“Being in a Band is the Coolest, Most Awesome Thing Ever:” An Interview with Manila Folder
INTERVIEWS
By Krista Orejudos
9/28/26
A mini interview with Seattle's pinoy shoegaze band Manila Folder
Joeph and Krista inside Cafe Vita at The Vera Project. Photo taken by Masao Yamada.
Before Joeph Rafael was the “bassist and official vibes master of Manila Folder,” I knew him as Joeph from Homeroom, a UW Asian American club. I also knew him as the identical twin brother of Jaykub (Homeroom’s former member and editor in chief).
It doesn’t surprise me that Joeph is in a band and quite frankly, it would be weirder if he wasn’t in a band. His free spirited energy, his go-with-the-flow attitude, his ability to hype up the crowd, and his contagious passion for music are all very much the traits you’d find in a rockstar.
Rockstar Joeph is what I call him now, but even rockstars can get shy. Leading up to this interview, he was most worried about his answers lacking any thought-provoking reasonings. After much coaxing, I was finally able to sit down with Joeph and pick apart his brain about Manila Folder. If reading his interview isn’t enough, you can also watch my chaotically awkward podcast interview with him on GZR’s Youtube (once it’s done being edited in post-production)!
Introduce yourself! What is your role in Manila Folder?
Hello I'm Joeph! I'm the bassist and official vibes master of Manila Folder.
What are the origin stories of Manila Folder?
Manila Folder starts with my two of my bandmates, Tena and Sam, and I met in Vera's Live Production Lab Summer program. We gravitated to each other because we were all Filipino. We all started jamming and by October we committed to playing for our program capstone show in December under the name "it only gets worse" (none of us actually liked the name). We also had Sam's friend, Janet Newman, filling in on drums to get us through the show. After that show, Tena invited her former Red Light Letters bandmate, Francis, to be on drums. We then changed our name to Manila Folder to celebrate us all being Filipino-American and the rest is history!
Out of the 3 singles that your band has released, do you have a favorite?
Honestly I really love bang!rules of the game [demo]. bang! is a no brainer song of the summer 2026, but rules of the game I went back and forth with a lot. I used to dread playing it a little but the recording is so awesome and I think about every time we end up playing the song. We recorded them both in Francis's bedroom and the mix ended up being really sloppy and chaotic in a stupid garagey way that's so addicting.
Joeph and Krista during the recording of Krista’s Curiosity on August 15, 2026. Photo taken by Masao Yamada.
Are there any future EPs or an album that the band will drop?
Yes!!! We're currently working on recording and mixing a 5-6 song EP so stay tuned!
What are some goals you have for the band?
Manila Folder to me has always been good vibes and good times. I have so much fun writing altogether and rocking out and shit like being in a band is the coolest, most awesome thing ever. So I'd say my goal is to keep doing what we're doing and keep doing what we're doing and have fun while doing it. It may sound like a modest goal but I hear of too many awesome bands pulling the plug over creative differences and stuff and I hope to not follow suit. Also I think opening for Beabadoobee or Olivia Rodrigo would be so funny.
How can people support your band?
By keeping it real fr always
Manila Folder currently has three singles out. With an official EP in the works, Joeph’s biggest goal for Manila Folder is for them to prioritize having fun altogether as they navigate the music scene in Seattle.
Listen to "White Whale"
