Thea (Photo from Thea’s Facebook page)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Davao-based band, THEA, was among the semi-finalists of the International Songwriting Competition 2016.
Among the 16,000 entries, Thea Pitogo, lead vocalist and Ukelele player for THEA said they are happy that their second single “Home” made it to the semi-finals of their first international gab they joined last year.
“The song is about the feeling of being at home. You can relate it to family or to your loved one or anyone or anything that makes you feel like you’re at home,” Pitogo told Davao Today in an interview.
Pitogo wrote the song taking inspiration from the quote “home is where your heart is.”
“The song is very universal which you can relate to any life situation,” she said.
The five-member band will get to play before an international audience in the US once they make it to the finals.
In ISC, artists get to have their songs played in a professional and international arena and 71 winners will share $150,000 in cash and prizes.
The band is the only entry from Mindanao and one of the two entries from the Philippines that made it to the semi-finals of the annual song writing contest for amateur and professional songwriters and musicians.
Among the popular artists who won previously in the ISC are: Vance Joy, Gotye, Bastille, The Band Perry, Kimbra, Passenger, Kasey Chambers, Passenger, Lindsey Stirling, Skrizzly Adams, Kate Miller-Heidke, Gregory Porter, King Charles, Gin Wigmore, Andrew Bird, Tommy Castro, for King & Country, and Omar Sosa.
This year, THEA is also representing Davao for the Jack Daniels Future Legends in Manila where they are included in the top 21 artists.
The band already got the championship for the Acoustic Unplugged during the Araw ng Dabaw 2015. The band was also included in the 30 finalists out of the 800 artists who joined the Midem Festival in Cannes, France, and were included on the BBC UK Top 10 Fresh On the Net in 2014 and 2016. (davaotoday.com)
