Ely Buendia Releases New Single “Ate” — Light, Optimistic OPM Track Out Now
Ely Buendia drops his new solo single “Ate” on March 26, 2026—a light and optimistic OPM track recorded in Baguio, marking a refreshing shift from his 2025 album Method Adaptor. Stream it now on all platforms.
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Legendary OPM frontman Ely Buendia is back on our playlists with his new solo single “Ate,” released March 26, 2026, under his own label, Offshore Music Philippines.
After Method Adaptor, Ely Buendia Goes Lighter with “Ate”
A year after the release of his critically acclaimed solo album Method Adaptor (2025)—praised by Rolling Stone PH for its sprawl of metaphors that thrive in paradoxes—and off the back of a continuously successful intimate bar tour bearing the same name, Ely Buendia shows no signs of slowing down. His latest move is to expand his solo discography with the new single “Ate,” a track that deliberately steers away from the grittier terrain of Method Adaptor.
“I wanted to change the atmosphere a bit,” Buendia says of the new single “Ate,” acknowledging the contrast between his previous sonic masterproject and this new release. Where Method Adaptor leaned into tension and weight, “Ate” is, in Buendia’s own words, more “light and optimistic”—softer in both instrumentation and lyricism. Not uncharted territory for an artist of his range, but a welcome and intentional departure from what listeners have come to expect from him in recent years.
“The melody had such a nursery rhyme feel, which came directly from the harmonized lead guitar lines that go up the major scale,” Ely Buendia explains of the new single’s genesis—as if the song itself embodies the mindset of seeing the positives in life’s inevitable ebbs and flows.
Recorded in Baguio: A Change of Pace for Ely Buendia
The pursuit of fresh air wasn’t just sonic — it was literal. Ely Buendia stepped away from his usual recording environment to lay down “Ate” in Baguio, a decision he credits as essential to the track’s energy.
“I needed a change of pace. I love the weather there,” he says, noting how the change in scenery was crucial in shaping the project’s feel.
Also new to the equation is Shadniel Chan, music producer and label head of Nine Degrees North, where Buendia and his band recorded “Ate.” This marks the first-ever collaboration between the Baguio-based producer and the OPM icon—and by Buendia’s account, it was a natural fit.
“Shadniel had a fresh take on everything. He works fast, which I really like, and has spot-on instincts. I’m always up for working with new blood; there’s a lot you can learn from them,” Buendia shares.
Meet the Band Behind Ely Buendia’s “Ate”
Rounding out the lineup for the Ely Buendia new single “Ate” is a slightly refreshed roster of musicians: rising artist Dani Mendoza on keys, Jian Nisnisan on guitar, Shadniel Chan on bass, and Pat Sarabia on drums.
“Ate” by Ely Buendia is out now and available on all major digital streaming platforms.
About Ely Buendia
More than the usual string of superlatives, Ely Buendia is a storyteller—not just someone with above-average verbiage or a propensity to weave hastily rhymed couplets, but the genuine article. Whether it’s with the massively popular Eraserheads or with any of his latter-era pursuits—the genre-bending rock outfit Pupil, rockabilly meisters Oktaves, or the soul/funk collective Apartel—listeners are always assured of both pop smarts and an indefatigable sense of invention.
Buendia’s canon is a ride to be relished, from landmark Eraserheads classics (“Alapaap,” “Magasin,” “Ang Huling El Bimbo”) to Pupil smashers (“Nasaan Ka?,” “Disconnection Notice,” “TNT”). The lesser-known items, too, give a picture of Ely Buendia’s creative breadth: the one-off Wanted Bedspacer; In Love & War with rap legend Francis Magalona; collabs with the Itchyworms (“Pariwara” and “Lutang”); and with indie rockers Cheats (“Plunder My Heart”).
As co-founder and CEO of Offshore Music Philippines, Ely Buendia continues to shape the future of Filipino music—and with the release of “Ate,” he offers yet another glimpse of his enduring currency as a songwriter and musician.
Follow Ely Buendia:
#ElyBuendia #Ate #OPM #OffshoreMusic #MethodAdaptor #OPM2026 #FilipinoMusic #NewMusic #ElyBuendiaAte #OPMnews #PinoyMusic #NineDegreesNorth #Eraserheads