Plant Dad, or Ralph Bernabe, is a singer-songwriter from Baltimore, Maryland. His newest single “MoMA” explores different influences of shoegaze, punk, indie, and alternative rock.
Plant Dad, or Ralph Bernabe, is a singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and arranger from Baltimore, Maryland. His newest single “MoMA”, released March 24, explores different influences of shoegaze, punk, indie, and alternative rock with his indie pop musicality and lyricism.
“MoMA” isn’t necessarily about the acclaimed New York City art museum, but rather “a relationship that was ultimately about physical appearance and beauty to the point of detriment.” Plant Dad says, “This song is about a girl that I was talking to that was super beautiful that [I] didn’t [know] how to explore my feelings fully”. It chronicles a relatable surface-level relationship that started from a night out full of endless conversations and “living for tonight”. “I don’t wanna waste my time / Just to say we’re fine,” he cries out in the chorus.
The track is “an ode to my high school emo phase,” he says, with strong fuzzed out guitars (with Weezer undertones) – engaging solos add to the passion, realness, and rawness of the song. “I wanted something to rock and rage more,” says Plant Dad. “If Lucy Dacus, Snail Mail, Gus Dapperton, Neutral Milk Hotel, Teen Suicide, and My Bloody Valentine had a baby… this is the song 4 u.”
Plant Dad is inspired by eighties electronic bands, alternative rock, and singer-songwriter folk melodies. Although he was born in Manila, Philippines, he describes the Baltimore music scene as a key influence to their music, setting out to throw a party with every song that they write and perform while evoking a sense of nostalgia.
Learn more about Plant Dad here, and find more exciting new music on our Alchemical Multigenre Mixdown playlist on Spotify.
Emma Page, a recent Journalism graduate of The George Washington University, possesses a passion for music journalism and storytelling in all its forms. Originally from Baltimore, MD, when she is not writing, she can be found at a local concert or making music of her own.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
