During a stint singing lounge songs in a Malolos bar, Bing Austria (formerly of Put3ska) collaborated with bassist Alex Dumlao and guitarist Au Castro and they eventually formed.
Juan Pablo Dream in early 2004. Initially, the band played bossa nova but they ended up as a groovy soul band when they added a horn section.
Austria, a veteran ska musician, influenced the band by inducing two-tone ska music and mod fashion to build Juan Pablo Dream's sound.. When they made it to Manila's rock circuit, they were signed up by independent label Terno Records, which put them alongside bands like Up Dharma Down and Radioactive Sago Project. The then lineup, which included Eman Tabujara on sax and Igor Carpio on trumpet, further solidified after the band released their debut album Soul Up! when Austria's Put3Ska cohort Luis “Weslu” Guiang joined on drums. However, Guiang died in a car accident on January 2007. Fortunately, the band found a replacement in then 17-year-old drum prodigy Aldwin Fernando. Later on, back-up singers Holganza and Villarosa joined the band to create a Motown flavor and to complement the band’s musicality.
Juan Pablo Dream released its first single entitled “Nice Place” in 2005 together with its music video. They were hailed as MTV Philippines' Rising Star for the month in April 2005.
Soul Up!, the band’s debut album which was released in August 2006, is composed of eleven original tracks, including a bossa nova rendition of “Nice Place”. In 2007, the band contributed a song to the compilation album, Hopia, Mani, Popcorn 2 with their version of Cinderella's “Bato sa Buhangin”.
The band’s influences include: Ray Charles, The Who, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Marvin Gaye, the young Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Four Tops, The Temptations, James Brown, The Jam, The Style Council and Paul Weller, The Kinks, Small Faces, Secret Affair, and The Lambrettas.
