initial verses. It took me a while to wrap my finger around it but I did figure it out. It must be a challenge to perform it live especially for the drummer. Another track that I had to put on repeat was the acoustic Delight showing that Robin can slow the pace down and show a little tenderness. The album is now available at record stores nationwide and also at MyMusicStore Philippines.


- RAd the music blog

MANILA, Philippines – For someone who had waited a decade to release a debut album, the type of music that Robin Nievera offers in “Overwait” is something many don’t expect from him given his background.

A son of balladeer Martin Nievera and pop singer Pops Fernandez, the 25-year-old is into rock music; the type that would make many parents bang at the door and holler, “Keep it DOWN!” At the album launch, Robin performed his songs and played the electric guitar as if he had been reared in the genre all his life.

Not true.

“At home, when I was young, some of the earliest music I was exposed to were by the likes of Chicago and Gloria Estefan,” admitted he, who eventually discovered Dave Matthews, Bon Iver and John Mayer.

Writing all the tracks in “Overwait,” Robin said he was careful to make his music as original as possible “but not sound too foreign.” He was also careful that no two songs sound similar to each other.

He handsomely succeeds in the second aim. “In 3’s,” the promotional single, is walt-zy while “Lost” is alternative fodder. “Sound Tripping” sounds jazzy and funky even as “Beautiful” is your almost-requisite laid-back song. The multi-layered “Untitled” is balanced out by the simple guitar playing in “Smile.”

Indeed, it’s body of work that shows Robin’s versatility without sounding chopsuey. “Overwait” remains consistent in presenting Robin as singer-songwriter who can pull off a surprise at every turn. It is blues-inflected style of rock that doesn’t pander to people yet won’t shun airplay either.

And then there’s the guitar playing. One of few solo acts who actually play an instrument while singing, Robin is very good at jangling the six strings. Any musician can tell that Robin is passionate it the way he mimics the music in his head with his voice as seen by facial expression that contorts and “climaxes” within a song depending on the intensity of the melodic line. When he plays, he goes off to a different place.

Then again, it’s not as if Robin had ever wanted to play, well, cute. A few months ago, Robin played it straight by auditioning---and clinching----for a slot as MYX VJ without asking help from his parents. At the launch, Pops revealed that Robin had moved out of their house two years ago, living in his own condo and taking care of “everything” (read: his bills).

Talk about being independent.

“Maybe because we made him promise that if ever he can’t handle his independence, he has to move back in with us,” Pops said, adding in jest, “Obviously, ayaw niyang bumalik.”

Robin is as proud of his parents.

“I have been watching them for 25 years. I wasn’t just their son; I was also a huge fan…I learned a lot from them,” he was quoted as saying.

The singer-songwriter shared his thoughts about “In 3’s.”

“I know that a waltz is unheard of nowadays but I wanted to try something old school,” he said. “I do not imagine people singing to this song---I want them to dance.”

Recorded at Kerplunk! Studios in Makati in the span of four months, “Overwait” is released by PolyEast Records and is available for download on www.mymusicstore.com. - The Manila Bulletin