Three Worlds | One Heart

These days, I’ve been juggling three worlds—Above Velvet Air, December Avenue, and the one that means the most to me: HOME.

It’s not always easy. Some days I’m writing for two completely different projects. Other days I’m running from rehearsals to the studio, and to touring with the band, then heading home just in time to be with Trish &. Izzy. But in the middle of all the chaos, above velvet air somehow found its own rhythm.

It’s been three months since I quietly released my first AVA single. No big promo, no hype—just honest songs shared from the heart. Since then, we’ve hit 4,000 monthly listeners, landed on playlists, and even got featured in Rolling Stone Philippines. I never imagined it would grow this way. And I am so grateful it did.

above velvet air is a fully independent project, distributed via Symphonic. Big thanks to Guji Lorenzana, their country manager, for believing in the vision and giving AVA a home. I’ve also been lucky to have the right people by my side—KL Dela Cruz has been recording me at Kodama Studio (just three minutes from home, dangerously convenient), and Emil Dela Rosa has been making sure the mixes and masters reflect everything I hear in my head.

At the same time, December Avenue is still going strong. We have a new collaboration with Morissette called Ahon, coming out soon on May 9, 2025, and we’re really proud of it. In the middle of it all, I’ve also been quietly preparing for a Canada tour this November. Five cities are already confirmed, and I’m just waiting for further updates from the promoter. It’s wild. It still feels surreal having the complete freedom to do all these things—writing, releasing, creating—on my own terms.

I’m currently working on more songs for AVA, slowly building toward a 5-track EP. One of them includes a special collaboration with a female artist too. Things are slowly falling into place.

Thank you for listening. For being here. And for giving this side of me a space to breathe.

—Zel