Vertical Horizon's Matt Scannell cites joy of performing in front of Pinoy fans, culture, and food as reasons why he keeps coming back to PH

American alternative rock band Vertical Horizon is back in the Philippines to hold their concert tonight, July 18, happening at the SM North EDSA Skydome.

This will be the band's fourth time performing in the country after staging a show in the enormous Araneta Coliseum back in 2007. Their last visit to Manila was in February 2018 when they headlined the Momentum Live MNL music festival held in Circuit Makati.

In an online media conference, Vertical Horizon's vocalist and founding member Matt Scannell talked about his fondest memory of the Philippines the first time he stepped on the Big Dome.

Speaking to GMANetwork.com, he recalled, "It was in the Araneta Coliseum and I just got goosebumps thinking about it. It was absolutely magical.

"I grew up in a town in Massachusetts, from the far east coast of the United States, and for me when we landed in Manila, when we saw people at the airport who wanted to say 'hi,' there was an excitement in the air about us being there.

"I never expected, as a young aspiring songwriter, that I would get to go to the Philippines and certainly be invited to come and sing my songs so that was absolutely incredible."

Besides the warm welcome of the Filipinos, Scannell also cited Filipino food, like halo-halo, as one of the reasons why he keeps coming back to the country.

He added, "And I also remember that the food is amazing, that was another cool thing.

"I love the food that my grandmother cooked, I loved it, and I love the food that my mom cooked but it was kind of lots of pretty basic in taste. And I remember when we got to the Philippines, it's like my mind exploded with these wonderful flavors.

"I just felt like I just need to always keep coming back both for the joy, the culture, and the welcome that we felt but also just to experience this amazing place."

Among Vertical Horizon's greatest hits is "Best I Ever Had" which was released in 1999 and, until now, is one of Pinoy '90s kids' favorite alternative songs of all time from a foreign band.

Asked what's the inspiration behind the song, Scannell shared it's based on his personal experience.

He said, "I almost start trying to fix the places inside of myself that are kinda broken and Best I Ever Had was a song about a woman I was totally in love with but, at the same time, we kind of both knew that it wasn't gonna work and it was okay.

"I feel like sometimes you meet someone incredible and you can be together for a long period of time and then sometimes when you meet someone, and you always like cross for a moment and you go on your way and there's a beauty to that actually, knowing in the moment that this is not just something that would last forever."

Scannell also noted that writing songs is his emotional outlet. "I try the stuff that hurts a little bit and sometimes, every now and then, the stuff that feels me with joy but mostly it's trying to make myself feel better."

Scannell wrote countless songs for the band but there's one special song that he would dedicate to his Filipino fans.

"I love that Best I Ever Had resonates as deeply as it does. It's amazing to know that some of my songs are sort of welcome into people's lives but, I guess, I would probably say, there's a song called Forever and the chorus is basically I would feel you forever in my heart and in my head. I'll never forget those feelings that are probably so far away from my home and people singing with beautiful voices and arms up in the air."

Local bands Join the Club and Autotelic will be fronting for Vertical Horizon for tonight's concert, presented by DMC Philippines.

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