John Jayvee and Erick first met at Trinity College through a common friend. Bonding over a common love for bands like The Velvet Underground, The Talking Heads, The Modern Lovers and The Shaggs, they decided to team up and name their band after Jonathan Richman’s “Wake Up Sleepyheads”. Jayvee and Erick officially formed The Sleepyheads in 2000 and after Rico Entico joined the group in 2009, this m...erry band of ‘art rebels and outsiders’ was finally complete. Eleven rock ‘n’ roll years later, the band continues to stay true to their mission of preserving their raw art-fueled avant-garde approach to their work and proving that “music is universal, rock ‘n’ roll is forever, and that dreams matter.” With three albums under their belt, ‘(Don't Let Our) Tuneless Moaning (Go To Waste)’ (2006), ‘Malnutrition Of Love’ (2010), and 'Avant Garage: Wrecknroll' (2011), the band has not only proven that “dreams matter”, but that dreams can indeed come true.
All three ‘Sleepyheads’ are artists in their own right. Therefore, it is no surprise that the band’s music and performances are driven by a love for art as well as their dedication to the local art community. In fact, The Sleepyheads, often playing in art galleries and exhibitions such as Mo’s Gallery and Silverlens, the band aspires to create music that would serve as “the soundtrack” for the paintings, sculptures, installations and performances of their fellow Filipinos. Their allegiance and love towards the Pinoy creative community is mutual: Legendary artists Louie Cordero, Manuel Ocampo (who also made Beck’s ‘Odelay’ cover) and Roberto Chabet designed the band’s first, second and third album covers, respectively.
Their third album, 'Avant Garage: Wrecknroll' was released in September 2011. The album's cover art was done by Roberto Chabet and curated by Gary Ross Pastrana. Their latest album also comes with a comic book by Louie Cordero. The Sleepyheads also released another album, a live recording, featuring purely raw and low-fi music dedicated to the music of The Modern Lovers, The Shaggs and The Jesus and Mary Chain.
Despite being in the industry for over a decade, the band continues to work towards fulfilling their rock ‘n’ roll dream of being “a band that would matter, draw inspiration from their heroes, stay true to their vision, and always play for the love and fun of music.”
