This story is part of Coast2Coast’s September Fever 8 special cover story series, featuring selected acts from this year’s September Fever lineup.
At the September Fever Main Stage, a sea of people wait with bated breath under the dim of the house lights. The silhouettes on stage make their final checks. The LED wall changes to display the name of one of the most highly-anticipated acts of the night. The press picture to the right features three of the remaining original band members — yes, with longer hair and younger features, but familiar all the same.
Suddenly, a familiar guitar twang plays. A rolling snare drum enters. The lights come on. The crowd goes, for the lack of a better term, absolutely nuts.
And just like that, Honeydrop is back.
When you think about some of the most popular Cebuano indie acts of the 2010s, one of the most prominent names that come to mind is undoubtedly Honeydrop. Originally composed of Debb Acebu, Karl Lucente, Jud Sala, Tram Florido, and Jeriel Laraño, the band first made waves with their 2013 debut album, Prelude. With standout tracks like “You’re Just A Man” and “The Place,” Honeydrop quickly grew prominence in not just the local Cebuano music scene, but in Manila as well.
Then came the release of their 2017 EP, Signs, now featuring key tracks like “Mirage” and “Mood / Swings.” Honeydrop continued performing around the indie circuit across the country. Their last formal release was the Bisaya-language track, “Luna,” in 2019.
As the original members started exploring other musical projects, coupled with frontwoman Debb Acebu’s move to Manila, Honeydrop seemed to fade into the background. Save for a special reunion show in 2023, the band has not played live since.
However, in 2025, it seemed that Honeydrop’s stars had aligned once more. With Acebu moving back to Cebu, a (strongly enthusiastic) invitation from September Fever back on the table, as well as the joining of monopolice members Jekjek Rosales and Miguel Lim, the stage was set once more for a Honeydrop reunion.
“It’s exciting to sing these songs again after a long while of not playing them live, and hearing friends (and new fans) sing along to them,” shares Acebu to Coast2Coast. “For me, it’s an ever-changing process of learning and relearning how to use my voice properly for these songs and how to convey them in the most honest and comfortable way.”
“Ultimately, singing these songs always felt like coming home. There’s always that warm comfort of performing them in front of people, along with these very bright and self-aware musicians-slash-bandmates.”
Guitarist Karl Lucente adds, “Playing again with Honeydrop felt like we never really stopped, even after all these years apart. Muscle memory definitely played a huge part in that. Our musician friends told us they could feel how much we’ve matured in our performance, something we couldn’t really see ourselves, since to us it just felt natural, like breathing. Maybe what we truly missed was simply being in the same room again, feeding off the energy of our songs. That feeling brought the excitement back to us in the best way.”
That warm sentiment definitely rang true as the five-piece played their set that night. The feeling in the crowd was electric, with the halls of Unity shaking as people sang out some of their favorite Honeydrop lyrics. You could even see people shedding a tear or two to tracks like “Mirage.”
Despite the long-time fans in the crowd, you also couldn’t help but notice the new faces in the audience. Some, who haven’t even seen Honeydrop perform live in gig venues that are no longer here, like The Outpost. The scene has changed so much since the five-piece was active.
“[The scene is] so different [to] when we were just starting out around 10 to 12 years ago, but I also [feel] like it’s a long time coming…and it’s finally getting bigger and bigger now,” Acebu continues, when talking about her observations between then and now. “Low-key, there is also this humbling pride that, somehow, our music was able to contribute to the local music community, even in such a small way. And personally, it just really feels great to be from Cebu as an artist, and I am excitedly looking forward to seeing more growth from this new generation of Cebuano artists.”
Lucente continues by saying that while Cebu has always had a lot to offer in terms of music and art, the new wave of bands today really shows how far things have come.
“Back then, we didn’t think much about branding or the technical side of things…we just played. Now, newer bands feel like the full package, ready to step out and make their mark, and that makes us proud to see the scene thriving. When we were starting out, it sometimes felt like we were alone. We didn’t know who to reach out to, and the scene back then was mostly woven around reggae and rock. But today, there are so many productions and communities championing indie music. It’s exciting to witness this growth, and we can’t wait to see what comes next.”
However, one can’t help but ask: what’s next for Honeydrop? Does this mean that the five-piece act is back for good?
Acebu says that she doesn’t necessarily know for sure. “By back, does this mean we’re back to playing more local shows? I guess not. We’re just really taking our time because of life. But I’d like to think that maybe in the future, we can release some new stuff.”
“The song ‘Pavements’ is long-overdue!” Laraño quips, to close.
Whether we see the return of Honeydrop or not, one thing’s for sure: it’s great to have them back home.
Revisit Honeydrop’s Signs EP below.
Creative direction by Kara Angan and Bordz. Art direction by Kara Angan. Photographed by Bordz. Story by Kara Angan. Shot on location at Unity Coffee and Vinyl, Cebu City. Coast2Coast, 2025.
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