New Lore
Filipino synth-pop trio blending art, poetry, and personal experience.
New Lore (stylized in all caps) is a Filipino pop band from Metro Manila. The group blends synth-pop with visual art and poetry, and their debut album grief cake received favorable coverage from Philippine music publications. In 2026, the band was selected for the Spotify Radar Philippines project.
Quick Facts
- Also known as
- No Lore (2021–2024)
- Origin
- Metro Manila, Philippines
- Genre
- Alternative pop
- synth-pop
- indie pop
- electropop
- Years active
- 2021–present
- Label
- Off the Record, Sony Music
- Current members
- Tita Halaman
- Kim Escalona
- Carole Lantican
- Past members
- Jerald Angelo Juatco
Facts from the source article.
History
The band began in 2021 as No Lore, an alternative pop duo formed by siblings Tita Halaman and Jerald Angelo Juatco. The name came from the phrase "No Folklore," reflecting their belief in creating stories through action rather than imagination. Inspired by Halaman's paintings and poems, they developed a genre they called electronic pop art. Early songs included "Lou," "Paumanhin," "Papatungo," and "A Leo." The duo performed on Rappler Live Jam in 2023, and "Paumanhin" surpassed 100,000 streams on Spotify while appearing on the iWantTFC series Sleep with Me. In 2024, bassist Kim Escalona and drummer Carole Lantican joined as permanent members, and later that year Juatco departed, ending the sibling duo. The group adopted the name New Lore, releasing their final No Lore release in December 2024 and debuting as New Lore with the single "Ambitious" in January 2025. Their debut album grief cake arrived later that year, described as a "coming-of-age spiral disguised as a pop record." It was featured on Spotify editorial playlists in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. In early 2026, they released singles for their second album, including "Substack Girl," "i know u by heart," "girlhood," and "nariyan." The second album good good juju was released in 2026 and includes a collaboration with Barbie Almalbis on the song "your playlist is a lie."
Artistry
Before becoming New Lore, the duo No Lore made alternative and dream pop, weaving poetry and visual art into songs about love, heartbreak, loss, and hope. In 2025, the project evolved into a synth-pop trio with a new lineup. Critics have labeled their sound alternative pop, synth-pop, indie pop, and electropop. The band’s lyrics come from personal experiences, touching on friendship, grief, and art, often starting with Halaman’s paintings and poems. They call their output “music from art and poetry.” Their first album, grief cake, was branded “trauma pop.” The follow-up, good good juju, was described as “healing pop” or “therapy pop,” leaning into optimism and recovery while keeping the introspective feel of earlier work. The Marías and Hayley Williams are named as influences. Tracks have drawn comparisons to Imogen Heap, The Flaming Lips, The Internet, The Cardigans, Japanese Breakfast, Barbie’s Cradle, and Up Dharma Down. The group says it deliberately avoids copying other acts or sticking to one genre.
More in Filipino Pop Music Groups
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced