Minerva formed in the Philippines in 2012, but it was the arrival of violinist Sky that gave the band its signature. Inspired by Yellowcard to pick up the instrument and bring it into rock, Sky joined what was then a cover band and changed its entire identity.
When their original female vocalist left, the remaining members — Ronson on vocals and guitar, Crus on bass, Pen on drums, and Sky — made a decision: go original or go home. They went original, and the first fruit of that choice was "Alala", a song written for a friend navigating the line between friendship and romance. It became an online hit — proof that the most intimate stories often travel the furthest.
Their EP Pangarap (the Tagalog word for "Dreams") collects seven songs that sit at the intersection of the OPM tradition and the international alternative rock that shaped them: Deftones, Linkin Park, Foo Fighters, Eraserheads, Rivermaya, and Yellowcard. The result is something specifically Filipino and universally resonant.
"Keep on dreaming and follow your dreams," Ronson told us. Coming from a band that turned a cover-band detour into an original catalog, it's advice that lands with real weight.