Gab Cabangon Finds His Way Back to Music on Debut EP ‘Learn to Love Again’

Filipino singer-songwriter Gab Cabangon explores the exhaustion of chasing a dream—and the decision to keep going—on his debut EP, Learn to Love Again, released through Underdog Music.

The five-track collection draws from personal disappointments, career uncertainty and his changing relationship with music. Across songs about frustration, vulnerability, rest and love, Cabangon reflects on what it takes to return to something that once brought joy.

For the Awit Awards Best New Artist nominee, making the EP also meant recognizing that he did not have to navigate those experiences alone.

Finding Support While Finding His Voice

Cabangon had been balancing live performances, behind-the-scenes work for other artists and plans to release his own material. Over time, the demands affected his confidence and enthusiasm for songwriting and performing.

Working with friends in the music community helped him turn those frustrations into songs. He describes the resulting collection as an “open diary” of his experiences as a millennial singer-songwriter.

“I did realize in the process of developing the songs of Learn to Love Again that I didn’t have to be alone and that I do have my wife, my family, my friends, and a community to lean on when the going gets tough,” Cabangon shares. “I also realized after writing everything that I just needed to show up.”

‘Love Again’ Makes Room for a Pause

The focus track, “Love Again,” grew from a brief break Cabangon took from music during the pandemic.

Stepping away gave him space to reassess his relationship with his craft. When he returned, he began writing about healing, letting go and reconnecting with the reasons he first pursued music.

“I think it taught me to rest and to pause,” Cabangon explains. “That I didn’t have to be impatient and do music non-stop. It didn’t make me less of an artist. It’s okay to step away from time to time so that I don’t get too tired or frustrated with my music.”

He dedicates the song to people dealing with burnout, heartbreak, disappointment and the feeling of being left behind. Its message encourages listeners to reconsider the pressure to measure their progress against someone else’s.

Five Songs About Starting Over

The other tracks approach that journey from different emotional perspectives.

“Ikot Ulit” expresses anger over false promises, disappointments and obstacles. “Pieces” acknowledges vulnerability and the need to grieve, break down and accept help.

“Kama” turns toward rest in a world that continually demands productivity. Closing track “ngayon at kailanman” looks toward a love that feels honest and reassuring.

Together, the songs reflect Cabangon’s view that finding your way back does not follow a straight path.

“I also think that learning to love again isn’t necessarily linear,” he says. “We all go through the highs and lows of life, and I guess the important thing is that we never lose our way or the reason why we took on that journey.”

A Collaborative Return to Music

Cabangon worked with David Lina on arrangement and production, developing acoustic demos through collaborative studio sessions.

Nine Degrees North’s Shadiel Chan and Jan Fuertez handled mixing and mastering, while Cha Martinez contributed lead guitars to “Love Again.”

For “Kama,” collaborators included Gab Lazaro of Project Yass, vydd, Kyla Miel and Cabangon’s wife, Geli, who helped explore different instrumental and vocal textures.

With Learn to Love Again, Cabangon shares a personal account of returning to music with a greater willingness to rest, accept support and begin again.